Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-03-05

pass INTO spanish possession. are pre-
sutneo 10 De the Doadoro and tho Elorinno
Mhch are building at La Seine. Toulon
rhese are small byt powerful battleshlns.
s tonnage Is only 3i62. but they carry
.o"r W-lnch rifles In turrets. In addition
W. o-'nch ana four i7-inch guns and
sood secondary battery. Their coal
endurance. however. IS small and their
lnrte would seem to be coast defence on
plies. VI SUP
Inc London reports also caused COM
ment at the State Department. In some
quarters the feeling was expressed that
pending the finding Of court Of inquiry
on a case having the International phases
OF the Maine explosion. the obligations Of
neutrality were as strongly imposed on
Great Britain and Brazil as IN time of
war But as a general rule. foreign gov
ethmehts are free to sell warshps, either
uirectly or through their citizens, up to
the actual date OF hostiiities.
ARMY MATTERS QUIET.
Matters were very quiet. at least ex-
ternally, in the War Department to-day,
so II was unknown officially that the
troops at Salt Lake are being reviewed,
and II was said that IL this were 50 Il
could be nothing more than the usual
periodical inspection required by the reg
ulations.
As for the reported orders for the in
spectors OF ordnance at bethlehem to
be ready for an instant start, IL Is said
that Captain McNutt and Lieutenant Ben
nett, who have been on inspection
duty there for several years past are
not 10 be disturbed, and have had no
orders such as are reported from Beth
lehem.
Admiral Sicards precept convening the
court of inquiry now investigating the dis
aster TO the battleships Maine has
been received by the Navy Department,
and was made public to-day. IL Is i'm
portant mainly in showing the exact scope
of the inquiry, and the extent to which
the report will go.
Aside from the usual order directing
the court to report both findings of fact
and its opinions on these findings Ad-
mral Sicard directs the court to record
any information as to person or persons,
mot connected with the navy of the
United States, who are in its opinion re-
sponsible i'm part or wholly, directly or
indirectly. for the explosion and loss of
the Maine, with names and the degree of
responsibility in each case" The court is
10 make its report 10 Admiral Sicard.
LEE ESTABLISHES ORPHAN ASY-
LUM.
The State Department received the fol-
lowing telegram from Consul General Lee
last night:
"Habana. March 3.-Have established
asylum for destitute small orphans. re-
gardless of nationality. The money sent
by you was applied 20 the purchase of
food for said orphans"
The War Department. ii is understood,
will endeavor to induce the Treasury Off
cials to return the TOrtugas Islands to
it's jurisdiction. but at the Treasury De-
partment it is said that no request has
yet been made upon the Secretary Of the
Treasury for the Tetransfer. Should the
request be made. it is said it would be
compiled with at once.
Some years ago this island. then under
the control of the War Department. was
turned over to the Treasury Department,
for use as quarantine station, with the
stipulation that il would be retransfer-
red at any time, upon request. Since then
the government has established on Tortu-
gas one of the most complete quarantine
stations in the country. This fact, how
ever. would not even be considered,
should the War Department need it for
its own purposes. Possession, 1t is said,
would be given within forty-eight hours