The silver lance., 1899-05-05

The President has ordered some
changes in the Cuban tariff rates.
Brick are to be admitted free to en-
courage building operations.
The court of inquiry upon meeting
Tuesday morning Immediately went
into executive session to consider Its
findings. There will probably be no
more witnesses examined.
The payment of the twenty per cent.
extra pay to the American troops In
the Philippines has been extended to
include ali our soldiers now in service,
and will continue until hOstilities In
the Philippines cease. The troops IN
the Philippines, both officers and men,
will be given the two months extra
pay when mustered out.
The Wade court of inquiry will hold
one session Saturday afternoon for the
purpose of hearing further evidence.
Major Lee will make a presentation IN
behalf of General Miles, summing up
what he claims the inquiry developed
in substantiation of the generals orlgi-
nal charges. Another night session
will be held to permit the reading Oh
the official reports which still remain
undisposed of. To-day was spent in
going over the testimony.
Secretary Hay has notified the Unit
ed States consuls who were obliged to
leave on account of the war to resume
their posts in Spain. Two of these Of
ficers, Consul w. ii. Bowen, at BARGE
Iona, and Richard NJ. Bartleman at Ma
laga, are now in New York. The third,
]. Howell Carroll, consul at CadiZ, Is
now at Gibraltar. Most of the sub
consular officers remained in Spain
throughout the war and were undls-
turbed, some even continuing TO ulS-
charge a part of their official duties.
They will also be continued in the SER
vice.
Secretary of War Alger has cabled to
Governor General Brooke an order ex-
tending the maturity of all liab1lltles
"collectable by the sale of real estate
until May /, 1901. The Cuban planters
who presented the question to the ad-
ministration, are fairly well satished
with the order, and have returned
home The extension granted will en-
able the planters 10 plant, grow ana
market crop before any of their OBJ
legations will mature, and in the course
of the extension period it is believed
the debtors and creditors will in most
cases be able to adjust their differ
ences.
The following important diplomatic
changes have been announced as the
result of the last Cabinet meeting: w.
w. ROckhill, now minister to Greece,
has resigned that post. Arthur Sher-
burn Hardy of New Hampshire, now
minister to Persia, has been promoted
to succeed Mr.. Rockhill. william p.
Lord, ex-governor of Oregon, has been
appointed minister to Persia. The
Hon. John N. Irwin of Iowa, formerly
governor of Idaho, has been appointed
minister to Portugal to succeed Law
renee Townsend. transferred to Bel
gum In place of Bellamy Storer, who
goes to Madrid.
In the United States Supreme Court
an opinion was rendered Monday by
Justice Peckham pronouncing invalid
n portion of the state law of Michigan,
relating to the sale of 1,0OO-mile rail
road tickets. The part of the law af-
fected is that providing that these
tickets shall be good for two years and
shall be sold at reduced rate. Justice
Peckham said that the provision was
not the exercise of a power to fix maxi
mum rates and not a fair regulation
of the railroads. but an improper inter-
ference, the Legislature having no
right to discriminate, as is done in this
act. 1--WE cannot" he said, regard this
exceptional legislation as the exercise
of lesser right which is included in
the greater one to fix by statute maxi
mum rates on railroad companies"
The chief Justice and Justices Gray
and McKenna dissented.
Adjutant General Corbin says that
General Otis will respect the standing
order of the war department to send
| the volunteers home in the sequence in
| which they reached the Philippines.
The first command to leave Manila will
therefore probably be detachment of
the California artillery, as General
| Otis has cabIed that he would send the
first troops home on May 9Th, and no
steamer can leave on that date which
has a capacity for carrying an entire
regiment The sequence in which the
| volunteers left San Francisco for Ma
nila was as follows: First California,
| Second Oregon, detachment of the
California artillery, Companies A and
r, Utah artillery: Tenth Pennsylvania,
First Colorado. First Nebraska, First
North Dakota, Thirteenth Minnesota,
First Idaho. First Wyoming, First
Montana, First South Dakota, First
Washington. Twentieth Kansas, First
| Tennessee, Fifty-first Iowa, troop of
Nevada cavalry and First Wyoming
Battery.
A highly important decision to set
tiers in the West has just been rem
dered by Judge Vandeventer, assistant
attorney general. The decision was
made at the request of the secretary
of the interior. BY 1t settlers on forest
reserves will be permitted to take up
lieu lands outside of the reservation
pending full survey of the reserves
by the director of the geological sur
vey. Land Commissioner Hermann
had recommended that land Offices be
instructed not to accept claims for lieu
lands until the surveys had been fin
ished. He held that the settlers might
select land which later would be found
within the lines of the reserves. Set
tlors To lia,I In pdS OUT