The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-03-21
eight ounces are bulk packages, and taxes
must be paid accordingly.


military affairs on the bill establishing a
national battlefield memorial park of 5000
acres on the sites of the battles of Fred
ericksburg. Charlottesville. the Wilder
ness and Spottsylvania Courthouse. The
report says that more men were here en-
gagged than in any battle of the worlds
history, aggregating at least 100000, with
losses in killed and wounded on both sides
amounting to 129.SSS. The intrenchments
over the entire field are said to be in re-
markable state of preservation. AT Fred
ericksburg. also. is the home of the mother
Of Washington, still intact, and a monu-
ment erected by the Daughters of the
American Revolution. Here, too. Captain
John Smith anchored his little bark and
fought the Indians in 1908, and within sight
of the city were born Washington, Monroe.
Jefferson, Madison, the Lees OF both the
revolutionary and civil wars and Zachary
Taylor. The report adds that in Virginia
the great war began and ended, and not an
acre Of this soil, where more men fell than
on all the other battlefields of the war, has
yet been dedicated as a national park.
The ways and means committee held a
special session to-day to hear ex-Postmas-
ter General Don NJ. Dickinson in support
OF the bill allowing the recovery Of rebates,
aggregating about s6.Oo0OOO. on alcohol used
in. the arts and manufac ctures. The Wilson
tariff bill allowed rebate of the revenue
tax on this article on the issuance of regu-
lations by the secretary of the treasury.
But as the then secretary of the treasury
Mr.. Carlisle, did not issue the regulations,
the courts have held against allowing the
rebate. The purpose of the bill is to do
away with the want of regulations as q
bar TO the rebate. Mr.. Dickinson said IL
was the manifest purpose of Congress TO
grant the rebate as an encouragement to
the trade in this country against that
in Europe, where alcohol was extensively
employed in manufactures, and he main
tanned that this purpose should not be
overcome by the inaction of an executive
official
1t is said at the War Department that
the cancellation of the contract of the Chi
cago firm of Heidelmeir & Neu for the con-
struction of the big breakwater at San Pc
dro, Cal, was ordered with great reluc-
tance and only after the monthly reports
of the officer in charge of the work had
made ii manifest that the work was entire
ly beyond the capacity Of the firm 1t is
said that the latter have been unfortunate
at every stage of the contract. One of the
firm members was killed by an accident.
Then the island selected as the place from
whence the stone for the breakwater was
to be secured proved to be unsuitable, and
only after long time and at great ex-
pense was another supply of stone found.
This was on the bluff face of a precipice
overhanging the sea, and 1t became neces-
sary to blast out a platform on which TO
work. Most of the stone was blown over
board by the blasts into deep water, and
altogether, instead of placing $4,000 tons of
| rock each month the supply was often
limited to 5000 tons, and never exceeded
10000. The firm was engaged at this time
| with contract for the construction of the
| Chicago drainage canal, and was unable to
| carry out the undertaking II had entered
into with the War Department. and there
! fore the cancellation was ordered Captain
| Meylor, the engineer officer in charge of
| the work, has been instructed to immedi-
| ately prepare advertisements asking for
| bids for it's completion. The original con-
tract for the construction of the break
water was let July 19, 1885, to Heidelmeir &
| Neu, for 81, ,303, ,19S.
| The Cabinet meeting to-day developed
nothing of special interest. The postmas-
| ter general, who has just returned from
| the West, spoke of the political conditions
in that section, and particularly with re-
| gard to the feeling on the pending Porto
Rico tariff bill. Senators Spooner and For
aker had conference with the President
| before the Cabinet met, presumably on the
| subject, but so far as could be learned no
| change in plans was agreed to or proposed.
The House committee on postoffices and
post roads to-day voted adversely. four to
| five, on motion to report the bill known
| as the economic postage bill, providing for
| the of a patented device for postal
cards. sss
| The judiciary committee of the House to-
| day considered the bill of Representative
| Hit authorizing indemnity claims of for
eigners to be prosecuted in our courts, and
| intended to apply to such cases as those
| growing out of the riotous killing of Ital-
ians, Chinese and other foreigners in var
| ious parts of the country. Amendments
were made restricting the right to citizens
| OF such foreign nations as granted like
rights to citizens of the United States, and
limiting the suits to two years from the
| cause of action occurred. Final action on
the bill was postponed.
|
The Senate committee on naval affairs
to-day agreed TO report the bill for a
Pacific cable, which Senator Hale was
authorized to draft at the last session Of
| the committee, and the report was later re-
| ported to the Senate. The bill provides for
a present cable only to Honolulu, but
| declares a purpose to extend it in the
| future. The first section reads as fol-
lows: THAT to the end of establishing
| hereafter telegraphic communication be-
tween the United States and the Philippine
islands and Japan under the waters OF the
| Pacific ocean, there shall be constructed,
| under the supervision of. the sec
retary of the navy, submarine
| telegraphic cable cables and connecting
land lines from the city of San Francisco.
| Cal, to the city of Honolulu, III. L., over
| such route may be deemed by the sec
retary of the navy to be the most practi-
| cable"
| Three million dollars is appropriated for
| the work and further surveys are author
| lied to determine the most practicable
| route. The secretary is empowered TO
cause plans to be prepared Immediately on