THE ASIATIC TRADE Hill Says He Is Building It Up and Wants to Keep It. AIDKI) 15Y LOW TRANSPORTATION New Outlet Makes a Hither Price fur Pacific Const Grain Wants Tur lir Marie t Fit It. Washington, April 12. James J. Hill, president o tlio Great Northern ruilriKul, and ulso interested largely in transportation to tliu Orient, has writ ten u letter to u Western senator in which ha points out the possibilities of trade in Chinu and Japan, and suggests that tariff duties bo so adjusted us not to prevent trade with tlio countries across tho Pacific. President Hill says: "The Asiatic trade of the greatest importance to this country, and partic nlarly to such portions of it as are in terested in raising wheat. A year ago last full wheat sold for from 18 to 22 cents per husliel in the Pulouse country, south of Spokane, and this year it has sold for from 05 to 70 cents. About three years ago I sent an agent to China and Japan to investigate thoroughly what steps could be taken to introduce the general use of wheat and flour in those countries, as against their own rice, and found it simply a matter of price. I then took up the consideration of building steamers for that trade, de signed to carry cargoes of flour and grain at low rates. I found that we could build the ships, but, owing to the sailors' union fixing the wages of sailors at (30 a month, and engineers and other ship employes at about twice the wages paid by European steamers, it was impossible for us to compete with the English, German, Italian and Scan dinavian ships on the Pacific After the war with China, the Japanese used a large amount of their war indemnity for a subsidy to their merchant marine, and we opened negotiations with the General Steamship Company, of Japan, which is owned by leading men of the empire. We found their subsidy was about equal to the oost of their coal and the wages of their sailors. They pay thoir sailors $5 a month Mexican, or $2.50 in gold, enabling them to hire twelve good sailors for the wages of one American sailor. After some protract ed and difficult negotiations, we con cluded a contract with them for a line of steamers between Chinese and Jap anese ports and Seattle, on condition that they would carry flour from Puget sound to Asiatic ports at $3 a ton,, against from $7 to $8 a ton formerly rliargeil from West coast ports in the United States. The low rates fixed the rate for all lines between the Pacific toast and Asia, and has resulted in carrying out about 28,000,000 bushels, or its equivalent in flour, from the last crop. There is left about 5,000,000 bushels between now and their harvest. "Thus you will see we have been able to find new mouths which have never before used wheaten bread, to take the entire California, Oregon and Washington wheat crop out of the Eu ropean markets. This will reduce the -amount going to Europe about 20 per cent, and is three times the quantity shipped to Europe from Argentina dur ing the past year. The price of wheat this year, as compared with last is 20 to 25 cents higher, and I think it may be said that from 15 to 18 cents of this rise is clearly due to the withdrawal of the Pacific wheat from tho European markets. I see in this morning's re ports a telegram that European chips are loading with barley, rye and mer chandise fiom San Francisco for Eu rope, ufter waiting months for cargoes of wheat, and that no more wheat will go to Europe from the Pacific coast. "The only way we could bring about this reduction in the transportation of flour to Asia was by diverting the tea and matting business, which has here tofore gone mainly on English ships, from Asia direct to New York, and car rying these commodities to the Pacific coast, by a low rate, and transporta tion inland by rail, to distribute the commodities to points between Minne sota und New York. "I have given you the facts, so you wil understand the situation and be ablo to see that, unless these ships can bring their main cargoes of merchan dise to the Pacific ports at rates that will compensate them for the traffic, the business must go as heretofore, to New York, and the rates on flour to Asiatic ports will be again at the old figure, or at an advance of about 50 cents a barrel, which would, in my judgment, destroy the business that has just been built up with that coun try. The province of Amoy alone, which is near the coast, contains over 80,000,000 people, and, at 20 pounds of flour per capita per annum, would con sume the product of 40,000,000 bushels of wheat. The large districts of Tien Tsin and Shanghai, both within easy reach of the sea, would consume about as much more as soon as the trade could be fully opened. It is not outside the range of possibility to say that we could ship wheat at Devil's Lake or points west, as long as the demand for flonr continues to grow as it has for the past six months." There are over 2,000 miles of rail--ways in operation in Japan. Bebel Stronghold Captured. Cape Town, April 12. A dispatch from Vreysburg says Tolunteers have captured and burned the insuregnts' stronghold at Ganssepe. Lieutenant Harris is among the killed. Wealthy Wnnu'l Saddca Death. Chicago, April 9. Mrs. Julia Nel son, 19 years old and the possessor of $100,000, died suddenly in a cottage in Wert Erie street today. Asphyxiation by coal gas is supposed to have been the cause of death. SITUATION NO WORSE. Ilppnrt From the MUlliil Flood Htrlckon District. Memphis, April 12. Notwithstand ing tho high winds and heavy rain storms reported from tho overflowed Mississippi delta hist night, the situa tion in the flood-stricken district is cer tainly no worse, if not better tonight. Tho water which has been pouring through five big crevasses for more thai) a week is rapidly flowing into the Mis' sissippi again, nt a point twelve miles north of Vicksburg, and is sweeping southward with terrible force. Tho strain on tho Louisiana levees will be something terrific for a week, and if they withstand that length of time, all will be well. The Sunflower river is also on a ram page tonight. Two-thirds of the water from the Flower lake crevasse is rush ing into this stream, and a largo area will be inundated from the overflow. The Tallahatchie and Coldwater rivers are gradually falling. At Helena, the river is slowly falling, and indications are that the big stream will continue to decline. The waters below the Ar kansas Midland levee are at a standstill tonight. The number of refugees is increasing at Helena almost hourly. The steamer at Helena arrived there late this after noon with more than 100 flood suffer ers, swelling the list there to 8.000. At Rosedale nothing of special interest has occurred in the situation. After the stormy night that caused buildings to rock and sway like boughs of trees, the sun came out bright and clear in that section today but a cold north wind is blowing. In the Bogue Phalia country, much suffering is reported. The Rosedale relief committee will visit that section tomorrow and distrib ute provisions. At Greenville, the situation has not changed. All the lovees along the Mississippi front safely withstood the storm of last night. At Memphis, the river continues to fall, a decline of one-tenth of a fooi being reported by the weather bureau tonight. The railroads, with one exception, are again open for business and in good shape, and all trains are being run on schedule time. THE POSTAL CONGRESS. Corcoran Art Gallery Building: Leaned for the Purpose. Washington, April 12. The post office department has leased the old Corcoran art gallery building, on Four teenth street and Pennsylvania avenue, for the use of the postal congress, which is to assemble May 5. It is ex pected the cqgress will be in session six or eight weeks. The entire building will be fitted and furnished expressly for the congress. The union embraces the whole world excepting the Chinese empire, Corea and the Orange Free State. These lat ter countries are expected to join the union during this congress, and will be represented by delegates. Each nation can send as many delegates as it de sires, but will have but one vote. The convention will be held with closed doors, and the proceedings will be in French, according to the usual custom. Cyclone In Alabama. Montgomery, Ala., April 12. A si'peial to the Advertiser from Ozark, Ala., says: A cyclone passed over a portion of Dale county last night, leaving wreck and disaster in its path. Many houses were demolished. Mrs. Powers was caught by the falling timber of her home, and died- before she could be rescued. The rest of the family were rescused. This is the only fatality re ported. For many miles the farmers are suffering, everything they had be ing cwept away by the wind or ruined by the torrents of rain. The citizens of Oznrk have sent several wagonloads of supplies to those in need. The Treaty HHtlllt.il. Washington, April 12. Confirmation of the reported ratification by the Vene zuela congress of the arbitration treaty has come to the state department from United States Minister Thomas, at Ca racas, in the following cablegram, dated yesterday. "Treaty was ratified by congress yes terday." While the treaty provides that ratifi cation may be exchanged either in Lon don or Washington, officials of the state department believe this cermony will take place in London, as it will thus serve the purpose of initiating the res toration of diplomatic relations between Great Britain and Venezuela, after A suspension of more than ten years. American Money for Nonfi in Creto. Chicago, April 12. Lady Henry Somerset has cabled Miss Frances Williard, president of the Women's Christian Temperance Union, asking for $1,500 to be spent for the White Ribbon nurses in Crete. Miss Willard cabled her consent, "feeling it is all in the cause of suffering Christians slain by Moslem swords, and the hideousness of the situation is incalculably magni fied because English bullets are help ing on the slaughter of Christians." Marbletaead Sailors Drowned. Key West, April 12. While lower ing a boat today from the cruiser Mar blehead, the davits broke, and three sailors were thrown into the sea. Two were drowned. After a Woman Forsethlef. Colfax, Wash., April 12. The sher iff is scouring the country in search of a female borsethief and incendiary. The woman is Mrs. Jane McDonald, 50 years of age. She ran away from the poor farm and returned to Sunset, a former haunt of her family. Here she is reported to have set fire to two stacks of hay, the property of farmers she im angined had wronged her or her child ren. Later, she stole a horse fron Fanner Elder and left. RIVERA WILL NOT BE SHOT. Spanish Minister Hays Hi Elevation Vl Never ot-inilitted. Washington, April 12. Advices re wived by tho Spanish minister state that General Rivera, who is lying wounded near Havana is not in a seri ous condition, and that hiswounds aro not likely to prove fatal. Inquiry as to the status of tho prisoner elicited a statement by the minister to the effect that at at no time has the Spanish government or General Weyler hud any idea of shooting Rivera. Havana, April 12. General Ruis Rivera remains at San Cristobal. He is recovering from his wounds. In tho event of a summary trial, it is not likely he will be sentenced, but he will be held as a prisoner of war. A Kuinor That liivei-a Was Freed. Key West, April 12. News was re ceived last night that the Cuban insur gents had mailo an attack on the train upon which General Rivera was being taken from San Cristobal to Havana. Reports say the insurgents wore suc cessful in their attack, and that Rivera was freed. It is impossible to get a confirmation or denial of tho report as yet, but tho Cuban sympathizers here believe it to be true und are according ly jubilant. BRYAN WAS HURT. Piazza From Which He Wan Speaking a Fell Injuries Not Sertoli. St. Augustine. Fla., April 12. Horn William Jennings Bryan was injured here this evening by the caving in of the piazza from which he was speaking. Nearly 400 men and women were pre cipitated about twenty feet to the ground, and many of them were in jured, but none fatally. Mr. Bryan was picked up unconscious, and re moved to a physician's office, where an examination revealed that he had re ceived no injuries of a serious charac ter. It was deemed best, however, to abandon the reception to have been given this evening. Mr. Bryan arrived at 5:50 P. M., and was greeted by several hundred people. At 8:80 he addressed fully 3,000 people from the piazza of the San Marco hotel. At the olose of the speech hundreds of people flocked about him, and the strain was so great that one section of the piazza forty feet square fell through. Only One Bid Beeelved. Washington, April 12. The navy department received today but one bid in answer to an advertisement calling for proposals for supplying 8,000 tonB of armor for three battle-ships, the Illinois, Wisconsin and Alabama, and it was irregular in form. It came from the Illinois Steel Company of Chi cago, and projiosod to supply 8,000 tons of armor at $200 a ton, on condition it be given a 20-year oontract to supply all naval armor. In such case the re mainder of the armor would be sup plied at $240 a ton, the armor to be paid for in gold coin. An alternative proposition, contem plated the erection of an armor plant by the government and its supply with steel by the Illinois company. No awards were made, und the whole mut ter will probably be referred to con gress. An American Han the Contract. Havana, April 12. Miohael J. Dady, of Brooklyn, N. Y., has seoured an important contract to improve the sanitary condition of Havana. It is said the contruot will involve an ex penditure of about $15,000,000. Work will be begun next winter, and it will give immediate employment to from 4,000 to 6,000 men on sewers and pav ings, etc. All the preliminaries of the agreement have been deoided upon, and it is reported that Mr. Dady has us security bonds issued by the city of Havana to the amount of $12,000,000. Mr. Dady is now here with his engi neer, Mr. Byrne, and the papers are to be sent to Captain-General Weyler for his approval. Mallcarrlers A-Wheel. Oakland, Cal., April 12. The post office at Fifteenth and Broadway will soon be headquarters for the most con siderable and energetic cycling club in the city, for the mailcarriers are to ride wheels. The equipping with wheels of Oak land's mail delivery service means more than would appear at first. It means possibly another collection and distribution of mail matter each day, and a consequent improvement of the general service. The hours of each car rier will be shortened and he will be supposed to make good time. It is possible that the territories of the men will be extended, but this does not mean a cutting down in service, rather an enlargement, as the post master wonld be enabled to extend his rontes and reach much further from the heart of the city. Palmer Cot a Verdict. Canton, O., April 12. Tyndale Palmer was yesterday given a verdict by a jury in the court of common pleas for $1.50 in a libel suit against he Evening Repository. The suit is one of the last of the many similar ones brought by Palmer against newspapers using a press dispatch in regard to a land deal. The petition asked for $30,000. President McKinley is one of the stockholders of the paper. Fighting for Durrant' Life. San Francisco, April 12. The attor neys for Durrant today asked the su preme court for a writ of error. The petition was denied, and the attorneys will now appeal direct to the United States supreme court for a stay of exe cution pending the preparation of pa pers for an appeal. Eagles do not have different mates every season as do birds generally; they pair for life, and sometimes occupy the same nest for many ei NORTHWEST BREVITIES Evidence of Steady Growth and Enterprise. ITEMS OF GENERAL INTEREST From All the Cities and Towns of the Thriving Sister States Oregon Baker City has something of a build ing boom. Sherman county has paid into the state treasury the full amount of that county's tax for 1800. Notwithstanding the long and snowy winter in Hurney county, most of the horses that were left to winter on the range are at this time in good condi tion. Treasurer Kern, of Umatilla county, had a $12,000 county warrant call pub lished one day last week, and on the same day paid out $7,000 on warrants, included in the call. The annual report of the county su perintendent of Linn county shows the number of persons between the ages of 4 and 20 year) residing in the county to be 7,210, of which 3,501 are males and .3,709 females. The school superintendent's report in Curry county for the years 1896 and 1807 show a gain of just six children of school age in the county during the year ending March 1, 1897 five males and one female. News from hop yards in Lane county is that but little work has been done toward getting them in shape for oulti ration. The oontinued wet weather kept the ground in a condition that prevented cultivation. The sheriff of Umatilla county has begun suit in Pondleton to asoertain what expenses he is allowed under the law to incur. The case will be taken to the supreme court, and the whole question of the salary law will come up lor an opinion. A cheese faotory of 200 pounds daily eppacity is being built on Roberts hill, in Douglas county. The gentlemen conneoted with the enterprise are ex perienced in the cheesemaking busi ness, and are confident of success in their new venture. A Salem paper says that the Goodale Lumber Company is dosing contracts with corporations in Mexico for 5,000, 000 feet of bridge timber. It will keep the mills running full foroe for several weeks. The lumber will be shipped direct to Mexican points. Two children were playing on the sidewalk in Empire, Coos oounty, one day last week, when a band of raoing cayuses ran upon the sidewalk and right over the children before they could move. The children were for tunately but slightly injured. A liveryman of Albany says that there are absolutely no young horses in Linn county, and few on the coast. He says within five years a good horse will command a handsome figure. He is gathering up a band of thoroughbred animals to send to a ranch in Crook county. Washington. Sheep to the number of 50,000, from many ranges, will be driven to WalluJi to be shorn. The grass is long enough around Coulee City now for cattle to be turned on the range. ' A gentleman of Port Angeles will try the experiment of cultivating Eastern oysters in Washington harbor, Clallam county, Sequim bay. Thirty-two mining companies have headquarters in Everett, not counting the Monte Cristo properties of the Rockefeller syndicate. The auditor of Kittitas county last month received $340.45 in fees, the largest amount received for any one month for a very long time. The "scorcher" has been running over people in Port Townsend, and now tho city marshal says he will enforce the ordinances prohibiting bicycle-riding on the sidewalks in the business part of the city. The Wenatohee Water Power Com pany is taking advantage of the low stage of the river to secure the head of its ditch seven miles above Wenatchee. The company is putting inariprapping wall 1,800 feet long, with a slope ieight of seven feet and u base of four ;eet the most cf the distance, to protect their ditch from high water. Professor Spillman, of the Pullman agricultural college, who has made a special study of the industry and the adaptability of the state for producing dairy products, estimates that 300 creameries could be kept busy supply ing the market that can be built up for Washington dairy products by the proper development of the industry in the state. "The reports from Skagit county that the Italian prune trees were badly in jured by the extraordinary bad January freeze were greatly exaggerated," says Secretary Cass, of the state Iward of horticulture. "In my own orchard of nearly 1,000 trees I found the damage very slight and many of my neighbors are happily disappointed." Walla Walla is soon to have a publio library. The necessary $1,000 to form the nucleus for a public library sup ported by city taxes, as provided by the laws of the state, is at last assured. Five hundred and fifty dollars was de posited in the Farmers' Savings bank some time ago by some one whose iden tity is unknown, for the purpose of es tablishing a publio library. Nine hundred dollars baa been raised by the ladies of the city, and together with the old books stored away, the amount will reach the necessary $1,000. WEEKLY MARKET LETTER. Downing, Hopkins & Company's Ilevlew of Trade. Buyers of wheat have been slaughter ed this week and many holders have loosunod their grip on hitherto well held lines, believing us they did, in tho many crop reports telling of damage in the Southwest, and more particularly in stories from Indiana and Eastern Missouri. Their faith appears to have been misplaced. They received no as sistance from tho general public, and IH'opIo who are chronic sellers suw the opportunity und persistently fought the campaign, and their efforts have mot with success. The result lias been a severe liquidation of tho previously existing speculative inteicBts, and there can hut 'bo littlo doubt thut the mar ket at tho close of the week is more nearly evened up than at any time in several years past. Wheat has lacked a good cash demand for some timo, and without it there is only the conclusion to be drawn that value should decline. The fact that red wheat commands a high premium has not had the slight est effect in preventing or even staying the depression that set in early in the week and which caused a loss of 5 cents in the future deliveries and a propor tionate break in the cash grades. A great many inclined to the belief that the break was due to manipulation and not from legitimate causes. This theory is rather doubtful and can be ques tioned. The market is always more or less subject to manipulation, but to the extent of the decline thut has occurred this week does not seem probable. Wc are of the opinion that the current weakness is due to disappointment with the rate of flour consumption, which is smaller than had been expeoted, and with the larger arrivals than had been looked for, and, although the public is suffering this disappointment, it has no need to despair, for, at the slow rate of current consumption, the world ends the orop season lower in supply than in any season before since the price was 90 cents a bushel for an average of a sea son. For various reasons it is apparent that the present price is to be tempor aryonly. Market Quotations. Portland, Or., April 13, 1897. Flour Portland, Salem, Casoadia and Dayton, $4.10; Benton county and White Lily, $4.10; graham, $3.40; su perfine, If2.75 per barrel. Wheat Walla Walla, 74 75c; Val ley, 76c per bushel. Oats Choice white, 8840o per buBhel; choice gray, 8789c. Hay Timothy, $14.00 15.00 per ton; clover, $ 11.50 12.50; wheat and oat, $10.0011.00 per ton. Barley Feed barley, $17.50 per ton; brewing, $18 19. Millstuffs Bran, $14.60; shorts, $16.60; middlings, $20. Butter Creamery, 40c; dairy, 80 82c; Btore, 17tf80o per roll. Potatoes Oregon Burbanks,5565c; Garnet Chilies, 6576o; Early Rose, 80 85o per sack; sweets, $8.00 per cental for Merced; new potatoes, 8o per pound. Onions $2. 00 2. 75 per cental. Poultry Chickens, mixed, $2.60 8.00; geese, $4. 00 5. 00; turkeys, live, ll12o; ducks, $0.007.00 per dozen. Eggs Oregon, 9c per dozen. Cheese Oregon, 10c; Young America, 12o per pound. Vool Valley, 11c per pound; Eastern Oregon, 79o. Hops 9 10c per pound. Beef Gross, top steers, $2.00 3. 60; cows, $2.258.00; dressed beef, 40c per pound. Mutton Gross, best sheep, wethers and ewes, $3. 50 3. 75; dressed mut ton, (io per pound. Hogs Gross, choice, heavy, $4.00 4.25; light and feeders, $2.5O3.00; dressed $4. 50 5. 25 per owt Seattle, Wash., April 13, 1897. Wheat Chicken feed, $27 per ton. Oats Choice, $2824 per ton. Barley Rolled or ground, $20 per ton. Corn Whole, $19 per ton; cracked, $19(820; feed meal, $1020. Flour (Jobbing) Patent excellent, $4.80; Novelty A, $4.50; California brands, $4.90; Dakota, $5.65; patent, $6.40. Millstuffs Bran, $14.00 per ton; shorts, $18. Feed Chopped feed, $18.00 per ton; middlings, $22; oilcake meal, $30. Huy Puget sound, per ton, $10.00; Eastern Washington, $14. Butter Funcy native creamery, brick, 22c; select, 22c; tubs, 23c; ranch, 15 17. Cheese Native Washington, 12c. Vegetables Potatoes, per ton, $16.60 18; parsnips, per sack, 75c; beets, per sack, 60c; turnips, per sack, 60c; rutabagas, per sack, 50c; carrots, per sack, 4050c; cabbage, per 100 11, $1.60; onions, per 100 lbs, $3.25. Sweet potatoes Per 100 lbs, $4.00. Poultry Chickens, live, per pound, hens, 10 10c; ducks, $66.50; dressed turkeys, 15c. Eggs Fresh ranch, 12c. Fresh Meats Choice dressed beef, steers, 7c; cows, 6Jc; mutton, sheep, 9o per pound; lamb, 6c; pork, fio per pound; veal, small, 8c. Fresh Fish Halibut, 4c; salmon, 6 6c; salmon trout, 7 10c; i flounders and soles, 84c. Provisions Hams, large.ll; hams, small, 1 1 4'c; breakfast bacon, 10c; dry salt sides, 6c per pound. San Francisco, April 13, 1897. Potatoes Salinas Bnrbanks, 90c $1.10; Early Rose, 6575c; River Bur banks, 60 70c; sweets, $1.60 1.75 per cental. Onions $3.00 3. 50 per cental. Eggs Ranch, 10J12o per dozen. Butter Fancy creamery, lZc; do seconds, 1212ic; fancy dairy, 12c; seconds, 10o. Cheese Fancy mild, new, 6fc; fair to good, 8$6c; Young America, 7 8c; Eastern, 14 140. PRUNING THE ITEMS. Progress of the Hnnnto Committee Wlthr the Tarlir Hill. Washington, April 12. The Repub licun senators who aro acting as a sub committee of the somite committee on finance In the preparation of the tariff bill ore inclined to postpone the date of presentation of the bill to the senate a little beyond the limit originally fixed by them. They express the opinion that it may bo two weeks from the present time before it will be in shape to bo reported. The committee is making satisfactory progress with the bill, nnd many of the schedules have received final atten tion, among them being chemicals and cottons. None of tho more puzzling; questions, however, have been disposed of. The committee has deemed it wisest to leave the rates on wool, sugar, hides, coal, lead, ore, lumber and all the other important subjects until tho simpler mutters can be de termined. They take the position that they can settle the disputed points more satisfactorily ufter the other fea tures of the bill are thoroughly digest ed and the probable revenue deter mined. Many of the smaller items ac cordingly have been docided upon. While no detailed information can be secured, it is understood many re ductions have been made. The dispo sition of the committee is to make quite general reduction, but this is found to be a tusk not easy to accom plish, because of the insistence of sen ators upon having a high duty for ar ticles in whioh they are interested. There are indeed many demands for increase, and some of these are so pressing that members of the commit tee find themselves considerably embar rassed between their desire to satisfy senators whose votes will be essential to the success of the bill and their con viction that the interest of the party demand reduction rather than increase. FIGHTING HAS BEGUN. Greek Irregulars Crossed the Frontier and Attacked Turks. Elassona, Macedonia, April 13. Bands of Greek brgiunds have entered Turkey at Krania, in the vioinity of Gervno. Turkish troops have been en gaged with them and fighting has been proceeding since 5 o'clock this morning. At Turkish headquarters the news is. looked upon as of tho gravest descrip tion in view of the excitement nere. Edhim Pasha lias sent orders to have everything in readiness for an advance of the Turkish army in foroe. A dispatch received at Turkish head quarters here from Grevno says the fighting between Greeks and Turks con tinues. The Turks, following out the instructions of Edhim Pusha, have sur rounded the Greek irregulars, and the greater part ot the Turkish division stationed at Grevno is now advancing-. It is impossible to distinguish whether the invaders are supported by any) sub stantial portion of the Greek army, but the correspondent is informed that the moment the Turkish officers asoertain the presenoeof uniforms of Greek fogu- lars in the ranks of the aggrossorsi Ed him Pasha will order an advance of the entire Turiksh army. The situation is not serious. I NOT ON THE MARKET', Publio Lands In Washington Withdraws From Sale, Olympia, Wash., April 13. The board of state land commissioners made one of the most important orders today ever issued by that body. It is to withdraw from salo all state, granted, school or other lauds. Henceforth all applications for purohuse of the publio lands of tho state will be rejected, and special deposits already received re turned. This does not apply to the purchase of timber and material on state lands, nor to such applications as have prior rights under existing laws to purchase tide lands. The reason for this step is said to be that to sell now, in the present finan cial stringency, would be to take the lowest price ever likely to be offered, thus defeating the objects for which the Beveral grants were made to the state. The commissioner of publio lands is ordered to lease all these lands possible to permanent occupants and improvers to the fullest extent permit- , ted under existing laws. Sherman Pigeonholed It. Washington, April 12. The senate resolution protesting against summary proceedings by the Spanish officials in Cuba against the captive insurgent leader, Rivera, has reached the state department, through the White House. Secretary Sherman, regarding it a merely declaratory of the sense of the seriate, and offered in an advisory spirit, has filed it away, and is not likely to carry out its suggestions and lodge a protest with the Spanish gov ernment, particulary in view of the in formation he has received that Rivera, is not to be shot. Will Charter a Merchant Ship. Washington, April 12. In execution of the act of congress authorizing the secretary of the navy to transport con tributions for the suffering people in India, Secretary Long has taken steps to procure immediately a ship or steamer from the merchant marine. No naval vessel is available for this purpose. Drank Alcohol With ratal Result. San Diego, CaL, April 12. One sailor on the cruiser Philadelphia died today, two others are in a dying condi tion, and several others are dangerous ly ill. During the night they tapped a. chest of wood alcohol, and stole lirga quantities, which they mixed with, eggs and condensed milk, and drank. Boston, April 12. The receipts of foreign wool at this port this week will reach a total of 40,000 bales, a reoord i breaking number.