Image provided by: Oregon City Public Library; Oregon City, OR
About Oregon City enterprise. (Oregon City, Or.) 1871-188? | View Entire Issue (March 31, 1876)
o o THE EfJTERPRISi OBEGO.Y CITl', OREGON, MARCH II, 1S7G. Judge Not Hastily. The country is full of rumors about the Attorney General's mis management of the recent Govern ment prosecutions, and if half that is alleged can be established he must Lave been prostituting his office to protect thieves and swindlers. It is stated that before and during the Babcock trial ho concerned himself -with great zeal on the side of the . defense ; that he caused the prosecu ting officers at St. Louis to disclose all their evidence to him in advance, and then laid it before General Bab cock ; that the chief bureau of defense was in the Department of Justice at "Washington ; that a great deal of testimony was suppressed "with Mr. Pierrepont's connivance ; that witnesses were intimidated by a threatening letter addressed to the western district attorney, and imme diately communicated in some mys terious way to General Babcock's counsel ; that tho prosecution was continually thwarted by the principal land officers of the Government ; in short, that ever since the indictment of General Babcock the Treasury Department and the Department of Justice have been fightiugeach other, the Treasury prosecuting the rings, and the Attorney General practically defending them. In like manner it is rumored that Mr. Pierrepont pur- o poses, by direction of tne l'resictent, to put a stop to further disclosures like that of Mr. Marsh by prosecu ting the men that make them. Nobody supposes that there is any desire to acquit General Belknap. General Grant and all his friends are too angrytit the Secretary who has been found out, to show him any leniency ; but if there are any move scandals in theobackground it is the deter mination of the White House clique that they shall not be allowed to come out. Such, wo say, are the reports in circulation. We regard them with great suspicion. We believe that if not false they are greatly exaggerated, as the testimony thus far given by Mr. Pierrepont before the House Committee shows. Mr. Pierrepont is a gentleman of whom we prefer to think well. When he entered tho Cabinet it was supposed that General Grant's incongruous political family gained something in respectability. But the country cannot afford to rest in an uncertainty as to tho stories now in circulation. Mr. Pierrepont, if they are untrue, cannot afford, to leave them unrefuted ; the Jlepubli can party caDnot afford to shirk a rigid investigation of them, and Mr. O Pierrepont will not dare to take advantage of any legal quibbles that might save him from answering a pointed question. Such rumors disgrace the nation almost as much as the crime of General Belknap. The House of Representatives in its present investigation must bring out every atom of truth. There must be a searching inquiry into the Depart ment of Justice in the Babcock case, the consequence of the Dyer letter, the manner of its publication, and the reported proceedings to indict juarsH and intimidate tne various post traders whom the committee has still to examine. If Mr. Pierrepont is innocent of the misconduct impu ted to him, let him be vindicated, not merely for his own sake but for the honor of America. If he has been unfaithful to his duty for the sake of pleasing the President, (we cannot suspect him of. ignoranco) let the House enforce his speedy and dis graceful expulsion. But wo cannot ohelp feeling that he is a slandered man. o A Great Improvement. The President has suddenly begun to unload with great vigor, not to say violence. It is a question whether it is not too late, but his sinking administration can yet be saved from ntter shipwreck, this is the way to dojt. It was high time, certainly. Schenck should have been dismissed a year ago, or rather should never have been appointed. But, perhaps, it is as well that he ha3 held on thus long, for nothing but the very des peration of the present condition of affairs Gcould have secured so good n appointment as that of Mr. Dana. Jle is just a3 far as it is possible to get from Schenck, or. from any of Grant's set. He is a statesman, a diplomatist and a gentleman ; his presence at tho English court would recall the times when the country felt that its honor was secure in the hands of its representatives abroad Our only fear now is that a gentleman so far removed from, the petty work ings of zealous politicians may fail to receive the confirmation of the (Senate. Post Trader Fraud e. Tho entire country will approach the seething lake of corruption which had its fountains at the War Depart ment with Sorrow and indignation When the magnitude of the frauds has been gauged there will be such an uprising against the heads of eysbem which has flooded the country with disgrace that purity will be placed above iarty, and the guilty punished with 1full measure of the Jaw and that public scorn which is more terrible in its withering (Offsets. Every day the telegraph brings us new exposures fresh . humiliations o What We Know About It. Chas. L. Bangs of Hillsboro, 111., writes to enquire "what farming lands are worth ia this vicinity, what are tho prevailing diseases of tho Willamette Valley, and is there much thoroughbred stock in this vicinity?" First, the price of farming lands depends much upon the improve ments ranging all the way from S2 50 to 40 or $50 per acre. Good farms cau be had partially improv ed at from $10 to 15 per acre. We believe lands are cheaper, all advan tages considered, in Oregon than in o any other State in the Union. Oregon is generally considered very healthy, yet during the past winter typhoid fever and diphtheria have been quite prevalent through out the Willamette Valley. This is attributed to the unprecedentedly wet winter. Our summers are re markably pleasant and healthful. Little attention has been given as yet to the rearing of fine stock in ! this vicinity, yet the matter is being agitated, and several of our farmers are purchasing and importing im proved breeds. We think a man can do better at this business here than in any other part of the State, for the reason that he would have less competition and his profits, as a matter of course, would be larger. Wo do not think a man 'who wished. to operate on a very extensive scale could do as well here as in socio few other places, but for the man with moderate means, Clackamas county offers inducements ' unsurpassed by any other country, on this coast or elsowheie. A person who is willing to work can make money at any calling here, but this is no place for young men who are hunting "easy jobs. We have a circular, prepared by the State and eounty committees on im migration, treating of Oregon gener ally, and of Clackamas ounty pai tic ularly, which we are happy to send to persons who will send us a two-cent stamp for postage. We believe Ore gon to be thetountry for persons who propose to "go west," and believe its present and future will satisfy a rea sonable man beyond his brightest anticipations. A Card from the Committee on Fire Water. Oregon Cur, March 2S, 1876. Mit. Editor: The Standard, of Portland, in its issue of the 21th of March, charges by implication that the Fire and Water Committee of Oregon City either were benelitted or allowed some other person to cor ruptly peculate in the purchase of 400 feet of hose. Of course wo pre sume his informant was Jos. Buchtel; as there are false statements therein, and will givo you the facts. He says Mr. B. offered the White Anchor hose at $1 23 per-foot. M. B. never at any time made such an offer, nor did anyone else, to either the commit tee or the Council. He further says that Mr. B. offered to Oregon City the "Patent Electric," an invention of his own, if they would buy the hose he represented as a token of re gard for the people of tin place, where he formerly resided. Mr. B. J never made any such proposition prior to tne purcnase ot tue nose. Ho may have said so to Mr. McCown after he had been informed of the rejection of his bid. Mr. Buchtel, out of tender regard, did offer to furnish his telegraphic attachment to his White Anchor hose at ten cents per foot, or 40, in case we purchased oi mm. . Air. Buchtel's proposition was partly in writing and partly verbal, and was, in substance, that he would furnish White Anchor hose at the same price wo could btiy genuine ''Carbol ized hose," and take pay in scrip, and if the city wanted his telegraphic aparatus, be would charge ten cents per foot extra. The committee con sidering his telegraph practically both useless and expensive in Oregon City, and having already on hand 600 feet of colbolized hoso, and know ing it to be good, did not think it wise to buy an experiment, as we had.been offered common white rub ber bose at 75 cents per foot in San Francisco. We do not know whether "White Anchor hose" is better or worse than common white rubber hose. Wo purchased tho Carbolized at SI 28, delivered here. The San Francisco price is !gl 25; in other words, it cost 12 to ship and insure the hose. His remarks about the purchase of couplings in Portland, if hose was purchased elsewhere, does not need very much space to explain. F. M. Albright, F. O. McCown, C. N. Greenman. Mr. Buchtel's written proposition is embodied in the above statement, in substance. M. C. Athet, City Recorder. The Chicago .Times has a Washing ton dispatch purporting to explain the conduct of Hallet Kilboum in refusing to give to the Congressional committee the names of his associates in the real estate ring in the District of Columbia, or to allow an inspec tion of. his books. This dispatch says the ring was composed of. Sen ator Sargent and two or three other Senators whose names are not given Aldrich and some three or for other politicians of the Democratic side Kilbourn and Boss Shepherd: and that Kilbourn's books would show that fact and the profits made by each. Kilbourn was the broker of the ring. He is now in prison for contumacy, but he remains firm in his rsfusal to peach on his pals He cannot be imprisoned by the House beyond the currept session, and mar nnlrl rn 11,. 1 . . . - ceedings in the criminal court shall v. iu iuB euu unless the force him to the reom'r ,iic-,w r . i wuuico. Oregonian. Family Quarrel. Taking as we do neutral ground in the political arena, it is amusing to note the disclosures made when members of the same ring fall out with each other. Much has been said at different times by Republican papers about a Watkins ring at the penitentiary, but no facts being in our possession, we let those rumors pass unnoticed, knowing full well that whatever might be the jobbery or rascality carried on within the penitentiary walls, no hostile news paper possessed the means of learn ing the facts correctly. Now, in what we are going to relate, we do not wish to take shies, but simply to state the facts as given by the parties to the controversy, Mr. H. C. Myers, late Warden, and Superintendent Watkins, of the penitentiary. It seems Mr. Myers, after resigning his position as Warden, stated to parties in Salem that Watkins was interested in the boot and shoe manufactory of W. Jackson & Co., carried on by the employment of convict labor the penitentiarv. Watkins denies this charge, and ia a letter to Mr Myers demands that he retract hi statements through one of the daily papers of that city. He also brings forward. Walter Jackson, of the said firm, who states that Watkins has no connection with the manufactory in any manner. R. II. Dearborn, clerk of the penitentiary, makes a state ment in which he certiQes that W Jackson & Co. are now charged on the books with six hundred and ninety-one days' labor of convicts at fifty cents per day, for tho quarter ending February 20. 1876. Watkins report for the said quarter end inr Februarv 29. 1876. shows but cj four hundred and seventy-four days charged to W. Jackson & Co leaving two hundred and seventeen days' work unaccounted for by Wat kins. Since these two showings aro so widely different, we will not try to explain or reconcile them, but give below the statement of Mr. Myers as published in the Oregonian of Wed nesday : "Now yon will please examine the superintendent s report published in the Mercury, Statesman, Standard, and Okegonian, for the quarter end inerFebuarv 29, 1876, and you will find Walter Jackson & Co. were charged with 474 days instead of 691. Well, how is this? Simply said superintendent .nnds that lie is about to be caught, and he xroes and has the balance charged up sev eral davs after settling with Jackson fc Co. Now this is identical with his boot and shoe business. After he fWatkinds finds that he is about to be exposed in his speculation, ho get3 some one .to take his interest, and then goes for a certificate stating that he has no interest. Books were opened and a contract let for con victs to manufacture boots and shoes with W. H. Watkinds. one of the comnanv. 1 uese are stuuhorn lacts notwithstanding the statute reads. on page 702, section 13: 'The super intendent, warden, assistant warden, shall not receive the labor of anv prisoner tor their individual pront or use. or be interested directly or indirectly in any contract upon which such labor is employed or used.' Now. if the lobber wants me to bring proofs, and have such publish ed for tho people of Oregon to read, I will do so, and that too. from the very best men of the country plenty of proof, and that which is reliable. Will you have it? Thine in the right." , II. C. Myers. Bourbon Blunders. The stage direction in Spain appears to be exit Don Carlos ; enter Queen Isabella. That is said to be tho arrangement of King Alfonso, who, when the war is over, will meet the ex-Queen at tho French frontier and escort her in regal state to Mad rid. This wo look upon as the char acteristic madness of Bourbons. Noth ing else could suggest so suicidal a step. Adissolutequeen.who wasdriv en from a throne by the people, is to be forced into position again as one of the earliest results of a successful war. King Alfonso will have troubles enough to face and overcome without those of his own making. The Phil adelphia Times is of the opinion that if the king introduces hisdisgraceful mother he will have to shoulder her crimes and blinders. The young king has a rough road to travel. All his enemies have not left Spain with Don Carlos, and he should strengthen his position by judicious action, not weaken it by acts of folly. But he is a Bourbon, and any crooked path is possible to him and his adherents a it was to the Stuarts of England, and we must say, that from present appearances it looks very much as if their fates would be identical. The selfishness of tho Stuarts alienated from them all their supporters in England aud Scotland , brave, devoted gentlemen, as many of them were. That, we fear, will ultimately be the history of theBourbons in Spain. And there is no better way to make the whe.elof certain fate revolve with increased rapidity than to install the profligate Queen Isabella in the royal palace in Madrid. The affection of the son will not cover the outrage of the king. The New York Republican State Convention, which convened at Syra ouse on the.2lRt and 22d insts., in structed the delegation (35 in num ber) to support Roscoe Conkling for President at the National Convention. Mr. C. Rutherford of Walla Walla, has invented a now style horse coller. -1 COURTESY OF BANCROFT The Belknap Investigation. ; J. S. Evans detailed the circum stances surrounding his obtaining permission from Marsh to remain . at Fort Sill. Belknap told Evans he had promised Marsh a pface and Marsh had selected Fort Sill. Evans saw Marsh, who appeared to under stand all about the matter. He went to New York with Marsh, where a written contract was signed. Evans said he was introduced to the Secre tary of War by Gen. Rice of Iowa, and paid him a thousand dollars for the introduction. He thought this was enough, though Rico wanted $1,500. Geo. II. Pendleton testified before the judicial committee that neither Belknap nor any member of his family immediately or remotely re ceived any money whatever from him resulting from the Ke'ntucky Central Railroad. Caleb P. Marsh being sworn testi- nea. in Montreal jl looted over the printed account of my testimony. With one inconsiderable addition it is correct. The addition is that I returned to the Secretary of War after I had gone to New York with Mr. Evans, and requested the Secro tary to make the appointment of Evans as post trader. I came to Washington in answer to a note or request of Mrs. Belknap. I came here and called on her first. She told me she had prevailed on him to give me that appointment. She said I had better go and see him I did so. I think I produced letters of recom mendation from Judge Bohnmann, of Cincinnati, and one possibly from Job Stevenson. Evans made his first quarterly payment to me a month or so after our contract. The first remittance I made was to Mrs Bel knap. I have said to Mrs. Belknap that she might expect a present when she spoke of getting me the appoint ment. I sent only one jmynient to Mrs. Belknap; 6he died a few months afterward. I can't say when the sec ond payment was made, except that it was about three months after the first; sent half of it to the Secretary of War; do not remember the corres pondence with General Belknap, except when Evans asked for some favor at Fort Sill. He supposed Belknap understood where the money came from without any con versation upon the subject, Witness might have said to him' "Here are $1,500," or a present of money; he was under the impression theat Bel knap knew the inonev came from Fort Sill. In answer to the question how lie came to make the present to Mrs. Belknap, witness replied that Gen. Belknap must have known the arrangement he made with Evans, for he had asked the Secretarv to .ippoint Evens to his place, and the Secretary did so. In answer to the question why lie should voluntarily and without solicitation, offer to Gen. Belknap aaonev constituting a transaction that would disgrace him ? lie said I do not know, The first money I sent was to Mrs. Belknap; the next was to Gen. Belknan. Whether this was in consequence of any arrangement with her, 1 am lin certain. I had no idea the transac tions would be made public. I duf not consider them criminal, though if known, they would disgrace him. lie said his reason for paying the money to BelkiM must have been in consequence of some arrangement, on the night after the funeral of Mrs- Belknap, with Secretary Belknap or Mrs. Bowers. He was sure he got some impression when at the funeral that he might send tho monev to him. Gen. Peck testified before the committee on expenditures in the War Department that post traders were assessed for political purposes, and that during the last presidential canvass he paid from 6,000 to $?S,- 000. J. J. Fisher testified that the firm of Evans & Co., post traders, con tributed money for political purposes, iu pursuance of a request in printed circulars. He didn't understand contribution as compulsory, but thought it safer to pay the amount apart froru political consideration. Mr. Evans testified that during he last presidential canvass he, in compliance with a circular received at Fort Sill, sent 300 to the KepuD- ican committee in Washington, and lad sent $150 dollars to the same committee within the last six months Lincoln's presidency, but was not now mixed up in politics. C. P. Marsh brought again before the sub-committee of judiciary, his attention was called to an article in the New York Tribune, of Marsh 1872. in relation to post tradership at Fort Sill, stating that Evans had aid Marsh 15,000 a year tor the dace. Marsh testified that he callod Gen. Belknap's attention to the article, and asked who could have written or inspired the article, (jren, Belknap said lie supposed it to be the work of Gen. Hozen. Marsh explained the reason why he went to Montreal; after giving ins testimony before the committee on expenditures in the war department, he appre- iended when he read the debate in the House, which appeared on the morning of the day he left New York, that he might be indicted for acrim- nal offense, hence his anxiety to get out of the way of arrest. j Mrs. C. P. Marsh testified that she had known Mrs. Bowers, now Mrs. Belknap, since 1860. Two or three weeks ago at Arlington Hotel witness asked Mrs. Belknap whether she ever reoeived any money on account of the claim; witness told isr she had heard that she received 70,000. Mrs. Belknap replied that the claim was for only 100.000, and iow could I receive 370,000?" She did not know of Mr, Pendleton pay ing money to Mrs, Belknap on ac count of Kentucky railway - claims, or of making her presents. She never heard the Secretary ofWarsav anything about the contract between her husband and Evans. On cross examination by Mr. Robbins, witness said the understood Mrs. Belknap as denying she receiv ed anything, and meant to convey that ircmreBsion. " I LIBRARY. F Marsh was again recalled but noth ing of importance was elicited, Clymer seemed to wish to convince the rest of the committee that he had not '-spirited" Marsh away w hen he went to Montreal. Alvin C. Leighton, James Leighton, and Seth Arnold, Post traders, were examined, and statements were elicited that Gen. Hendricks received large snms for obtaining one of the au pointments. and that 8300 a month was paid Orville Grant and 100 con tributed for electioneering purposes. Gordon Daniels testified that trad erships were procured from time to time for money, and a trader at Fort Basconi informed him he had to give 1,000 for his place. He had heard that John Dent, brother-in-law of the President, controlled four or five such appointments. COXGKESONAir SENATE. Washington, March 27. Spencer, from the Committee on the District of . Columbia, reported back favor ably the petition of colored citizens praying that the 14th of April beset apart as a holiday for Government employes, accompanied with a joint resolution providing that all persons employed in the various departments in Washington be granted a holiday on the 14th of April, 1876, to attend the unveiling of the Lincoln monu ment in Lincoln Park, Washington. Passed. Ham ill, from the Committee on Postoffices and Post Roads, reported a bill fixing the rates of postage on third class matter. Jones, of Florid, offered a resol ution calling upon tho Secretary of State for information as to how much money, if anj there is in the hands of his department paid by the gov ernment of Venezuella on account of the awards of the mixed commis sion between the United States and Venezuela. Passed. The question was taken on the first amendment proposed by the Senate Committee, as follows ; For salaries of Envoys Extraordinary and minis ters Plenipotentiary to Great Britain, Fiance Germany, and Russia, fixed by the House at S14.05G, the commit tee moved to strike out t?14,0ob and insert 17,570. The Senate agreed to the amendment. The Sena.e went into an executive session and soon after adjourned Washington, March 28. Edmunds called up tho bill to relieve S. J. Sholfon, of Mississippi, of political disabilities imposed by the lour teenth Amendment to the Constitu tion. Cameron, of Pennsylvania, moved to amend by adding the name of Joseph Johnstono, of. Georgia, a man who deserved pardon just as much as anybody slse, Edmunds said probably the Sen ator from Pennsylvania is not con versant with the method adopted by the committee in granting this relief. The committee insisted upon it that the person should make application for pardon, and if the committee found the applicant Reserving, aud had behaved himself since the war, they considered the matter. He asked Cameron to withdraw his amendment, and when Johnstone should make application for pardon, it might bo taken up. The amend ment was withdrawn. Edmunds said the application was before the Committee on Judiciary, aud it would stay there until the committee got ready to take it up and consider it, and they would riot take it up out of its order. When they reached it in order of business, thev would consider the case. The ques tion was taken and amendment lost and the bill passed. Frelinghuysen called up Senate bill number thirteen, to amend the fourteenth section of the act to establish the judicial courts of the United States, approved September 24, 1789. Debito ensued, but the morning hour expiring the bill weLt over, and the chair laid before the Senate the consular and diplomatic bill as the regular order. Tho Senate proceeded to consider the bill, the question recurring on restoring Italy, which was stricken out by the House on a yea and nay vote. It was restored. The amend ment on restoring several posts which had been stricken out by the House was taken up. Sargent explained that in all these amendments the committee were only conforming to the existing laws.0 Sherman and Hamlin urged the necessity of conforming to the exist ing law, and spoke against the general principles of engrafting new laws upon appropriation bills, pending which the Senate went into executive session and soon after adjourned. HOUSE. Washington, March 27. Bills were introduced by Jones, of Kentucky, for the distribution of official patronage of the Government at Washington equally among the States of the Union. ; , By Hancock, to authorize the com missioners of internal revenue to refutd the taxes collected on the salaries of State officers. Willis introduced a bill to restore the national credit by funding the non-interest bearing debt into four per cent, bonds, and to repeal so much of tho resumption . act as re quires the Secretary of the Treasury to redeem all outstanding legal ten ders by January 1. 1879. Itandall moved to suspend the rules and adopt a motion to have evening sessions on Tuesday, Wed nesday, and Thursday of this week for the consideration of the legisla tive and judicial appropriation bill The motion was agreed to ; yeas, 152; nays, tl. , The House then went into Commit tee of the Whole, Saylor in the chair, on the bill providing for the defici ency in. the engraving and printing bureau of the Treasury, and for the issuance of subsidary silver coin. Townsend, of Pennsylvania, offered an amendment providing that silver coins shall be exchangable at par for United States notes in sums of not less than S3, ai.d shall be receivable for postage and revenue stamps and for all duties to the United States except customs in sums of not over S5, and shall be redeemed on pre sentation in such sums and under such regulation as shall be prescribed and that the total issue of silver ooin shall not exeeed 850,000,000 Speeohes were made by Landers of Indiana, and Phillips, of KnnL., against the bill, and Eames. of Rhode Island, and Burchard, of illino s Ct,J ,.t -"unois, in oii'" - ri i vt ll Various amendments were offered by Wells, of Missouri, Holman, and Townsand, of New York, and others. . ' The committee then rose and re ported the bill and amendments, with the understanding that five minutes' debate will be allowed in the House and votes taken on each amendment. Adjourned. Washington, March 28. Gordon offered a resolution directing the Judiciary Committee to inquire into the expediency of preventing the use nf the United" States mails in carry ing lottery advertisementsv Adopted.. The Speaker laid before the House two communications from the District Attorney of the District of the Dis trict of Columbia, .. informing tthe House that the grand jury had found an indictment against Kilbourn, the recusant witness in the real estate pool investigation, on five counts, and another from Thompson, Ser-geaDt-at-Arms, informing the House that the United States Marshal of the District of Columbia had come to him and reqnested that Kilbourn be given into his custody, : which he (Thompson) refused to do. and ask ing further instructions from the House. New, of Indiana, defended the action of the House in the case of the prisoner Kilbourn. He said the power of Congress was as great in that respect as of any court. ' The question whether the recusant witness should be surrendered ; to the judicial authorities of the district to be tried tinder the indictment found against him for refusing to testify, was discussed at considerable length. Glover, chairman of the 6elect committee on the1 real estate pool, offered a resolution : ordering the Sergeant-at-Arms to deliver Kilbourn to the Marshal of the District of Columbia for trial for misdemeanor. After considerable discussion the House proceeded to vote on the sub stitution offered by Hnrlbut, and it was rejected ; yeas, 32 ; nays, 192. Glover's resolution , was adopted without yeas and nays. TEI.EGKAPIIIC .NEWS. Eastern. New York, March 10. The steam ship ureal Western from .Mediter ranean ports, went ashore near Amityville, Long Island, late on Saturday night, and it is likely to become a total wreck. The crew were saved. It is now alleged that B. P. Rog ers, the absconding receiving teller of the Fulton bank, Brooklyn, de frauded that institution out of 50, 000. TiiO detectives are said to have traced Rogers to Knoxville, Ten nessee. Gaiveston, March 25. A Browns ville special to the Aeics says tho commander of t lie gunboat Rio Bravo loaned General Eabarra six bags of powder, about 150 pounds. It is reported this loan was made at the suggestion of t lie American Consul at Matamoras Mr. Wilson, and that General Potter considered it in vio: lition of orders received from Wash- l. Tho loan was effected the day before vesterday. On Thursday evening General Labarra visited the gunboat Rio Bravo. He crossed the river in a small boat sent from Rio Bravo. He did not call upon General Potter. General Labarra is con structing a fort at the lower edge of Matamoras. Don Antonio Torgari has been released upon a promise to pay 5,000 to a forced loan. It is reported that Diaz will attack Mata moras to-night. Washington, March 25. The American minister to Mexico will receive instruction from this govern- went to use his good offices in the nterest of the preservation of peace in that country. " Lane's bill for the payment of the Modoc India n war expenses, us re ported from the House Committee, provides only 870.000 for Oregon, churns, and $4,400 for California." Postmasters appointed John A. Smith, Spragne river, LakeCo.,Ogn ; II. niggins. Friday Harbor San Ju-iu Co.. W.T. Boston, March 27. Thomas W. Piper, formerly sexton of the Warren Street Church, and convicted of tiie murder of Mabel Young in t.iat building on the 23d of May last. Was to-day sentenced to be hanged.- :: Lawrence, (Mass.) March 27. Some five or six thousand mill 'oper atives here are idle to-day owing to the stoppage of many ' mills in con sequence of the unprecedented high water. All the mills on Spickel River are stopped. ; ' New Yokk, March 27. John S. Harris, of California, arrived at Bal tirnore a few days ago with twelve Angora goats, which he brought from Asia Minor, after a difficult journey, lasting a year. They have already cost him over S525 a piece. Harris hopes to make tliem profitable' in the Sierras of California. This is the first importation of the kind. - . Washington, March 27. The House Committee on Postoffies to-day heard the statement of Governor D". P. Thompson' of 1 Idaho.1 He said the recent testimony of Mr. Barlow was Calculated to injure him - unless his transaction with Barlow should be explained. He stated his bid for the route from Kelton' Utah,'-to the Dalles,1 Oregon, was 8124,500, but was underbid by a man named De Lacy, who secured the. contract. After some months Thompson's de posit was returned to him. Shortly after that himself and Barlow dis cussed the probability of DeLacy's failure. Thompson stated that in that contingency he should claim the routei He considered he had a claim on the department, but the depart ment had none on him. As a result of this conversation Barlow pur chased Thomson's revisionary inter est in this contract for S15.000Y Soon after DeLaey failed, and Barlow took the route as Thompson's New Orleans, March 23. Capt. Wilds, of the bark Magnolia, 800 tons, from Liverpool in ballast for Passagulia, arived here to-day, and reports a vessel wrecked off Chandler island on March 18th. Jas. Mor rison, mate, and three men were drowned. The - others escaped to the island and the vessel went to pieces during the storm of Sunday, the 18th. ... - ' Washington, March 28. Senator Mitchell made an argument before the House committee on commerce urging an appropriation for the con struction of canal and looks at the Cascades of the Columbia river. Surveyor General Simpson left for Portland to-day. In the Senato Mitchell of Oregon, J presented a bill to provide for the . . w.i mcr in Oregon. Referred to the Committed on commerce. Thie district convention to Say to elect delegates to the cNational Republicau Convention at Cincinnati was controled to some extent by opposition elements; but in the h irKV f 1 1 I r I f hi f in un7ia ... . opinion oi tue majority of the con vention did not represent the Repub lican voters of this district. The' resultjwas the withdrawal of a me jority of Republican delegates, and another convention will be held soon . atwhich delegates to the Cincinnati convention will be elected to con test the seats of. Sayles,; Jk Bowetf and A. M. Green, who were elected by to-day '8 convention, . A bill .was introduced by Senatof Wright to-day which purposes to give to the Covington, Columbia and Black Hills Railroad Company, of Nebraska- a ".national charter, under the name of 'Sioux City, Black Hills and Pacific Railroad, with right of ; way' and .authority, to constrnct and maintain a railroad from Sioux City through ' Nebraska, Dakota, Wyoming Idaho and Oregon to the city of Portland, all to be completed within fifteen years, sis ; ; . The change of postmaster at Salem, Oregon, was made at the instance of the Postoffice Department on ac count of the repeated violation of its regulations as to the manner of doing business, and Senator Mitchell was requested to nominate a successor immediately, ,, . .. , . ; ., . , .The Senate confirmed John M. Coghlan, of California, as chief justice of the supreme court of Utah: W. C. Fox, of Missouri, as U. S. consul at Brunswick: Germanr iso action uas Deen taken as yet by the Senate, in regard to the nomina tion of Dana as Minister to England. l'oreign. London, "March 25. The corn ' L T ' - It . . . iraue since ine ueginning oi tne week has rather gained strength andvalnes have slowly and steadily improved. .The provincial- markets . yesterday reported a suiiung advance on wheat: but with the fine weather, the inquiry is becoming smaller in London London, March 25. A Madrid dispatch reports' that recuiting for Cuba is actively progressing. The soldiers serving under .Don Carlos are allowed to enlist. In the House of Lords to-night, the royal title bill passed its first reading. , A dispatch dated Naples, Sunday night, says the eruption of Vesuvius continues with unabated vigor. Havana, March 2C The Diaro says the present crop of sugar ' will make about 100,000 boxes, aud valu ed at 630,000 000 less than last year's crop. Ragusa. March 27. Ali Pasha. Governor of Herzegovina, Mustapha Pasha and Yassa Effendi, pacification commissioners, and Baron Bodick. Governor of Dalmatia, are here con ferring about the method of dealing with the inhabitants of Herzegovina who have taken .refuge in Austrian territoiy. London, March 28. Advices re ceived to-day from India report that the steamship Iowod from Sheehr had been wrecked in tne Arabian Sea. She had on board about five hundred pilgrims, ehienv Persians, bound to ! Bushicre. Three men supposed1 to bo the the only survivors reached Hodeida. Flouesce, March 28. The suit brought against Larkin G. Mead, tho American sculptor, by a former em ploye, concerning the Lincoln mon ument, which rwas originally decided in favor of the defendant and subse quently appealed, has again resulted in a complete victory for Mead. ' ' Litertooij, March 27. The ship Lanarkshire arrived at Liverpool from Astoria. - ... U i . ... ; -r-Pacilic Coast.. San Francisco,' March 27. In tho Spanlding court martial to-day Wei. II. Cnllon testified to being the holder of two forged navy certificates writ ten by Pinney, and signed by Spanld ing. He asked Spaulding about them and ho stated that they were "good and would soon be paid. ...... The Freyer . process for' reducing ores is to be tested in a few days. A good dealof interest is felt in mining circles as to the success of the pjo cess, which, if it is -what it pretends to be, will revolutionize the gold and silver mining of the coast. San Francisco, March 25. At the great two-mile and repeat' race, which came off to-day,. Chance won. Best time made 3:41. '- ' San Francisco, March 28. It has been definitely arranged that an anti Chinese mass meeting shall be held in Union Hall next Saturday evening. The Committee on Chinese Immigra tion; recently appointed by the Board of Supervisors, have published an appeal tor the public - of - the' Pacifio Coast for an, expression of their feel ings on the question of the hour. Mendocino, March 28.A terrible tragedy occurred in a house of ill- . fame at 9:30 o'clock last night, which resulted in . tho deatli of one of the inmates named Lena Mitchell and a man from San Francisco named Frank Mitchell. Both were shot and killed by Aarry Klienschmidt. ' The Tancour er' Independent tells story of a woman at that place who swallowed a small snake while drink ing in the dark. That the snake re mained in her stomach a year, and was only induced to leave his cosy habitation after being drenched for some time with strong brandy "straight." We have known brandy to. bring snakes out of a person's boots, but never , before out of the stomach. . The Walla Walla Spirit says Joel Wood worth made the riffle acrose the Blue Mountains after eleven davs o; f o hard labor, spiced with considerable tough . swearing with ' his ; teams. In a letter to ' his wife, ' ho cautions all men against starting into the mountains now, unless they are pre pared to catch Mary had a little lamb." ' ' ' The Olympian says Mr. Cisco, of that place, learns by private letter that rich placer diggings have been discovered near Kearney, in Wyom ing Territory, yeilding "from . ten to fifteen oents per pan. The gold is said to bo equal in quality to any ever obtained from the mines of Cal-' ifornia.' - . . Three hundred head of fat mutton sheep sold at Pendleton the other day for S3 per head. They were purchased for the Victoria market.