Plumbinquired of Mori ill, chairman of^the committee on finance, as to the bill^concerning the It ,im ut the seal islands of^Alaska. Morrill replied thai since the hill^was reported on Feb. 4 there had been 110^time when a heanng on the subject could^be had. The committee had learned it^would be injurious to the government and^perhaps unfair to any new competitors to^po.stisme the time for making the lease, the^I resolution having been adopted that the^atcietary of the treasury should postpone^the lease until Feb. A The ndverttse-^! ment had been till the Hat. That was^staled to be the Inst day for allowing new^bidders it fair opportunity with the present^company, nnd lie was instructed If the^committee on limine* not to press the bill^l'lumli^1 suppose the committee has not^onlv arrived at the conclusion that nothing^is to be done by legislation in the matter,^but also that trie secretary of the treasury^will, on the 21st of the present month, pro^cecd to make a new lease for twenty yean.^1 regard it as very unfortunate th.it eon-
sonice commissioners. I rani. Hatton, edi^^tor of the Washington Fost. which made^charges against the commission. Mid n^number of other gentlemen were pres^^ent when the house committee on reform^in the civil service this evening began the^investigation. Commissioner Lyman^testified that his brother-in-law, A.^C. Caropltell. had received several^promotions, one of them in April.^Ma\ when witness waa the sole^comiaiMiouer. Cnmplielldid not pa a* an ex^animation for promotion, the commission^^ers^ clerk* not being required to do so. In^January or February Commissioner Oberly^[called witness^ attention to the fact that ex-^lamination cp.ost ions were being furnished^I to outsiders. The nevt day he discovered^that these questions were in Campla-II's^handwriting, and i.t witness^ suggestion the^lchiefexaiuinerinr.de an investigation and^found the questions had not mm used
\Vpliell acknowledged he had copied
themfor a ladv friend in the^oftiet. who had come, to^in passing an examina^^tion for promotion. Campbell informed^witness thnt he told this lady he did not^know nnv wav to help her except that he^iniulit give her a set ol quest lone fornieth^used that would embrace the subjects in^^cluded in the oxiiniiUHtion tor promotion.^Witness placed the matter 111 liberty's^hands, as it would have been manifestly 1111^proper for witness to act in tut case. With^respect to the criticisms made, growing out^of witness' daughter making all application
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