STAR-ROUTE TRIAL. 



753 



which was passed shortly before the close of 

 the session, on July 7th. This law provides 

 for the gradual reduction of all duties to 15 

 per cent as against countries allowing equal 

 advantages in their commercial treaties with 

 Spain, but allows retaliatory duties to be im- 

 posed when another country raises its duties 

 on Spanish products. All duties between 15 

 and 20 per cent will be reduced to 15 per cent. 

 The excess over 15 per cent of duties above 20 

 per cent is divided into three parts, one part 

 to be remitted immediately, one after the lapse 

 of five, and one after ten years. The reduc- 

 tions are made discretionary with the Govern- 

 ment. The Ministry were deterred by the pro- 

 tectionists from acceding to the demand of the 

 representatives of the Antilles to have the priv- 

 ileges secured by the oppressive, antiquated 

 colonial system to the flag and products of the 

 mother-country abolished. The postponement 

 of this reform stands in the way of the conclu- 

 sion of a reciprocity treaty with the United 

 States, which is earnestly desired by the in- 

 habitants of Cuba and Porto Rico. The ad- 

 vantages in Cuba, which the shipping and the 

 grain-growing and other agricultural interests 

 in Spain adhere to, deter the American Con- 

 gress from abating the sugar duties. The ques- 

 tion of the wine duty in England prevents the 

 conclusion of a satisfactory commercial treaty 

 with Great Britain. Mr. Gladstone, who, for 

 politico-commercial reasons, enforced by moral 

 and sanitary arguments, secured a reduction of 

 duty on the light wines of France, for fiscal 

 reasons is unable to place wines of greater 

 alcoholic strength on the same footing. The 

 concessions which Comacho was obliged to 

 make in the trade taxes, the octrois, and also 

 in the patent duties, lessened the prospects 

 for escaping the annual deficits while adding 

 greatly to the expenditures. The reduction of 

 the tariff is calculated to increase the revenue, 

 by increasing imports and diminishing smug- 



fling ; but the slower the reform, the less the 

 reasury is benefited. After the important step 

 taken in the French treaty the Government 

 halted in its course, allowing the treaties with 

 Italy, Germany, the Netherlands, Portugal, 

 Sweden and Norway, Denmark, Greece, Rus- 

 sia, Turkey, and Switzerland to expire, and 

 their commerce to come under the provisions 

 of the general tariff, except in the case of Ger- 

 many, and one or two other countries, where 

 the treaty was prolonged until December 15th. 

 The difficulty of the fiscal situation was en- 

 hanced by bad harvests in Andalusia and other 

 parts of Spain. While commanding the con- 

 fidence of the King in their financial policy, 

 and thus able to resist the assaults of the Con- 

 servatives, an opposition was organized which 

 threatens to unseat the Ministers. 



STAR-ROUTE TRIAL. The proceedings 

 instituted against various persons charged with 

 fraud in the conduct of the mail service of the 

 United States on the "Star Routes" or lines 

 upon which the mail can not be carried by 

 VOL. xxii. 48 A 



railroad or steamboat were continued during 

 the year. (For their inception, see u Annual 

 Cyclopedia" for 1881, article UNITED STATES.) 

 Early in January, several persons were arrested 

 and subsequently indicted for furnishing fraud- 

 ulent bonds to accompany bids for mail ser- 

 vice, or for becoming surety on such bonds, 

 without possessing the necessary qualifications. 

 In February, evidence in the case of what was 

 known as the Dorsey combination was laid be- 

 fore the Grand Jury of the District of Columbia 

 by Mr. George Bliss, acting as special counsel 

 for the Government. The alleged combination 

 consisted of John W. Dorsey, John M. Peck, 

 and John R. Miner, who had originally made 

 the bids and obtained the contracts ; Harvey 

 M. Vaile, to whom, as a sub-contractor, the 

 routes were afterward transferred ; Stephen 

 W. Dorsey, who was accused of having directed 

 the course of the contractors, and aided them 

 with his influence as a Senator ; M. C. Rer- 

 dell, S. W. Dorsey's secretary, who was said to 

 have been a supervising agent and manager for 

 the combination in Washington; Thomas J. 

 Brady, Second Assistant Postmaster-General, 

 who had official direction and control of the 

 star-route service ; and W. H. Turner, who was 

 a clerk in the contract office, with control of 

 the territorial routes under Brady. Mr. J. L. 

 Sanderson, a contractor, was also included in 

 this first indictment. The combination had 

 originally 134 routes, upon which the compen- 

 sation for service under the contracts amounted 

 to $143,169. This was raised, by " increase 

 and expedition " that is, by increasing the 

 number of trips to be made per week, shortening 

 the time for each trip, and making allowances 

 therefor to $622,808. On twenty-six of the 

 routes the increase of pay had been from $65,- 

 216 to $530,319. Upward of eighty witnesses 

 were examined before the Grand Jury, and a 

 presentment was made against the accused per 

 sons on the 20th of February. Mr. W. W. Ker, 

 of Philadelphia, was engaged by the Attorney- 

 General to draft the indictment and otherwise 

 assist in the prosecution of the case. The for- 

 mal indictment was agreed to and brought 

 into the Criminal Court of the District of Co- 

 lumbia, before Judge Wylie, on the 4th of 

 March. It was a voluminous document, and 

 set forth the relations of the several parties to 

 the mail service, and the facts in regard to the 

 management of the routes, and alleged fraud 

 in securing increase of compensation, and con- 

 spiracy to defraud the Government on the 

 part of the defendants. On the 9th of March, 

 and two days following, most of the indicted 

 persons appeared before the Court and gave 

 bail for their appearance at the trial. The case 

 came up for the arraignment on the 16th, but 

 was postponed until the 25th. Motion was 

 then made by the defense to quash the in- 

 dictment, and after some argument a further 

 postponement was had. On the 29th of March 

 Mr. R. T. Merrick, of Washington, consented, 

 at the request of the Attorney-General, to as- 



