Daily evening star. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1852-1854, 1853-10-01
Washington News and GOSSIP.


The SPEAKERsHIP is becoming food for con-
versation in political circles here, as matter
of course. 1t may not be generally known at
a distance, that next to the Presidency. this
Office is most important in our Government in
the matter of its effect on our country policy
That is; the Speaker can do and always does
far more than any other, except the President
himself, in shaping the action of the Govern
ment. Appointing all the Standing Commit
tees of the House, it is known here on the mo-
the sessions legislation is to be profuse, strin-
gent or reasonable; whether the policy offos-
tering private interests, the Navy, the Army
or the reverse, is to prevail. His sympathy
in any closely contested case is worth twenty
votes at any moment, in its effect in insuring
success or defeat. Now as we have hundreds
in Washington at all times who hope to profit
by the legislation of Congress, it is by no
means singular that coteries and ciiques for
and against this and that aspiring member
always exists here for months before the meet
ing of a new Congress. Ohio already presents
two candidates, Messrs. Odds and Disney, both
we'll qualified certainly, so far as experience
goes; for both have been four years in the
House. after long presiding over branches of
the Legislature Of their State Both are able
legislative attornics and skillful debatcrs, and
it seems to US that they are equally ready men
in the chair. What Mr.. Disney lacks in COM
parison with Mr.. Olds, is evenness Of temper
His impetuosity renders him easily ruff,ed
while Mr.. Olds is, perhaps, as hard to be
thrown off the balance of his temper in the oc-
casional sudden turmoils of skirmishin de-
bate, as any man we ever knew. However,
MIR. Disney appears to be more familiar than
his colleague in competition with him with the
really obstruse questions of parliamentary
law which often arise, to be solved by the
Speakers fiat, unless that may be overruIed
by an appeal. Mr.. OIds was evidently the
most popular of the two in the last House,
owing to his invariable even temper. As the
House is remarkable for containing a much
larger proportion ofnew men than ever before
if We are not greatly mistaken, we are unable
to write with confidence upon the prospect of
the election of either of these gentlemen The
chance for either one Of them, however, would
be greatly increased, were the aspirations of
the other out of the way. We repeat, both of
them possess qualifications which would en-
able them to satisfactorily discharge the duties
of this arduous and delicate position.
The SURVEYS OF THE NORTHERN LAKES
In our notice few days since OF the survey
of the northern lakes now in progress under
the War Department, we should have stated
that the maps already published are from re-
suits obtained when the survey was under the
direction of Lieut.. Col. James Kearney, of the
Corps of Typographical Engineers, as we per-
ceiye from further inspection of the charts
HOSPITAL STEWARDS IN THE ARuY.-We
gather from recent decision of the Second
Comptroller of the Treasury, that when SOL
diers serving as hospital stewards re- enlist in
the Army, they are entitled to the bounty pro-
vided by law, (three months pay,) of the grade
into which they re-enlist. That is. a soldier
who re-enlists as private, two months before
or one month after the expiration of his term
Of service, and is afterwards appointed a hos
pital steward, is entitled to a bounty of three
months extra pay of private, and no. of that
of hospital steward. And it makes TO diff
ference, although he may re-cnlist with the
understanding that he is to be appointed nos
pital steward. Hospital stewards are not en-
titled to the per diem allowance of fifteen
cents and an extra gill of whskey, granted
by an act to regulate the pay of the Army
when employed on fatigue duty, approved
March 2, 1919, because they are, rs hospital
stewards, in the performance of their appro
pirate duties. In the Marine Corps il is
otherwise. In this branch of the service, u
soldier or marine detailed to perform the du-
ties of hospital steward, can receive only the
pay of grade in the line, and this service is
not his appropriate duty. lie is, therefore,
while SO employed, allowed per diem of ff-
teen cents, in addition to his regular pay
THE U. S. STEAMER SAN JAc1Sro's BOILERS
AND MAcuINERY.-We hear that the Navy
Department have closed a contract for the