Daily evening star. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1852-1854, 1854-04-27
WASHINGTON NEWS AND GOSSIP

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| WASHINGTON NEWS AND GOSSIP. q
The Washington Water Works.-Itis GER
tainly greatly to be regretted that the maiori
ty Of the Committee Of Ways and Means hav,
seen fit to advise the House against agreeins
to the Senate's amendment to the Deficiepo,
bill, providing the4neans for the prompt pros
ecution Of the work on the Washington aque
duct. The treasury is full, to OVERLOOKING
Congress have formally determined to eonstruc
the work, and have already made a considera
BILE expenditure upon it. The plan adopted
has only been determined on by the proper Of
fcers of the Government, after due investiga-
ton and careful comparison; and it has BE
been determined on for the best interest Of the
Government, which has so much Mt stake il
the District of Columbia in the way of valua.
BILE property, and, 80 much, the loss of which
BY fire, money could never replace. The in.
terest on the sum to De expended under the
adopted plan, will be the cheapest possible in.
surance, and the only possible insurance which
the Government can obtain; to say nothing Of
the advantage of additional comfort and econ
omy in obtaining for the Government premises
in this quarter, the convenient supply of waite,
this work is destined to afford 1t strikes Us
that the majority of the Ways and Means Com
mittee have adopted over-hasty conclusions, in
this matter, under the sinister representations
of parties interested in making speculation
out of the work. --..
All the plans which have been urged on the
Committee for their approval, have been duly
examined by those charged by the last Con-
gress with the duty Of selecting the best plan
and have been declined. Indeed, there never
was q similar work commenced here in the
way of which obstacles failed to be thrown BY
parties aiming to make fortunes for themselve:
by persuading Congress that their plans, il
adopted, are destined to save the public money
This system of tactics has become an old
saw" to those who have watched the curren
Of such matters at this point, for years past
They have, so far, merely succeeded in exposing
the fact that their patriotic interference ha:
been wholly for their own individual benefit
and, more than once in delaying the prosecu.
ton Of most important public works. great,
to the public injury. In this case, it is, in.
deed, sincerely to be hoped that sound judg
ment and enlarged public spirit will prevail
in the House hall in considering the Senate
action on the bill in question. Should this b.
the case, our fellow citizens of Georgetown
and Washington need not fear that Mr.. ANY
| bOdys scheme or speculation will prove
stronger in this case, than the matured plans
Of the proper officers of the Government ant
the real interest Of the public.
Epigramatic.
When Benton to Burke for authority turns.
His figures cf speech to determine,
He both the sublime and the beautiful spurns
To tastefully introduce peTmin;
AND proves what all ages of fogeS have said
They're ever repeating what runs in their heed
The Official Interpretation Of the Clerks
Biu.-We hear that the First Comptroller Of
the Treasury has been consulted by variou
heads of bureaus, with reference to the proper
| Interpretation Of the clerks bill,'' and ha
| rendered a decision upon some of the point
submitted to him, saying: i'-'.-
The compensation of the Ist, I'd, and 30
classes OF clerks authorized by the third sec
ton Of the act of March Sd, 1858, session
laws, page 209, is increased by the act Of April
70, 1854, as follows:
LIST classic each clerk an increase of. 1896
q q do do :: e,
to commence on the 1st of July, 1853, and the
appropriation which was first made general i.
| restricted by q proviso to the present fisca
year.
Vacancies happened since the LIST of July,
1898, and the question Is asked whether Tia.
clerks who served ON, or after the LIST Of Jul j.
and were not in Office on the 22d instant b,
| reason Of resignation or removal, are entitl d
| to the benefit of the act tor the time they
served, or, when dead, whether their repre-.
sentatiyes are thus entitled. The increased
compensation is for services performed, or to
be performed, and each clerk in either class i,
entitled to the benefit of the act whether in OF
out OF office. If clerk served, and is dead
bis legal representatives can receive the amount
found to be due.
" The second section of the act of April 22d,
among other things, provides I" an addition of
twenty per cent. to the pay now authorized by
law, to each OF the messengers, packers, labor
ers and watchmen of the different Executive
w
ton. Laborers are generally paid out of the
contingent fund of the Department or office
employing them, and the question is asked
whether they aye entitled to the benefit of the
act?
My answer is they are 1900
Messengers, packers and watchmen receive
salaries, and in connecting with them laborers,
Congress intended to provide for the latter, as
well as the former. as receiving compensations
fixed by law"
Useful and Valuable works.-The Com
missioner of Pensions has had competent en-
ployees in his bureau engaged in compiling a
series Of manuscript volumes to abridge the
vast amount of labor and time which is neces.
sarily encountered in the investigation of near
ly every application for pension, by con-
densing into a single lime complete and re-
liable history Of each case in which pension
has been allowed under any of the acts Of
Congress from March Is, 1918, to February 3,
lo53-exhibiting as we'll the changes by which
subsequent legislation has affected the inter.
ests Of the orioiu al hana6o;arc no ill.,. 1