Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1855-02-24
proves to have been a waste of time-notbiug

that the action of its friends met the sanction Of
Gen. Henderson and Messrs. Seaton and Force.
We know, of our own knowledge that no
others in this community more emphaically
disapprove 1t Those three gentlemen went
up to the City Hall to ascertain upon whas
authority the call for an election had been
issued. and were az much disappointed as
any others to find some hundreds of people
assembled there to vote the affairs ofthe Ma
tiona! Monument Association into their own
hands, with as little legal authority SO to do,
as, on that occasion, and in the same way TO
vote the present Government Of tho United
States out Of Office, and their own secret nomi.
noes into their several positions Finding
their retreat blocked by the crowd they were
forced to pass on with the crowd, to the ballot
box, and when there, by way of amusement,
took the only ticket to be found on the ground
two of them votea il, as opening the easiest and
quickest escape from the pressure of tho crowd
in the rear. We regret the Jauz pas of those
who started this attempt at an illegal election;
inasmuch as it surely involves the defeat OF
the bill Of Mr.. May, giving $500, 900 from the
National treasury in aid of the work
We regret it further, because while their
eforts-though abortive-bid fair to prevent
those not sympathizing with them, from here
after subscribing to the fund of the associat ton
Being failure it will not bring into the fund
the money which the friends of the movement
would probably have subscribed, had they sue
ceedei. We fear that their devotion to the
memory Of Washington is not strong enough
10 superinduce the subscription in aid Of the
work they contemplated making, unless their
own nominees rather than tho so universally
revered and respected citizens now in the
board are to have the future management of
the fund. We trust it may terminate other
wise, however. Nous vsyrons
Accountability for Army Clothing-It is
held by the accounting officers that the opin-
ion Of Board of Surrey, is not the evidence
required to warrant credit being given at
the Treasury for clothing or any other public
property lost or damaged while in tho posses
sion OF an officer The thirty sixth article Of
war makes it the duty of every officer to pre-
serve the clothing and other public propert y
in his possession; and the third section Of an
oct Of Congress, approved the 18th of May,
1925, Regulating the accountability for
clothing and equipage issued to the army of
the United States, and for the better organi-
ration of the Quartsrmaster's Department. %
requires evidence under oath that proper care
was taken of the property by the officer claim.
ing a credit for its loss or damage, to enable
the Secretary of War to relieve him from the
accountability.
To meet the difficulty of complying with
the formality of an oath at frontier stations, a
deposition before a Judge Advocate or Re
corder Of Court Martial, an Adjutant CT a
regiment. post or battalion or in the absence
OF these, before any commissioned officer, is
deemed sufficient testimony, if it is set forth
in tie deposition, that no civil magistrate or
other person qualified to administer an oath
wa, at hand or within reasonable distance
The object of surveying damaged supplies,
under the regulation Of the Quartermaster's
Department, is for tho information of the SEQ.
rotary of War as to the actual condition of
the supplies; the nature Of tho damage, and,
as far as practicable, its probable cause and
to assess the amount Of damage, that the or.
ders for their final disposition may be given
with judgment, and that the amount to be
charged to the officer liable, if charge il to
be made, may be determined it is, further,
for the security Of any ofh,er receiving dam
aged supplies, that he may not at some future
time be held accountable for them as being
unipjured at the time of their receipt. In
CAGES of deficiency by accidental loss, theft,
or otherwise, no survey is presc ibed, though,
1t is perhaps better for an officer, when a def
cheney Of property in his charge has occurred
under peculiar circumstance, to fortify himself
with an official examination by his brother
officers
The Claims Court.-The great unanimity
With which the House yesterday passed the
bill for the establishment of O Court for the
preliminary examination of claims on the
Government of the United States, proves th at
Congress (the Senate having previously passed
the bilD are at length fully alive to the abso
lutte necessity Of doing away with the system
under which they have in vain attempted to
legislats upon private rights for the last ten
years, which has been but keeping the promiss
OF justice from the National Government to the
poor and comparatively friendless. The
untold thousands who have fingered on hone
deferred for the last quarter Of century, not
few Of whom would otherwise soon die in
bare garrets and almshorses, owe deep debt
OF gratitude to Mr. j. Clancy Jones, Of Penn.
sylvania, whose frmness and sssacity gave
triumph yesterday against the earnest an.