The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1857-09-17
WASHINGTON ITEMS.

WASHINGTON ITEMS.
The Union calls the LateLigencer the father
of the national plumber party" The STA,
thinks the Union meant that Gov. Seward is
its father, and the Latelligencer only its dry
nurse" Is not this the cid cry of "Stop
theft" Do not the Union and Star defend
the Fort Smelling swiudle? The corruptions
of certain members of the last Congress will
compare favorabIy with this late transaction
done at MONDAY, under Democratic Admin
stration.
Judge Curtis having resigned, the main ques.
ton discussed at the hotels is, who will be bis
successor? Some say the Hon. Mr.. Clifford,
of MANUFACTURERS name Mr.. Toucey, the Naval
Secretary. Others still declare that the latter
gentleman is keeping himself for the Presi
dency in 1860, and so will not accept the seat
upon the Supreme bench. The Star says:
"Many around us assign to that distinguish.
ed gentleman, the Hon. Nathan Clifford, Of
Maine, lawyer of great ability, as was demon.
onstrated by his former mastery management
of the business of the Attorney Generals Office.
Others-and, it seems to us, those who usually
lieve as firmly that Secretary Toucey, prefer.
ring that position, will be transferred to it, The
fact that he Is not a resid mt of the particular
judicial district is alleged as a reason why such
a transfer will not be made. We however. are
no believer in the idea that the President will
give any such reason weight for an instant, all
other points being satisfactory. If satisfied
that, under existing circumstances, the public
interest can best be subserved by appointing
Secretary Toucey to the Supreme bench, the
residence question will probably have no weight
whatever. Mr.. Toucey has been thoroughly
tried In all public positions short of the Presi-
dency, and is known at home as one of the
ablest lawyers and jurists in all New England.
Besides being the admitted leader of the entire
Democracy of his State, he at this moment en-
joys quite as much of the confidence and re-
gard of the united Democracy of the whole
Union as any other gentleman to be named
whether hailing from North, South, East, or
West"
The Supreme Court will gain Pro-Slavery
member, and Judge Mclean will stand alone.
Mr.. Toucey is one of the safest men for the
oligarchists we know of, and, if he wants the
place, will have it.
Secretary Toucey writes to Senator Mallory,
OF Florida, that the Navy Department has de-
cided to build the hull of one of the new sloops
of war at the Pensacola yard. About one hun.
dred employees in the blacksmith, sail.making,
and laboring departments of the Navy Yard at
Portsmouth, Va, were discharged one day last
week, on account of the scarcity of work in
those departments.
IL
delphis Press writes
The Postmaster General in response to an
inquiry addressed to him by a postmaster.
whether postmaster has a right to frank a
registered letter, decides that the Thanking priv
ilege, which merely exempts postmaster with.
in certain limits from the payment of postage.
doea not extend to the registration of letters.
and will not release him from the payment of
the fee of FIVE cents required by the act authori.
zing such registry. In all cases, therefore,
where postmaster, entitled to the frankipo
privilege, registers letter Of his own, he NAV
exempt it from postage by his frank, but must
account as usual for the registration fee."
The Indian Bureau have official sdvices con-
6rming the particulars of the newspaper &C.
count of the murder of somewhat deranged
halfbreed and two Chippewas of the Pillageo
band-all three having been educated at the
mission. They were subsequently hung by the
settlers.
According to the accounts from the Indian
Agents, man named Selkirk, son of mis-.
sionsry among the Ottawas in Michigan, was at
the bottom of this murder, having furnished the
Indians with the whisky on which they were
drunk. This fact accounts for the disposition
of the settlers to lynch him also, though he
made the arrest of the murderers.
The Secretary of the Interior, upon a case
recently presented, has decided that he has no
power to entertain an appeal from the decision
of the accounting officers of the Treasury upon
any account-except emolument returns-pre
sented for adjustment prior to the passage of
the act of the 10th of August, 1856, BY any of
the mGrshaIs, clerks, or any other officers ofthe
United States.
The Washington correspondent of a New
York exchange writes
i" The Washington Union actually has the
etfrontery to talk of the formation of a Nation.
al Plumber Party, and still to keep up its can.
dldacy for the plumber of the public printing
shown by Msjor Heiss to be equal to one Dai[
tton Of dollars per Gnnun. The Major. with
great moderation, protests that this plumber is
too great for any one Democrat, and go insists
] upon Its division among dozen or two. How