The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1869-02-05
washington Topics and Gossip.

THE NEW ADMINISTRATION.
The Presidential vote will be counted
on Wednesday, the 10th of February
next, at one o'clock, in the chamber of
the House of Representatives, in the
presence of the Senate, with the Presi-
dent of the Senate in the chair. The
Senate elects one teller and the House
two. Presiding officer (Mr. Wade)
opens the envelopes and reads the vote,
and the tellcrs record it. Objection can
be made by any member of either House
to the counting of the vote of any State,
and in that case the Senate will retire
to its own chamber, and each House
will vote separately upon the question
of the reception of the vote of such State,
and ,rithOm debate. This is the pro-
vision of the joint rule of the two
Houses on this subject. The proceed
ing, though interesting because of its
unfrequent occurrence, is not calculated
to be of very entertaining character.
The certificate of the result, made by
the presiding officer, follows immediate
ly, and will reach General Grant when
he returns from New York. Then peO-
pie expect to hear something about the
Cabinet. The feeling on this subject
has increased with great rapidity dur
ing the past week, and the matter has
been more warmly discussed in Con-
gressional circles than at any previous
time. The greatest anxiety is to ascer-
tain if General Grant has consulted any
body, and if so, who was it The gen
eral belief, greatly strengthened by n
reported utterance to that effect by the
General himself, is that he has yet con
suited nobody as to the choice Of men.
VII he consult anybody is anXiously
asked. VIII he make up his Cabinet
without atiOrding the great army of self
constituted advisers an opportunity to
present the claims of men whom they
deem entitled to consideration That
remains TO be seen. The indications
are that he will. | know of several
State delegations who would like to
present names and endorsements, and
measures have been instituted, under
stand, to ascertain if such a presenta-
tion would be agreeable to him. They
do not expect him to indicate what the
action will be, but simply wish an OPP
pOrtunity of presenting their candidate
formally. lido not believe they will be
gratitied. 1t will almost inevitably
lead to that dictation in such matters,
which, believe, General Grant greatly
desires to avoid. Some people argue
that if he makes up his Cabinet with
out consulting his friends, he will vir-
tually have made all the other appoint
ments likewise, as it is generally be-
lieved that he will make his
appointments through the several heads
of departments instead of listening to
applications In person, as has been
largely the practice for the past twelve
years. But as General Grant has not
yet asked to be relieved of any of the
responsibility of the coming admins
tratlen, anxious and curious people will
have to possess their souls in patience
a while longer. As to whether General
Grant has positively decided upon his
selections, no one knows but himself. A
civil officer of high position, bearing
close personal and official relations to
him, who has talked with him frequent
ly about Cabinet matters, expresses the
opinion that his decisions are positively
and imRovably fixed, though he asserts
he has not the slightest idea himself of
the men.
THE OFBICES-CAMERON'S FAILURE.
The direct applications to General
Grant for office are said to have been
two, the first, Charles S. Spencer, of
New York, and Governor Hartman, of
New Hampshire. Whether these gen.
tlemen will Improve their respective
cases by application is doubtful. Open
personal agency is to be this year quite
unpopular. Aspirants who cannot trust
their friends are puzzled to know what
to do, and, iR fact, all, for friends will
not push a case as man him
self will do. There is great
rush to get positions now in sub
ordinate places in the hope of re-
tanning position under General Grant.
But the candidates for prominent po-
sltions are either very scarce or very
careful In movements. Men of expe.
rlence say that ere the first of Febru.
airy an army of applicants has
ordinarily swarmed into the cap
ltoI. Cameron had set his heart
on getting his friend Cummings
lhaue Commissioner of Internal Reye.
uue. lie was sure of the votes of all
the Democrats. He had made eombi.
eatlGns with the friends of Smythe
Ior Minister to Russia, and with
Lonet0y and others, was working with
the ulllgence and shrewdness of the
astute Scotchman. But the caucus dis
turbed the pleasant arrangement and
several other little plans, johnson has
oy ms 1ate nominations, been trying to
embarrass the Senate and General Grant
by naming men whom they wish neither
to confirm or reject.
EX-MEMBERS LOBBYING.
So much lobbying is done bv III. ex-
members of Congress on the flsor of the
House that there is some talk of re-
sciuding the rule giving them the priy.
ilege of the floor. The most prominent
of these lobby ex-members are from New
York and New England.
Henry Ward Beecher thinks the "com-I
ipu M apY will rid a a valnoi NADIA