The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1870-01-08
Washington.

The reception at the Executive Mansion
on Friday, the last day of 1869, was very
magnificent one, equaling, perhaps, in it's
brilliancy, any that has ever been held
weather, though somewhat cloudy, had no
effect in preventing great numbers of the
citizens and strangers in Washington from
calling to pay their respects to the Presi-
dent. Shortly after half-past ten o'clock
the President received tho Diplomatic Corps
and the members of the Cabinet with their
ladies. Mrs. Grant was attircd in a suit of
black Lyons silk velvet, high bodice, with
black lace satin trimming and satin SASH
She wore as ornaments pearls and diamonds
and was assisted by Mrs. Smith, her cousin,
who was dressed in plaid silk, with white
satin and lace trimmings; Mrs. DR.. Sharp,
wife of Marshal Sharp, of the District, and
sister to Mrs. Grant, who was dressed iii
blue gros grain silk, with white satin trim
ming Mrs. General Dent, who was dressed
in lavender silk, with trimmings similar to
those Of Mrs. Grant Miss Nellie Grant,
in pink silk popln, and Miss Maggie
Dent, in blue silk, with India trimmings.
President Grant was assisted by Marshal
Sharp and General Michler-the latter in
full generals uniform. Vice President
Colfax and General Horace Porter supported
the President on either hand. The men,
bers of the Diplomatic Corps were in full
court costume, and their ladies were most
deliberately attired. The Marine Band was
stationed at the main entrance to the Exc
cutive Mansion. They were in full uni
form, and were led by Professor Scala
When the President and Mrs Grant entered
the parlor the band struck up ssIIail to
the Chief and the reception commenced,
the greeting taking place in the Blue Par
lor, and lasting with the Diplomatic Corps
and the Cabinet, until ~ clock, when the
judges of the Supreme Court of the United
States and the members of the Judiciary
of this District were received. The Su
preme Court judges were marshalled by
Mr. Middleton, the venerable Clerk of the
Court and were accompanied by their la
dies. superbly dressed. The Associated
Soldiers of the War of 1872 and the Old
est Inhabitants, and the members of the
courts al the District, were then received
in accordance with tho ancient CUSTOM
Following these large number of gentle
men belonging to the newspaper profession,
including the members Of the Richmond
press visiting Washington, were received
by President Grant and Vice President Col
fax, each being personally introduced to
both gentlemen. The officers of the Army
and Navy, III full uniform, headed by Gen
eral Sherman and Admiral Porter, pre-
scented fine appearance, both of these
branches of the public service being largely
represented. The reception of citizens
generally began at half-past twelve
Minister Thornton, during his New
Years call upon Postmaster General Cres-
well, took occasion to congratulate the lat
ter upon tho prompt manner in which he
had provided against any interruption of
the ocean mail service, and to express his
regret at the course taken by the Cunard
line of steamships.
The President has directed Secretary Bel
KNAPP to send to duty on the frontier the
army officers who have been on duty at
Washington and other Eastern Stations for
three years past, and replace them by those
who have been roughing it during that
period.
Postmaster General Creswell has closed
his contracts for the transportation of for
eiSn mails. The combination between the
Cunard, Imam, and North German Lloyd
Lines was completely circumvented. These
monopolists assuming that they controlled
our ocean mail service, attempted to dictate
terms. The Cunarders had received three
quarters of a million a year as subsidy from
England, and earned half as much more
from the United States, and the Inman
Line was mainly built by money earned
from mail contracts, yet they joined with
the Bremen and North German LLOYD to
compel the Department to accept their own
terms. The latter, however, withdrew
from the combination, and the Hamburg
line also backed out. The arrangements
now completed are to carry our French
mails by the Hamburgers to Cherbourc
every Tuesday; our German mails every
Saturday by the Bremen, which latter will
also carry our English mails at the same
time stopping at Southampton, en- route to
Bremen. The Great Western line will also
carry mails to Queenstown for general dis
tribution throughout Europe. The Cana
dian lines will continue, as heretofore, to
carry mails from Portland in winter, and
Quebec in summer. 1t will be discovered
from this statement that the service will lie
as frequent and nearly rs expeditions as
under last years contracts. Mr.. Creswell's
course has been approved by the Hon. John
Lynch, chairman of the special House COM
mittee on protection of American commerce.
and it will be made a prominent feature of
his report Oh that subject.
Sales of gold to the extent Of one mil
lion dollars, and purchase of bonds to a
like amount, will be continued on alternate
weeks throughout the month of January.
These transactions will be on account Of
the sinking fund. Alternate sales of the
same amount of gold aud purchase of two
millions of bonds a week are also ordered
on behalf of the special fund. These al
ternates also alternate so that no more than
one sale OF one purcease will take place in
a single week.
There is now no doubt that the President
will submit to the Senate the basis of a
treaty with the authorities of San Domingo
for the purchase Of the Bay of SANTANA,
for the sum of one million five hundred
thousand dollars. General Babcock, who
is now guest at the Presidential Mansion
having only just returned from a careful
inspection of the new purpose lin company
with Generals Sacket and Ingalls,, reports
strongly IN favor Of the treaty. SANTANA
is port in the bay of tho same name, on
the eastern shore of the Island of San
Domingo. The town is on a narrow pen
insula which extends out into the sea from
the main land, something like Italy Ito
compare small things with large, from the
body of Europe. Its value to us as a naval
port would seem to be enormous. Its
peninsular location would indicate that it
might easily and at small expense be
defended in case of attack. The President
heartily favors the project.
The Homestead Law allows every citizen
to enter one hundred and sixty acres ofth
public lands free of cost, and receive
patent after five years of residence thereon.
The homestead is limited to eighty acres in
the alternate reserved sections along the
raiload grants. Judge Lawrence, ofOhio,
has prepared and will introduce bill next
Monday to allow soldiers and seamen to
locate one hundred and sixty acres in these
alternate sections. A large portion OF the
public lands now are only valuable for cul-
tivation by irrigation, and still more are
incapable of irrigation or cultivation, and
only valuable for grazing. His bill pro-
poses to enlarge the homestead to 100
acres of land for irrigation, with enc
hundred and sixty acres of prazinp land.