Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1870-02-22

examination Tor promotion.
The CIVIL SERvICE.-In the Senate this
morning, Mr.. Schurz, from the Committee on
Retrenchment, reported back the bill to reform
the civil service Of the United States, being the
same bill which was introduced by him in De-
cember last.
MAGGIE MrTCHELL's "Fanchon'' filed the
National Theater last night to its utmost cana
city, as it always does here, and the audience
were as much interested as if they had never
witnessed the antics of the merry Cricket"
before. The piece will be repeated this even
ing.
THE LINTHICUM INsTrTUTE-The House
Committee on the District of Columbia met
this morning and had under consideration the
bill to incorporate the Linthicum Institute Of
Georgetown, and several verbal amendments
were made, and it was ordered that the bill be
reported to the House.
UNITED STATES SENATORS FROM TRxAs.-
Dispatches received here from Austin state that
the Republican members Of the Texas Legisla-
ture yesterday met in caucus, when Morgan C.
Hamilton was nominated for the one and six
year term, and Lieutenant Governor Flanagan
for the five year term. This is equivalent to an
election.
SHORT EXECUTIVE SESSION Of the Senate
was held yesterday, during which the nomina-
or Of Judge Pearre for Judge Of the Maryland
Circuit, under the new law, was considered
After short debate, which evinced q feeling
that induced his friends to believe he would be
rejected ii pressed to q vote, he was laid on the
table by eight majority. Some other matters
were considered but no results reached.
THE VALUE OF A Pound STERLINa.-Acting
Commissioner Of Internal Revenue Douglass
has decided that in cases where sterling bonds
are sold abroad, secured by mortgage on prop
erty in this country, the stamp duty thereon
shall be at the rate of s4.S4 in gold for each
pound sterling. This decision affects large
number Of American railway bonds held by
European capitalists.
THE PAREPA-RosA OPERA troupe's inten-
tiOn to give us six nights of English opera next
week is the ever-recurring theme in fashionable
as well as musical circles here. Parepa will be
warmly received, and the old favorites OF the
Washington public, Cassel, Campbell and the
Seguins, will be no less welcome. In addition
to these the other artists She brings have been
warmly praised wherever they have appeared.
HON. WIN. II. SEWARD and his son, F. w.
seward, and their travelling party yesterday ar
rived in Baltimore on the steamship Cuba from
Havana. The veteran statesman returns in ex-
cellent health after his prolonged journey over
land to California, thence to Alaska, thence
down through Sonora into Mexico, where he
met with distinguished honors, and from whence
he finally proceeded to Havana, and sojourned
and travelled in Cuba for some time.
NEW YORK AND THE FIFTEENTH AMEND
MENT.-In the Senate this morning Mr.. Conk-
ling, from the Committee On the Revision Of the
Laws, reported back the resolution of the New
York Legislature resembling their ratification of
the Fifteenth Amendment, with arecommenda-
ton that the resolution be indefinitely post
poned. He then delivered a powerful argument
against the constitutiOnality Of the act OF re-
traction by that Legislature. lie was listened
to with much attention, nearly every Senator on
both sides Of the Chamber being in his seat.
SENATORS PROM GEoRGIA-Messrs. Farrow
and Whitley, elected United States Senators by
the present Georgia Legislature, were at the
White House yesterday in company with Mr..
Tiff, from that State, and had a brief interview
with the President. The President said that in
regard to the question Of the right Of Messrs.
Hill and Miller and the gentlemen present to
seats in the Senate, he had no opinion to Ter,
that was question for the Senate to decide; that
Mississippi, Georgia and Texas would have been
admitted without conditions If the same had not
been imposed upon Virginia; that he hoped
Georgia would be admitted before the Fifteenth
Amendment shall be declared adopted.
LITTLEFIKLp's LISCoLN.-It is quite generally
conceded that the portrait of General Grant by
John ii. Little6eld in the most satisfactory like
ness of him extant, though as picture the por-
trait by Marshall is more pretentious. Marshall,
who, we believe, had never seen General Grant,
procured various photographs of him, and from
these and from his own conceptions how General
Grant ought to look, made An ideal portrait,
which, as the President has aptly characterized
it, SIS a handsome picture, but does not look
much like me-" Very different Is the style Of
Littlefeld's work. His first purpose is by the
most patient study and labor to secure a good,
Characteristic likeness, and next he aims to make
il effective as q picture. His Grant In this way
is so wonderfully good that any person who has
once seen it, and who has not seen the Presi-
dent, will not fail to recognize him by it, meet
ing him anywhere. His portrait of Abraham
Lincoln, on steel, lately issued, Is perhaps
equally striking as a likeness and is even better
as q work Of art. We have here, as in no other
picture Of Mr.. Lincoln, the sad, thoughtful eyes,
the benign face, the lines OF humor about the
mouth, the rugged, strongly-marked features,
presented in manner admirable as q portrait
and admirable as picture.
This picture Of Lincoln viii probably be the
one by which his lineaments will be known to
future generations, and 1t is well, considering
the many failures in the attempt to depict the
martyred President, both in sculpture and on
the canvass, that Littlefeld has given this
patient, conscientious labor to his task. To those
who never saw Mr.. Lincoln in life it may give
credit to this picture that IL 10 endorsed by Mr..
Robert Lincoln, and Mr.. Herndon, the law part
ner Of Mr.. Lincoln, Is by far the best made; but
here in Washington, where his face and features
are 20 well remembered, 1t needs no recommen-
dation from anybody.
As q work Of engraving this picture also
claims attention as showing the progress Of
modern art in this direction. It is perhaps
the largest line portrait on steel ever exc
cuted, and the engraver, Gugler, has demon
strsted how wonderfully efiectual pure line en-
craving can be made in pOrtraiture. We are
,,t .urprised to hear that this portrait or Mr.