The Portland daily press., 1871-12-19

WASHINGTON Matters Ba-
er of the Pension Office has been indefatigable
since he was appointed in having the names of
undeserving pensioners stricken from the rolls,
and in furnishing frauds During the past year
three hundred and one names which had been
improperly placed on the pension rolls were
dropped, and nine attorneys have been convict
ed of fraud while others are waiting trial He
thinks that an annual publication of the roll of
pensioners, in their various localities would
expose many impostors. .s4lssF
President Grant is said to feel the attacks in
directly made upon him in the Senate as sane
tioning the use of the the public service as in
strument of political or party power it is fur
Their reported that he is preparing special
message to Congress, in which he will indicate
his position as an earnest advocate of civil SER
vice reform.
The House Committee ON Military Affairs
will have presented to it for consideration, after
the holidays, the of law providing for the re-
organization, equipment, uniforming and dis
cipling of the militia, and the CONDENSATION of
portion of it for annual camp duty under the
instruction of United States officer The
West Point officers, it is said, do not favor the
proposition to improve the efficiency of the
militia
Mr.. Hoars bill establishing National Com
mission of Labor is much talked of. The Demo-
Gratis oppose it, and few Republicans, promi-
nent among whom is Judge Bingham do not
fancy it. But if nothing prevents, Mr. Hoar
will get it up on Tuesday, and it will be passed
by the House, with excellent chances of sue
cess in the Senate
Senator Wilson stated in a speech Sunday
night that during the present session the
Congressional Temperance Society will hold
grand temperance revival at the Capitol
that will go out to the world. showing the peo-
pie that the spirit to do good exists in Washing
ton.
1t is now stated that Catacazy did his utmost
while Hon. G. M. Clay was Minister to Russia,
to have recalled
'Perley" says President Grant will, before
the close of the present week, take position
on the Civil Service bill that will convince the
people that he is in earnest, while the removal
of what is known as patronage from Con-
gressmen will show why some of them wished
to get control of the matter, and to talk loudly
over its abuses while they really profit by them
Monsieur Catacazy has at last been directed
to return to Russia, after having accompanied
Prince Alexis as far as st Louis, and Monsieur
Boris Danzas, the Secretary of the Russian
Legation here, has been ordered by Prince
Gortschakotf to act as charge dqfaires pro
tempore until charge RGfaires shall arrive
1t is hardly probably that a new minister will
be Immediately appointed.
A Washington correspondent says cit is a
curious fact, however, that some of the yery
Representatives who talk the loudest about
Civil Service reform, are the foremost among
those who claim and who use patronage to
secure their own reflections generally regard
less of the qualifications or the fitness of their
appointees to place, or of the length of service
of those rotated to make room for them"
AT the dinner given to Gov Washburn Mon
day evening" invitations were not extended to
objections made by Gen. Butler who presided
on the occasion.
Members of the new civil service committee
who have conferred with the commissioners as
to the recommendations in the forthcoming re-
port OF the system agreed upon, state that it is
admirably adapted to the institutions of the
country, and cannot fail to give satisfaction
FRAUDS COMING TO LIGHT.-A New York
dispatch says there have been large frauds per-
petrated under what is known as the "gravel
contract" and one or more gentleman holding
high positions are implicated 1t is stated that
two indictments have been found against the
Hon. Thomas G. Fields, and one or more
against other parties connected with the city
park management.
Judge Bedford on Monday granted the grand
jury TIL the both to complete their investiga-
tons III progress of the frauds upon the city
1t has leaked out that James Nj Sweeney has
been indicted for felony, and that the proofs
against him are even stronger than against
Tweed 1t is alleged that the grand iury had
copies before them of his bank account, and
the dates of his deposit of the ten per cent.
dividends in the Woodward frauds corresponds
with the dates of Woodwards drafts
1t is stated that one of the police commits
sioners is numbered among those Indicted, and
that an effort is to be made to indct gentle
man high in financial circles. Fifteen or twen-
ty OF the inspectors of the late election, it is
said, have been indicted, One notorious fellow
who voted 600 repeaters has had four or five
true bills found against him. A well known
police judge living ON the east side of the town.
in the German district, has also been indicted
for his connection with ballot-box stuffing
DESTRUCTIVE FIRE IN UN1TY.-Wo learn
from our correspondent that a disastrous fire
occurred at Unity, Waldo county, Sunday
night, destroying four stores and one dwell
ing house, viz:
House, store and stable of Josiah Harmon
Insured $500.
Store occupied by j. s, j. W. Harmon almost
all saved in damaged condition.
Store owned by C. e. Mitchell No insur-
ance Ii was occupied by Thomas B. Cook,
whose goods were said to be insured for $1,000.
Total loss.
The Law Office of A f. Watson, ESQ.,, was
with all his books and papers Store
occupied by j. & H. T. Crol, and owned by
Jas. r. Tabor was destroyed; store insured
$500. Goods were removed in a partially dam
aged condition, but insured.
Another store owned and occupied by j. r.
Page was destroyed, total loss. Store insured
for $500 or $500. Goods were insured, but saw