The New York herald., 1873-12-24
w A s II I N GTo N
WAsmrNoroN. Dec. 2a, lsTs
Tho President returned.

WASHINGTON. Dec %, 1s7a
Tho President Returned.
The President and his party returned here th,s
morning from st. Louis.
The President ON HIS Nomination OF
Williams for Chief Justice.
The President stated emphaticaly to-day that
the nomination or Attorney General Williams for
Chief Justice would not be Withdrawn, and that he
had never contemplated such thing
A Bill to Abolish the Once OF Chief
Justice.
bin has been framed and is to be introduced,
after the recess abolishing the once OF Chief
Justice 1t is said to have the support OF Conkling
Morton and others OF the leading legal minds In the
Senate. 1t Is contended that the presiding or
chief OF the justices should be selected by the voice
OF the body, II at all, and that his compeers would
be best able to make selection which would be
satisfactory and creditable.
Important Change In the Presidential
Policy or Territorial Appointments.
In conversation with Delegate Maginnis or
Montana, the President announced an important
change in mis- policy Of Territorial appointments.
He sad that he had concluded to reverse his civil
service rule, made some time ago. that except In
the cases Of judges and Indian agents. all appoint
ments in the Territories should be made from the
Inhabitants thereof; that In all the Territories the
republicans seemed to be divided into two factions
and if he appointed republican from one wing OF
the party the other portion deluged him with re-
monstrances and complaints. In Dakota these
fights had been particularly bitter and had resulted
most tragically in the death OF McCook the Secre-
tary OF the Territory. He had therefore come to
the conclusion that the only way to preserve peace
among the federal officers and the republicans Of
the Territories was to appoint. strangers from the
outside, who were not identified, and who would
hooo iJn
principle A. l. Smith, OF New York. had recently
been appointed Surveyor General OF Montana, and
l. B. Wham. Of Illinois, Register OF the land once
at Salt Lake City.
War Department Estimates To BE Rec
duced.
General Belknap, Secretary OF War, is disposed
to cut the estimates of the War Department down
to the lowest possible limit Those for the military
service proper. which were submitted to him, re-
ceived his personal attention and were calculated
as closely possible but he proposes to readjuss
them and reduce them as far as the actual require
ments OF the service will permit. The estimates Of
appropriation for forIncations, armament OF forts
and Tor rivers and harbors, amounting in the aggre
gate to about $2O,0oo,0oo and which were simply
submitted by him to Congress without recon-
mendation, but merely for their action, caV ba
very materially reduced. So far as those Items
are concerned, Congress can decide as to the loca-
tions where appropriations are needed. 1t ap.
pears that almost all the departments of the gov
ernment are burdened with additional clerical
work by the operation OF the act requiring sepa-
rate accounts to be rendered under each head Of
appropriation and for each fiscal year, as well as
by the numerous calls from Congress for reports
reform in this matter would enable reduction
of the clerical force.
Alexander II. Stephens ON Civil Rights
OF Colored Citizens.
colored delegation, composed Of George +.
Downing, Frederick Douglass, N. W. Couney r.
G. Barbados, B. A. Stryker and william J. Wilson,
had an interview to-day, by appointment with
Representative A. H. Stephens OF Georgia, who
received them in most friendly manner. They
report that in course OF conversation Mr.. stephens
freely admitted that colored men as citizens were
entitled to full protection in their civil rights with
out any invidious prescription but that 1t was the
duty OF the respective States and not that of tho
federal government, to act in order to secure
them. He stated that he was preparing speech
to be delivered in the House Of Representatives on
the Civil Rights bill, and In this his views were
fully expressed.
The Louisiana Federal Court Inves.
tigafion.
Representatives Wilson and Eldridge, OF the Ju.
dietary Committee, will leave here not later than
Saturday, for New Orleans. 1t is there intention,
while avoiding state politics and complications to
investigate all the acts OF the federal court which,
it is charged taint Judge Darrel's official conduct
Financial Tribulation of the District OF
Columbia.
The financial lambs. under their shepherd are
in great distress having failed to get aid from
Congress, and the gnawing wolf Of obligation Is
upon them to provide sustenance to pay the in
terest due by the District OF Columbia on January
/, and, to make matters worse, $1,000,O00 or
bonds have been hypothecated for $2500o0, which
must be paid at the same time, or serious conse-
quences will arise The District authorities feel as
Jay Cooke & Co. did in desiring to have the United
States Treasury assume their Indebtedness.
Unjust Determination In Railroad
Fares.
The travelling public here, who often are on the
railroad highways, wonder that, in the rivalry
between the Baltimore and Onio and Pennsylvania
roads, the decrease in rates OF fare recently made.
to points in the West has not been made to extend
to the route between nere and New York.
Omcial Observance of the Holidays
Tomorrow Will be practically a holiday in the
executive departments here. as they all close at
noon, and the morning work will be devoted to the
opening or letters and the answering by telegraph
OF any that may be OF extraordinary Importance.
All the departments Will be closed at noon during
the holiday week, and the only business performed
will be OF the routine character above mentioned.
Opening and Organising Of the WASH
ington stock Exchange.
The Washington Stock Exchange opened to-day
at noon. The hour Of session was occupied in the
drawing for seats and making rules Tor the gov
ernment OF the Board preparatory to active busi-
ness tomorrow. John Htz Is President OF the
Board, and d. W. Middleton, Jr is Chairman or
the Exchange
Special Post Once Agents to be Exc
amined ms to QuaIifcat
The Postmaster General to-day issued an order
that hereafter appointments OF special agents OF
the Post Ofilce Department shall be made subject
to examination by Board of Examiners to be
duly appointed. and whose duty it shall be to ex-