, 1874-01-01
. WASHINGTON.
Questionable Propricty Of Some OF
At:0rncy-Gcncral Williams
Decisions.

Facts and Speculations Concerning
the Chief-Justiceship.
|. Special Diapateh to The Chicago Tribune.
QUESTIONABLE DECISION or ArToaSET-oESEnAI
| WILLIAMS.
| WASHINGTON, Dec. 31.-A story is in oircuia-
ton, certified to by parties in position to know
| it's truth, which goes to SHOW that Attorney
| General Williams not only decides cases a
| cu1sory examination Of one side Of them, but
tllat he also for the purpose of giving fat fees
| to Government official and Administration
striker, does pot hesitate to give decisions for
which there il no lew. Charles F. Baldwin, Of
Ohio, Is Special Agent of tho Post-Oiiice De-
pa1tment, and has had occasion 4 number oi
times to report Postmasters for neglect
Of duty and minor ol1onses which
are punishable by penalty OF fine Of no great
amount. Daldwiu's salary is 81 500 year, witt,
an allowance of IS day as expenses.
lnasu,ucA as Special Agent Of the Post~0tHce
Department must live. Mr.. Baldwin, conceiyins
that he is also serving United States 1nfo5rner-
General, laid claim to onc-haH the amount OF
such penalties The matter wGs reforred to
Williams. wha decided that Baldwin waH en-
titled to receive The money aa claimed, aud uu-
der this decision the money las been regularly
paid hin, ra,-a.nounting in all, it is said, to
quite respectable sum. Persons who are
thoroughly yersed in the law aver thai Baldwin
has no shadow of legal right to these informers'
foes, and tia. the Attozney-tiencr als decision.
rests entirely upon his o"u authority.
i CANVASS OF the New England Seuato-ial DEL
esation shows thai, with the exception Of l:out-
well, and possibly Anthony, they viii vote AZ .
unit against The confirmation OF Williams.
yelops go little strength for Williams that
his defeat is considered IS foregone. Many
Senators express the hop. That the NOM
ipation will be withdrSn, and thaat
the President will send i'll WtAia1ns' name for
appointment ~ 8 foreign Minister They say
that ho would be readily confirmed for such a
place, but that lie will not do for Cnicf-Justico.
senator Carpenter, who opposes the contirna-
tioa vigorously, is understood to be- in doing 80,
fair representative Of the lawyers or the Sen
the Supreme Court They all know Williams,
and hare 70 poor I'll opinion Of his legal abilities
that they cannot yo1e to coufirm him. Benjamin.
Butler, who, strangely enough has not seemed
to be in this lnudd'e, il said to have
PREVENTED GRANT FRol NOMINATING E. nocK-
WOOD uoAR
for the place.
Butler aud Grant nro overwhelmingly unani-
mous in their opposition to the return OF Sum-
ner to the Senate. Butler las convinced Grant
that he (l3,ltlor> has & tremendous influence
with the Repnbi:caa party in massachusetts,
and promised to throw all this weight against
Sumner reelection. rs he wishes to have re-
yenge upon Hoar for aiding to defeat him for
Governor. He las nada compact With GRAFT
that, if he would lot nominate iIoar, the
T1,,+1 i,. NnGp ia
to it that Sumner is defeated Ut
the next Senatorial election. After Williams is
laid by, tho Presidents choice will he, it il
claimed by knowing fellows, between EVarts and
Hoar, always provided tho Hoar party caa con-
ylnce Grant that Butler .s not so powerful as ho
represents hinl5eH to Re. Meanwhile tue woods
are full OF the sort Of mon who become fayorltes
with the President
THE APPROPRIATION ELLIS.
The House Appropriations Committee had q
meeting yesterday, but transacted no business
Of Importance. The Subcommittee, composed
OF ltessrs. Garfield, Hale, Of afrine, and others,
stated that they were not as yet ready to report,
but that they would submit their conclusions'at
the next meeting, which is set for Saturday At
that time the various members Of the Commit
toe will report progress Oh the bills assigned to
them. Some have made considerable progress.
Mr.. Hale. of Maine, will have pretty full re-
port to make on the Naval Appropriation BILL
The bills to meet the present deficiencies we're
WILLIAMS CASE ONCE MORE.
4 member Of Congress WHO reached Washing
ton tonight after making visit to New York
and Boston, reports tho bar Of those two cities
united in deptccatlns the confirmation OF WIZ
ia1us. yice- President Wilson spoke quit freely
before leaving Washington, with regard to the
manner in winch Grant is running affairs. He
is reported to have said that the excitement
brought on by the Presidents course hasl as
much to do with bis falling health as ANYTHING
tho Republican party. He. WAS especially
severe when commenting on the nom
ination Of Williams. His known
peculiar reverence for his party makes 1t easy
to understand that lie really las suffered physi-
cally on account Of his mental Anxietles with
regard 10 it's future.
ITO thu isaociated Ifess.1
WASHINGTON, D. c., Dee. 3l.-A bill for relief
from the fire losses Of tie Pension Agent aud
the Collector Of lie pori, at Chicago, will be |
introduced soon afler the holidays. The entire
period since the fire has been necessary for tho
examination of the vouchers, and for the ve.lh-
cation Of the accounts where the vouchers do |
nc. exist. The loss in the Pension Office was |
2Go 600, to be relieved from which hill will be |
TREASURY STATIONERY.
Notwithstanding tho charges Of extravaganza, |
the expenses OF stationery in the Treasury De- |
hare been reduced from 9l75,00o dur
ng the war to about 81. 900.
THE ISDLAN BUREAU.
Senator Bogy will introduce bill to unite the
Indian Bureau with tue War Departments. He !
expects the cooperation OF many Western mem-
De,B-
ASrI-T0LYGA1iY.
There is movement to unite all the oppon-
,nts of polyga,ny in favor q: ouo bill. Several
,.lls have already beeu introduced upon the sub
ect.
GENERAL BWEET.
General B. J. Sweet. Of Clncago, the Deputy
Of internal Revenue, lies very
or this morning. and his recovery seems impos-
ible.,
THE CHANGERS.
EEc Order IN Wisconsin,.
Special Ltspateh to Tie Chicaao 11,l::ar.
OSHKOSH, Wis. Dec. 31.-Thres Oranges in
his vicinity will publicly install their officers in
1cCour.'s Hall, on Saturday afternoon. Ad-
resees will be delivered by State Secretary
,rainord aud others.
h1r. Brajuerd has lust returned from tour