The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1874-01-02
Tte Pressdsnt,s Recspsfon.

d WAsHIsGToH, January THE Executive
mansion never presented more brilliant ap.
pearauce than It did to-day. The East ROOM
has been beautified In all its features, and
the Furniture entirely renewed. The Blue
Room has also been retouched, both as to
the walls and the furniture, and it is noWsre-
garded as one Of the handsomest drawing.
rooms in the country.
The mansion was opened for the reception
Of visitors at IL O'Clock, when the President
and Mrs. Grant took their position in the
Blue Room, and were assisted by Mrs. and
Miss Edith Fish, Mrs. and Miss Richardson,
the Secretary of War, and Mrs. Belknap.
The Secretary Of the Navy and Mrs. Robe
SOD, the ATTORNEY. General and Mrs. w iIlianls,
the Postlnaster-General and Mrs. CresWelI,
Mrs. Senator Conkling, Miss Barnes and
the Rev. DR.. and Mrs.. Tiffany; Marshal
Sharpe and General Babcock participated in
the presentation ceremony. Mrs. Grant and
Miss Nellie Grant Wore black silk trimmed
with Grape. s.
AS customary on such occasions the Dr.
plomatic Corps were first received. There
was full representation of ministers with
their respective secretaries and attacbe., ac.
companied by ladies', Sir Edward Thorn
ton took precedence in the presentation, be
ing the dean or senior minister pIenipoten.
tiary of the corps, bis credentials antedating
all the others. The ministers, with few ex-
ceptions, were in full court dress. Admiral
Polo, the Spanish minister. worethe uniform
OF rear-admiraI. The ladies of the party
were richly attired.
After the Diplomatic Corps took their leave
the justices of the Supreme Court, Justice
Clifford in the advance, were received by the
President ard his party, and succeeding
these number of senators and representa-
tires in Congress, the Governor and other
officers of the District Government, the
Judges of the District Courts and the mem.
bers of the Southern Claims Commission.
The officers of the navy, beaded by Admi
raj Porter and Rear Admiral Sands, and the
officers of the army, headed by Generals Sher-
man and Whipple, all in full uniform, were
received as separate bodies, and after they
left the mansion the assistant secretaries OF
the several departments, officers of the va.
rious bureaus. the Controller, solicitors
and others paid their respects to The PIes:.
dent. - 2
At 12:45 the Associated Survivors Of the
War of 1872 and the Associated Veterans oil
1916 were received. They numbered about
forty, and wore blue badges. Next came
the members of the Oldest Inhabitants AS
ISOLATION with badges. at / o'clock the
doors were opened to the public, and from
that hour until P. NJ. a continuous throng
of citizens called and shook hands with the
President. The Marine band was posted in
The main vestibule, and in flaming coats fur
nished the music <.@... %.
The callers to-day upon the Cabinet Minis.
ters embraced, as usual, the judges of the
United States Supreme Court, members Of
the Diplomatic Corps, the general of the
army and staff, and officers of the army and
navy generally in Washington; and mem.
bers of Congress, heads of bureaus in the
different departments of the Government
and personal frienGs and acqnaintances
There were numerous other receptions by
Government officers and private citizens
both in Washington and Georgetown.