The Portland daily press., 1875-12-17
Washington News and Gossip.
PERSISTENT PATRIOTS.

/ NANoioIENI FATRlOTSs
Inc members of the House continue to be
troubled with the disposition of the few offices
to Which they have fallen heirs To-day col
ored woman in charge of the ladies' reception
room TOR several years was removed, and the
widow of Confederate soldier appointed in
herolace. Last night it was decided that the
pennsylvania delegation should have four
plces under the doorkeeper, and the Pennsyl-
vhla members were invited to draw lots to de-
tGmlne which of them should have the ap-
pintments Mr.. Cox, as the resuIt of sim
lar drawing, had man of about fifty years of
| ige designated for the place of a mage An
| ex-member, John ID. Young, from Kentucky,
| is on the rolls of the doorkeeper Mr.. Adams,
the clerk has resisted the pressure in order to
secure competent assistants, which in his Office
are indispensable.
MIR. WOOD ACTIVE.
The friends of Fernando Wood are making
earnest efferts to have him appointed Chair
man OF the Ways and Means Committee. Apa-
per has been circulated among the Democrats
OF the New York deleg alton soliciting Speaker
Kerr to place Wood at the head of the COM
mlttee' How far the paper was signed cuold
not be ascertained, but it is known that some
OF the members declined to sign upon the
ground that such proceeding was impolitic
and unusual.
PRIVILEGES OF CABINET OFFICERS
Mr.. Caulfeld's bill, introduced in the House
allowing Cabinet officers seats in the House,
provides that they shall be entitled to seats on
the floor with the right to participate in de-
bates on matters relating to the business of
their departments, under such rules as shall be
prescribed by the House; also that they shall
attend the sessions of the House during the
morning hour on certain days to be fixed here
after, to give information in reply to questions
which may be propounded to them under the
rules of the House.
THE TEXAS PACIFIC RAILROAD.
The Texas Pacific Railroad bill introduced in
the Senate by Mr.. West, and referred to the
committee on t he Pacific Railroad, has been
referred by that committee to subcommittee
consisting of Messrs Hitchcock Cragn and
CapertOn. 1t is understood that only two menu
bers of the entire committee (Messrs. West and
CapertOn) are declared friends of the measure
Mr.. West expresses belief that it will pass
the House.
SPEECHES TO BE MADE
ExSpeaker Baine's much-talked-of speech
on the finances, will be delivered after the holi-
days. Judge Kelley has prepared speech in
reply to Blaine, and says he wants to lock
horns with the biggest bull. in the pack Gen.
Ranks also intends to deliver speech on the
currency question.
KELLEY'S LAST wHIM
Judge Kelley gleefully calls attention to the
fact that, as he was the first to pass between
the tellers on the negative vote he led the
Democratic party in the action on the financial
proposition submitted by Mr.. Hale to-day He
explains his vote against Holman's subsidy re-
solution, and claims credit for consistency in
having, in 1870, taken the position that pro-
ject to unite the Gulf states with the Pacific
ought to be aided by the government as was
the Union Pacific, which joined the Northern
states with the far West. He proposes to use
his influence in favor of an undertaking like
the Texas Pacific whenever he can do so.