The Morning herald., 1876-05-09
WASHINGTON.
AT THE NATIONAL CAPITAL.

= Prudential Slrmw-AnOther In
vesslgatlen Needed-BristOw's
Mule Ciatm-The Original
Declaration of Indepen-
q dencs,
WASHINGTON, May7.
A gentleman who arrived on the New
York train, last night, amused himself while
between Philadelphia and Baltimore by
taking vote among the male passengers to
ascertain their preference in regard to the
Presidency. The vote resulted as follows:
Blaine, Is; Seymour, Is; Thurman, 20; Bay
ard, 81; Bristow, 20; Tilden, 40; Hendricks,
10; Davis, 10; Hayes, Is; Morton, 5; Conk-
ling, l; Grant, 1; Sam Randall, 0; Kerr, 1.
When General Babcock was fairly kicked
out of his position as private secretary to
King Ulysses, he should have had the de-
sency to ask to be relieved from discharging
the duties of Commissioner of Public Build
ings and Grounds. This Babcock did not do,
and does not intend to do. Congress, there
fore, will take care to relieve him of the
duty of disbursing millions yearly, by pro-
vding that money appropriated byit for
public buildings and grounds shall be dis
bursed by some one in whom they have
more confidence. Babcock is not only Com,
missioner of Public Buildings and Grounds
but he is President of Government Insti-
tute in this city known as the Woman's Hospi-
tai and Lying-in Asylum, which is under the
professional superintendent of disreput-
able practitioner who was dismissed from
the federal army for cowardice and NAL
practice. The directors Of the institution,
or most of them, dine at the asylum, daily,
at government expense; and the dinners,
washed down with champagne, would do
credit to the finest caterer in the land
Among the estimates put in, this year, by
DR.. Thompson, surgeon in charge, is one of
$500 to provide tin roof for the asylum.
Every one who has ever seen the asylum
building, which is q comparatively small
structure, expresses the opinion that one
eighth of this sum would be amply suffi-
cient for the purpose indicated. If the
Democratic House would investigate the
management of this institution, many
abuses would be developed, and the patients
would be benefited. The investigation of
the Government Insane Asylum has already
resulted in great good, the patients now
there assuring their friends that they have
much better food, and better treatment
generally than they received before Super
intendent Nicols was brought to book.
The developments before the House Com
mittee investigating the affairs of the Gov.
ernment Insane Asylum on Saturday last,
were more horrible than anything hereto
fore brought out. A lady of respectabiI!ty
testified that she placed her son in the Asy-
lum that he was epileptic. patient, simply;
that he was not really insane, and that DR..
Nichols gave her his word that he would
be put among the convalesQents. When she
called to see him, few months later, she |
was obliged to wait two hours and half. |
When he was brought in says she, che
looked like haggard old man. He was
shivering, and the water was dripping from
him. She saw he had been bathed and
scrubbed 80 as to be presentable. He said
to her: Mother, for Gods sake take me out
of this horrible place. His head and body, -
testified the lady, "were literally filled with |
vermin." His head was liuing mass of
vermin." On inquiry, she learned that he !
had been placed among madmen, and had !
been frequently beaten by them; ard she !
subsequently learned that DR.. Nichols had |
drawn and appropriated her sons pension.
The lady further testified that an agent
OF DR.. Nichols had called on her several
times, aud, by offers of money, had tried @
induce her to leave Washington, and not to
appear against DR.. N.
This f1end, Nichols, must step down and
out. If the President, whose appointee he
10, had had proper and decent apprecia
tion Of his duties, he would have removed
him long since; but there is no hope that
he will be disposed of that way. The HOUSE
will look to that part of the business, how
ever, and take such measures as NAV be
necessary to lemove the brute, and put
some one more worthy in his stead.
The original Declaration of Independence
has gone to Philadelphia to be placed on
exhibition. 1t has heretofore been on cx-
hibition in the model room of the Patent
Office, in Washington, along with Wash
ington's small clothes. This venerable
document is in rather poor state of pres
ervation; most of the signatures have en-
tirely faded out. The body of the Dccla-
ration is IN tolerably good condition, and
the writing, though it has turned yellow
with age, is quite legible. A commission
OF experts, with Prof Henry at the head,
has been appointed to restore, if possible,
the last signatures; but it was deemed best
to postpone experiments until after the ey-
hibition in Philadelphia. As it now is, it
10 the original Declaration, but re-touched,
and furbished up, its claim to originality
would be the parchment upon which It is
written. For that reason, there are many
who strenuously object to any experime nts
looking to the restoration of any portion of
this national heirloom.
COngress Yesterday.'