The New York herald., 1876-03-07
Lot M. Morrill, to Fill the Va
can't Secretaryship.
Richard H. Dana. Jr., Made
Minister to England.
Opposition to the Indian Peace
Policy.
FROM OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.

WASHINGTON, March 9, 1876.
THE PUBLICATION OF THE LETTER TO THE
WESTERN DISTRICT ATTORNEYS TO BE INvEs-
TIGATED.
In view of the letter OF Attorney General PIerrepont
il explanation of the letter the Western District At
torneys the House to-day took the matter from the
Judiciary Committee and handed 1t over TO a special
committee, with power to investigate and report Ac
cordng TO the resolution the select committee consist
ing of seven members, are to ascertain whether any
'ofcer Official empoye of the United States has,
any manner consulted with or put in the hands
of any friend, agent or attorney of any
Of the defendants in the prosecutions lately tried at
St Louis, any OF the evidence plans papers other
things on which twas believed tho government would
rely in these cases or any Of them, or whether any
official other thin the District Attorney his assist
ants has sought to interfere with the management OF
any of said prosecutions. power being given TO the
committee to send for persons and papers, to compel
the attendance Of witnesses and TO report any TINA
This committee has been carefully selected and 1t
will proceed energetcaly to work at once and will
summon Mr. Dyer, Mr. Henderson, the Attorney
General the Solicitor of the Treasury, the Secretary
and perhaps. before it gets DONE the President and
General Babcock
NOMINATION OF SENATOR LOT NJ. MORRILL,, OF
MAINE, AS SECRETARY OF wAR-HIs ACCEPT
ANCE ANTICIPATED.
The President has offered the portfolio OF the secre
tary of War to Senator Lot NJ Morrill, of Maine His
nomination made out to-day and would have been
laid before the Senate had not Mr. Morrill, made
special request that it be held back until
account of somo personal considerations which
might make IL necessary for him to decline
the position. He has been consulting with
OF his personal and political friends this after
noon and evening and those 10 whon hn has od
Of opinion that he will notify the President tomorrow
morning of his acceptance.
The appointment OF the best General Grant has
ever made Mr. Morrill, has long been a member OF
the Senate Appropriations Committee, and is thus
familiar with the necessities and the abuses Of
the department he Is to take charge He belongs to
those republicans who have been consistently and
vigorously in favor of reform and rerenchment and
he is uncommony able and independent man.
whose accession TO the Cabinet will strengthen tho best
elements it and give the country that the
OF reform will not be obstucted in the future as
1t has been in the past
SKETCH or LOT NJ MORRILL,.
Mr.. Morrill, was born in Belgrade. Kennebec county
Me- in 1915 He entered watervc College in 1884
but soon after commenced tho study Of law and In
1889 admitted to the Bar. In 1854 he was meme
Der OF the State legislature and in 1856 of the Senate
and became its President In 1858 he was elected
Governor OF Maine, and reelected In 1859 and
1860 In 1851 he was elected a Sena-
tor in Congress for the unexpIred term OF
Hannibal Hafnlin who had been elected
Vice President OF the United Statcs In the Senate he
served on the committees on the District OF Columbia
and Claims He was also q member OF the Peace Con-
gress of 1861 lie reelected to the United States
Senate in 1868 for the term ending in 1862 serving
chairman of the Committee Expenses I'm the
and OF that the District OF Columbia. Ho was re-
elected and is now in tho Senate. Mr.. Morril
Is over sixty years OF age and is five feet ten
inches high The head is very big and very round and
Its badness makes IL look bigger and rounder than
and IL Is solid size and not labby The express
sion OF Mr. Morrrs face shows hrmness, and purpose
in the irmncss. He Governor OF Maine In the war
and developed good executive power-wns energetic,
solid aud honest In the Senate, Mr.. Morrill, talks
little and stops when he gets through but he is good
committeeman His voice begins in cultural, swels
TO oritund and dies in gurgle. There flow
ers OF rhetoric In his specch-his ueranccs dry,
sententious and crisp