The Portland daily press., 1877-10-25
Washington News and Gossip.
AN UNPLEASANT SURPRISE.


The administration has been considering q
most serious complication arising over the dis
position of the English mission. A short time
since the President and Mr.. Evarts decided that
1t was best to give this position to Pennsylya-
mia, but upon trying to select man who would
be satisfactory to the administration and to the
prominent Republicans in that state, grave diff
heulties were met at every step. Monday Mr..
Evarts Informed Senator Don Cameron that
the election would be left to the Pennsylvania
delegation, and promised him that the
man they would agree. upon should be appoint
ed. Upon this Cameron invited the delegation
to his house and made known the situation and
promise from the Secretary of State, when all
present promptly voted for Simon Cameron, and
Mr.. Evarts was as promptly informed of the re-
suit. 1t is perhaps needless to say that both
the Secretary and the President were greatly
astonished. The Pennsylvanians are all abso-
lutely confident that the nomination win be
made in accordance with the promise of the
secretary OF State, and declare that any other
course would be accepted by them and by the
hep9pncans OF pennsylvania as trihing With
the delegation and those they represent On
the other hand the friends of the President are
quite as confident that such an appointment is
an utter impossibility They declare that to
make II would be to abandon every advanced
poslton which President Hayes has taken In
regard 10 reform, and to surrender to q man
who IN the affairs of his own state and before
the country represents in his own person more
that is Questionable to the reform element of
Ine party than any other prominent man in it.
Inc discussion OF this matter runs high in all
quarters, and there is general feeling that the
decision OF the question will mark one of the
most important eras in the life of the admins
tratlon. 1t seems incredible that such an APP
nan ha IL l..
those who wish the President to carry out the
reforms which be has projected The action
taken by this delegation has introduced a seri-
GUS element in the pending campaign in Penn
sylvanls Cameron's friends insist that if he
is not nominated, after leaving the selection to
the delegation, his party in the state will GER
tainly allow the election to go BY default o
the other hand, it is urged that his appointment
would secure the same result, through its effect
upon the anti-Cameron wing of the party.
Those who take this view strengthen their po-
sltion by predicting the most serious damage to
the Republican cause in other state elections,
particularly that in Massachusetts,. The mat
ter forms almost the sole topic of conversation
tonight in almost all circles
HARMONY IN THE PARTY.
The consultations among the Republicans
since the opening of the session, and the clear
indications Of the situation which they have
afforded the President. have already produceda q
marked effect. The.latter has caused it to be
understood that he is especially anxious to con-
fer with those Republicans who are dissatisfied
from any cause, and several of them have talk
ed freely with him during the past week in re-
gard to the differences which exist In the party
concerning certain features of his policy The
results OF these interviews have been such as TO
strengthen the feeling among prominent mem
bers OF the House and Senate that the party
can be held solidly together, and that the main
causes of difference with the President can be
so adjusted as to insure harmonious action