The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1877-05-12
Our Washington Letter.
The Extra SessiOn-TheE Eastern
War-PrOIOmged Stay of the
Russian FIeet-Frait crop, etc.
WAsuTNcToE n g. Mav3 1877
WAsHINGToN, ID. q, May 3, IS17

the date of the meeting of Congress
or the President has manifested a
good deal of indecision in the matter,
which is not generally believed. The
date last fixed by the papers is June
Is, and as no authoritative proclama-
tion has yet been issued we are still
in the dark. There is no doubt that
the administration has delayed issuing
the call, hoping some way might be
discovered to avoid an extra session !;
but it appears from common report
that the Cabinet some days ago re-
luelantly decided that there was no
legal method by. which the army could
be maintained save by the passage of
an appropriation bill in the usual way.
1t is also said that the Department of
Justice and some of the other Execu-
tive Departments will be obliged to
appeal for Congressional aid because
of the inadequaey of the appropria-
tions by the Democratic House; and
the European war has made an extra
appropriation to the Navy an imper-
ative necessity to insure the proper
observance of our international obli-
cations and the protection of Amer
ican interests at home and abroad,
very liable to be endangered by the
movements of the hostile armies.
No official notice of the existing
war between Russia and Turkey has
yet been served on the Government
by the Minister of either residing
here, although our representatives at
st. Petersburg and Constantinople
some days ago formally notified it of
the fact. 1t is now said that no proc
lamation of neutrality is deemed
necessary and that none will be issued.
The prolonged stay of Alexis with
his tieet in American waters is the
subject of much comment in official
and other circles, notwithstanding
Mr.. Evarts attaches DO significance to
it and deprecates all unfriendly allu-
sions. Every additional dispatch re-
ceived from Europe serves to confirm
the almost universal belief entertained
here that the limits of the war will
speedily enlarge, and that in the end
every first rate power of Europe will
have become involved.
To those: familiar with the character
of many of the FIVE hundred and fifty
discharges made in the Bureau of
Engraving and Printing during the
past two weeks, conviction is irresis-
tiole that "influence has had much
to do with them and whether we'll
founded or otherwise, there exists a
firm belief that the clamors of infu-
entail persons will soon result in
another batch of new appointments.
So long as the practice is continued
of discharging faithful and competent
employees, but who have no influence,
while others are retained who are
I VIGOROUSLY immoral and incompetent,
but are backed up by those whose
voices are potential in the appoint
ment of departmental subordinates,
as we'll as those of higher grades, just
so long will doubts be entertained OF
the sincerity of the efforts being pro-
fessedly made to purge the public
service and until the practice of TAX
ing up new men who have never been
in the civil service, putting them in
positions of great responsibility and
profit, while those old in che service
and admittedly qualified are left in
the places they have filled for years
never promoted because they have nc
friends at court-the same incredulity
that now exists will continue and all
professions of I" "reform will be
greeted with the jeers always ELECTED
by hypocritical pretensions when they
are known to be such.
i Mr.. Evarts has invited good dea
of unfavorable criticism by bis course
in going into court to plead the cause
of his clients, as he is reported to have
. done in several instances.
We are having an exceptionally
cold spell, in very marked contras
with the warm weather of few day.
ago. However, there has been NJ
! frost as yet, but whether we escape j
or not, every one is expecting to hea
the stale cry from the peach regiol
to she effect that the crop has beef
} almost entirely ruined by severe frost
and that those who eat peaches thi
season will have to pay for them
3 This dodge has become so well know
that very few allow it to infuenc
their estimates of the production tina
is rapidly increasing each year, an
there does not now exist the slightes
+ pretext, except those that may acci
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