The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1878-01-30
The Department, of state

Inc DfD6ft"tnt of Statc
WASHINGTON. Jsoua-y 1.-THE
Secretary of State has nov under
consideration the propriety of insu
gurating q new feature 10 the oflicia
entertainments given by the minis
ters of the government by holding
them in bis official apartments in the
Department of State ins'ead of al
his private residence 1t is bis pur.
pose to give the FIRST of these enter.
tainments about the latter part OF
the present month, aud q second 10
April or May Ii is probable tna'
an earlier reception will also be held
al bis residence
The Offices occupied by the Secre.
tary of S,ate snd the principal as
sistants consist OF q superb suite Of
apartments ranging along the entire
length of the south side OF the grand
corridor on the second floor Of the
building The general office of The
Secretary occupies the ceoEre, and to.
wards the west range the Secretary
private audience room, the diplomat
&c audience chamber and the Office oi
the Second Assistant Secretary Of
Safe, Mr. Hunter, with the diplo-
matte anti-ruom across the corridor.
Ringing to The east of The Secreta.
rvs general Office are the otices oi
be FIRST Assistant Secretary OF
Stare. Mr. Seward, q private Office,
he uffiee If the Chief Clerk. Mr.
Brown, The anle-roUm for persons
sending cards 10 the Secretary OF
State and the ofiice of the late Third
Assistant Secretary of State, and now
temporarily occupied by the Com
missioner General To Paris. This en-
tire sweep Of apartmen from east to
vest, catered by communicating
doors, is not less Iha i two hundred
aud City feet in length, and twenty
feet 10 width, and The grand corridor
il but little less in dimensions. Each
Cf these apartments is fitted ap with
excellent taste both 10 the li0e of dec
orstive art and upholstering, and is
largely due to the supervisory direc-
tion of Mr. Brown.
The diplomatic audience chamber.
where the Secretary of State receives
the representatives Of the rulers of
the great and petty nations Of Christ
endom, IslamIsm, aud heathendom
is superb salon finished in ebony,
with aoors Of marquetry and walls
chastsly embellisbed in distemper az
Ter the Egg ptian style of decorative
art, with hsngings and furnishings Of
bronzsd woods and gold brocsde
Pendant from the ceilings are two
magnificent chandeliers in highly
FURNISHED gilt and b:istling with al
most innumerable jets. Here the
Secre sry would receive his guests,
and the adjacent apartments and
grand corridor would be thrown
open to the assembled digaitaries aud
lesser lights of diplomatic, military,
naval, civil and private Station. The
Marine band would furnish the choic-
esI gems from their repertoire, aud
the refreshments simple in character
would be served The Secretary, in
giving utterance to his views on the
subject, said that the ministers Of the
Government Who have not been pos
sessed Df means to conveniently give
the official entertainments expected
# them would thus be relieved of the
necessity Of occupying expensive pri.
vaie quarters, and al the same time
no expense would be imposed upon
tie Govergment save very slight
expense for gas. Such entertain
ments, be thought, would also be
more satisfactory 10 those invited.
The customs OF foreign govern
ments is generally to hold all official
entertainments in their Official quar-
ters. The Secretary of State for
Foreign Affairs of Her Msjesty's
government has in his official quar-
ters on Downing street superb
apartments, with ball room, dining
hall and with drawing rooms fitted
up for official entertainments. The
Lord Mayor of London has the same
thing in the Mansion House, his of.
fiLisl residence Prince G1rtscha.
kotf, the Cars Prime Minister, new
er euterialLs at all at his private res
idence. always holding his receptions
in the building set apart for his Of
fetal use. The President of the
Council of Spain entertains in the
Presidency. An authority OIL this
subject, who has enjoyed long Of
fetal residence in Europe, says that
state apartments in State buildings
is rhe rule rather than the exception
among the Cabinet ministers of for.
eign governments 81