Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1878-02-27
THE EVENING STAR.
Washington News and Gossip.
The Expecfeh Veto

| net discussion yesterday. His constitutional
advisers pull different ways. Their words of
advice are too cOntradictOrytO influence him
much one way OF another. One member
wants the country 10 have silver dollars, hon
| eSly if it can, if not, to have silver (Biand)
| dollars. Two or three are disposed to advise
| the signature of the bill under protest. The
| rest of the Cabinet think that consistency re
| aulreS veto, On square vote IT is likely
that those favOring veto would be in the
| majority. The Secretary OF the Treasury does
| not occupy the isolated position OF stern and
uncomprOmising opposition to the bill assign
Ell him by the newspapers. Secretary Schurz
| 1aVOrS a veto. The chances are that a message
| from the President accompanying veto will
| be sent to Congress tomorrow OF Friday.
| Whatever his decision, the President will
| communicate his reasons to Congress.
THE CONTRACTS for mail service in Mon
tana were awarded to-day by the Post Office
! department.
PERsONAL.-NIajor General o. o. Howard is
| in Washington.
| THE PORTSMOUTH is now stuck in the mud
| at the navy yard, and won't be able to sail for
| New York until Sunday, where she will load
| 1Or the Paris exposition.
! THE INVESTIGATION OF DOORKEEPER POLK
| Col. Sim. Donovan continued his testimony
before the committee investigating Door
| keeper Polk this morning. 1t was merely ex-
| panatOry of the manner of conducting the
| dOOrkeeperS Office and the troubles attending
| II. He said that an additional force of fifteen
| pages was necessary, and he had SO notified
| the committee on accounts. The only impOr
| tant admission the witness made was that
| messengers on the roll had employed subst-
| tutes to do their work at annual salaries, while
| lhOSe employing them drew the full amount
| allowed by law.
| GEN. BUTLER says that he has nothing TO
| say on the subject of Boards nomination to
the Boston cOllectOrShip until next election
| time in MaSSach huSettS. Butler predicts the
| election of the.demOcratic ticket in MasSachu-
| SettS next fall.
| ANOTHER INVESTIGATION PROPOSED. "A
| resolution evidently aimed at Senator Blaine
was introduced in the House today by Mr..
| Crittenden, of Missouri, directing the Judi
| cIary committee to inquire whether the Union
| Pacific Railroad Committee has invested its
| funds or evidences OF debt in the stock of
| other railroad corporations. The object of
| the inquiry is to reopen the old Little Rock
| and Fort Smith scandal, which was thoroughly
| exploded in the last Congress.
| The CONTEST OVER THE NOMINATION OF
| EX-GOVERNOR PARSONs.-The Senate was IN
| Executive session over two honrS yesterday in
| discussion of the nomination of ex Governor
| Parsons TO be United States attorney for Ala
| bama. Parsons was reported adversely by the
| judiciary committee. Several reasons induced
| me committee to make an adverse report.
| Edmunds, ChriStiancy, and Thurman spoke
| against continuation. They pointed out the
inc9nsistenGies of Parsons political career in
| Alahama. He is charged with having been a
| republican. democrat, and liberal, at various
| times, according to the bent of political feel
ing in his state. Charges were also made
! against Parsons of having been connected as
| attorney, with a fraudulent cotton claim be-
lore The departments. Senators Morgan and
Hill spoke in favor OF Parsons continuation
| No vote was taken on the nomination. but it
| generally believed that Parsons will be re-
| jected.
| SENATOR Hill. repudiateS an ntervieW Dur-
| porting to have been held with him on the
| silver question, and published in morning
| paper. Mr.. Hill, however, is in favor of the
| silver bill as passed with the Senate amend
ments. and will vote for its passage over .
veto.
| INVESTIGATING A RAILWAY POSTAL AGENT.
| The committee on postal affairs of the House
| today began theinvestigation of the charges
| made against Thomas p Cheney, general
| railway postal agent for the eastern states.
| Geo: 5. Blount superintendent of the letter
carriers OF the Boston post office, testified that
| III 1919 Cheney allowed an emplOye under him.
| named Stahl, to draw pay for five months on
leave OF absence, while he was attending the
| graduating class OF BOWdOn College. The
testimony developed that Stahl employed a
| substitute at a low salary, and drew full pay
While attending the college.
THE IMPROVEMENT OF THE CAPITOL
| .GROUNDs.-Mr. Dawes called up bill making
| an appropriation of $4,000 for the improve
ment of the Capitol grounds in the Senate to-
My aG nsHea n l4r or ITS present M
| unburdened his mind very fully in regard to
the manner i'll Which the Capitol grounds have
6Geh taken h up, set down. built and rebuilt
| gress. he said that there is no safe approach
i0r pedestrians or carriages to the Capitol on
the west front. The new work of Statuary
| recently placed in the jaws of Pennsylvania
| avenue came in for unSparing criticism Mr.
| Conkling said that if the celebrated board Of
| public works of this District which has been
| described with all the OpprObiOuS epithetS in
| the English language, had been guilty of the
| improvements made on The Capitol grounds
| the echoes Of eXecrations against the board
| would reSOund throughout the world. Dawes
| and Morrill, both tried to explain the way in
| which the Capitol grounds have been i'm
| proved, and the appropriation was finally
| agreed to.
MORE CLERKS FOR THE SURGEON GENERAL
| MeSSrS. Hewitt (Ala.), Mackey and Powers
| who were directed by the House pension COM
| mittee. to ascertain what additional clerical
force IS required in the Pension department.
| have made Il thorough examination and are
ready TO report. They, will recommend that
the Surgeon General be allowed fifty addi-
| llOnal clerks for one year. as he promises with
| that force to bring his work up. The com
mittee decided that there are clerks enough in
| the Pension office, and will report against al
lowing any more.
THE PROPOSED RAILROAD TO POINT LOOK
! oUT.-The Secretary OF the Navy has written
| letter in reply to a communication of the
| chairman of the House committee on RAILWAYS
and canals. in which he mentions that naval
board in 1874 reported favOrably on the prOpo-
sltion to establish a naval cOaiing station on
| st. Mary's river, Maryland. The Secretary
says his opinion cOncurS with that of the
| board, and that if the Southern MARYLAND
| railroad contemplated by the bill before the
committee were constructed, it would mate
rally aid in the transportation of coal for the
| use OF the navy, as it would also in the trans
| portati0n OF troops and supplies in time of
| war. The railroad commences at WASHINGTON
and has its terminus at Point Lookout, which
| is hall way to Norfolk from this city, and when
| completed will shorten the time OF travel be-
| tween Norfolk and Washington six hours.
THE PRESIDENT is constantly in receipt of
| kilograms from bankers and business men i'm
the west urging him to sign the silver bill and
end all further agitation, in the interest of the
| depressed business condition of the country
| likewise he receives an equal number of tele-
| gaamS from eastern bankers and merchants
| urging him to veto it,
The BANKING AND CURRENCY COMMITTEE
| yesterday considered proposition offered by
| Mr.. Ewing, OF Ohio, to amend the bill pro-
| viding for the substitution of Treasury notes
for national bank no tes by inserting a section
| which would make the Treasury notes inter-