The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1879-11-01
Our Washington Letter.
Indian Affairs The Patent Office-Oom-
pleting the Washington Monument
Water Famine, etc.

CABINET ADSeirt.. at this time, anu Il
meeting was held yesterday, being
the first since the President left on
his Western trip. OF course, Indian
affairs were talked over, bnt, it is
said, nothing was determined on.
Much AZ many Of ns will regret il,
thee seems t" be 10 proper DISPOSE
ti"n Of this subject but transfer of
The Indian Bureau to the War De
pai tment. The superior race ever
considers the wrongs Of the inferior
race. 1t may be, however, that the
Indian will suffer DO grea ter hardships
under the rule of the Army than un-
der the present divided, inefficient
and corrupt rule. anticipate early
action by Congress as to the transfer.
The subject is ready for discussion
on reports made by special COM
mittee.
General Paine, the Commissioner
Of Patents. has recently written let
ter 10 the Secretary Ut the Interior,
cuncerning:further and bette, accom-
modations for the Patent Office, aud
sucl, changes in it's organization and
management as will facilitate its bust
7 4 III 1.,kA l..
careful perusal of the whole people,
as it is a subject that very nearly
concerns tl,vD all The constitutional
provision that Congress may by law
provide for the protection of inventors
in the enjoyment of such monopoly
Of the manufacture and sale Of their
inventions os would remunerate then,
for their skill and labor, has been SO
used as to make the Patent Office a
source of revenue to the Government
the receipts Of that office for the
last year exceeding its expenses by
1855 600 The Commissioners of Pat
ents holds this to be an unjust tax on
inventors, and recommends that ad-
dit,onal facilities for the accommoda.
tiun of inventors be provided to- as
great an extent as the income of the
office will pay for. The justice of this
recommendation" will be apparent to
all thinking men., a7It has long been
apparent that the Patent Office build
ing thar now accommodates Tor rather
.liscommndes) the entire Interior De-
partment, il only sufficient for the
Patent Office, and that the Land
Office, Indian Office, and all the
branches Of the Interior Department
except the Patent Office, should be
provided for elsewhere, and the en-
tire building, which was erected with
out expense t" the Government, left
to the Patent Office. It is also APP
parent that further means for the
dispatch Of business should be pro
vided, 80 that many delays now una:
voidable, would be avoided.
In tile last month we have had in
Washington meetings of half dozen
associations, IN each case delegates
from all the States being here. Other
similar meetings will he held during
the fall and winter. The city is com
ing to be popular place for gather
ings of II national chan acter. Iexpect
it to he still more 50 as it becomes
better known. 1t is the best paved
city III the country, has surroundings
unequaled elsewhere and contains
many objects Of interest to citizens
from all sections.
The work Of completing the Wash
ington Monument has been prosecuted
| with vigor during the past GUNNER.
All doubt as to the security and suffi
cheney of the foundation has been re-
| moved by one Of the most difficult
and highly successful efforts in eugin-
, eering. Seventy five separate sec
tions of the present foundation ex-
tending far outside of it have been
tunne1ed, the earth removed, and
! each of these spaces have been filed
; with cement under tons of pressure,
81 that the completed work forms a
new foundation, square, broad and
deep, extending beneath and outside
the one laid at the commencement of
the work. All this has been done
without Il flaw or crack or the least
detection in the upright ehaft of the
monument. An elevator capable OF
raising stose weighing ten tons il
firmly put up Oh the inside and the
shaft will now begin its upward
growth. Its final completion al
though long delayed will yet be u,
assured fact and justice will at las
be done the honorcd name of Wash
ington.
The recent order of the Post Ot1ic,
Department requiring the name o
the State to lie indicated on each let
ter sent through the mails is creating
some little dissatisfaction among tn,
} people who do not think it importan
that letters addressed to New Yorl