The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1880-01-16
MATTERS IN WASHINGTON.
WASHINGTON, ID. G., Jan. 10, 1880.
AN IMPORTANT CORRECTION.

MATTERS IN WASHINGTON.
WASHINGTON, ID. G., Jan. 10, 1880.
AN IMPORTANT CORRECTION.
A portion of the paragraph in oul
last letter referring to the pension office.
vas based upon misunderstanding OF
he situation; and this is not so yer,
| remarkable perhaps in the light OF
,ther interesting facts which have beer
brought to the surface after a NOR,
careful and thorough investigation b,
YOUR correspondents. That there is a
concerted movement OIL the part Of o
certain class of pension attorneys 10
rause the removal of Commissioner
Bentley" cannot be successfully contro.
verted, but it is based upon ground.
slightly differing from the reasons u,i.
dcrstood by us when penning the lette,
If January 5, containing the paragraph
referred to.
The grievance Of these attorneys l.
hat the commissioner had recommend
I'd that the present &c parte system fn
settling pension claims be abolished
Under this system it is shown that the
cost TO the government to settle eacl
Ease, Salaries of clerks, cost of Station.
cry, etc., had increased from S. 60 H.
1868 to fully S35 per case in 1879, ant
not that the pen,ioii attorneys had in
creased their fee. in that ratio. S,
nuch by way Of correction. A wore
low as to the proposed law.
The new system which is being urged
by the Pension Bureau will, if adopted
bril- 6 the claimants face to face will
The officers appointed by the govern.
rnent and Thereby do away with til,
payment of attorney fees by the peu.
-ioner, and also enable the honest
claimant more promptly TO secure hi.
pension, aud will at the Same time more
certainly detect and defeat fraudulent
applicants. Ana just herein NAV b,
found the reason of the hostility exist
ing toward the commissioner, who ha.
AIKEN his stand in favor of the soldier.
he sailor, their widows and orphans.
and against the clam-sgent sharks, who
nave grown rich and fat out of the
present system.
These agents or attorneys publisl
several periodicals devoted to their owl
interests, which make it business I,
abuse Commissioner Bentley and gross
" misrepresent the measures he ha.
recommended. We are also credibl,
Informed that they are causing petitions
and protests to be circulated among the
ex.soldiers aud sailors throughout tb,
country, designed to be used in effect
ing his removal from Office, or to defeat
he proposed law and other means de.
vised for the benefit of the soldier, his
widow or orphan. Those interested
should be promptly advised of this,
aud sec 10 1t that these claim agents d,
not use them nor obtain their names fol
improper purposes, under the guise OF
signing some innocent looking paper OF
petition.
These remarks are dictated solely BY
desire to benefit class most needing
help and protection; and 10 person con-
nec,ed with this bureau has any Claim
pending, or any personal or pecuniary
interest in or about the pension Office
to the value of one sardine. AS ever,
journal has among its readers numbers
who are deeply interested, we know
that the entire press of the country will
become co-laborcr with the pension
Office in its efforts TO effect the above
much needed reforms, in order that the
nations wards may reap the full benefit
of the nations bounty.
THOSE INDIANS
arc expected to arrive in Washington
on Sunday. The officers in charge on
the route here had hard time ~ pro-
tecting them from being lynched BY the
settlers of Colorado. The Board of In
dian Commissioners are IN session here,
and MIR. Nske, member, has preferred
charges against Mr.. Hayt, the head of
the bureau. We know nothing as to
The merits of this new case, but some
how Bro. Hayt develops o wondrous
faculty for keeping himself in hot wa
ter. lie must like the sensation of par
boiling better than most people.
THE GREENBAcK CONFERENCE.
At this writing, about two hundred
representative men of the Greenback
Labor party, are assembled here from
nearly every state in the Union. The
chief object of the gathering now Is to
fix upon time and place for holding
their national convention for the noni-
nation of candidates for President and
Vice President, and to confer together
regarding the situation generally.
The gathering is certainly most re-
spectacle one in point of numbers, tai
ent, and character, and compares favor
ably with similar assemblages of either
Of the other parties.
KILOGRAMS NOT ISvIoLABLR.
A committee of the Senate has de-
cided IN the Ingalls, investigating case,
that private kilograms between parties
may be called for and examined; but
that only such US relate TO the particular
matter in hand, shall be looked into.
Washington has postmaster at last.
ID. Is. Anger, Of Michigan, has been
confirmed by the senate.
NEW DEPARTMENT.
Senator Window has introduced a
resolution looking to the erection of
the Agricultural bureau into a separate
Institution to be called the Department
# Agriculture aud Commerce.
THE COMING SENATORS.
Gen. Garfield, of Ohio, and A. p.
German, of Maryland, have been NOM
mated In caucus by their respective
legislatures for seats in tho U. S. SEN
ate. This is equivalent TO an election
in both cases. Mr.. Garfield will take
the place of Mr.. Thurman, while Mr..
German succeeds Pinckney WHITE. the