Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1880-12-09
VERY LATEST NEWS.
\ Record Of Important Events,
Domestic and Foreign.
WASHINGTON

/ Dl ,lUU, I1eUme6I, W, d., g1,lUO, yum
nessee, Mich, 81, 800,
An intimate friend Of the president
elect says that Senator Blaine came tc
! Washington at the special request of Gen
! Garfield, fer a confidential conference
They breakfasted together at the latter.
! house. There is little doubt that at this
interview Gen. Garfield rendered to Sen
ator Blaine first the position of secretary
OF state, acd second that of secretary Of the
treasury, both Of which Mr.. Blaine de-
| clined.
In the United States supreme court. on
the 4th inst, Mrs. Belva A. Lockwood
| made an argument in the case of Kaiser
VS.. The Freedman's bank. the question
in issue being upon a note given by the
appellant, who is a married woman to Sc
cure a deed Of trust for $4,000 Mrs
Lockwood is the only female lawyer ever
admitted to practice in the United States
supreme court, and this was her first APP
pearance in argument before that trib-
unal. She spoke for twenty minutes and
commanded the earnest attention of tho
court.
Mr.. PETRoFF, the census enumerator,
who was sent last May to take the census
of Alaska, returned on the 4th inst. He
visited all portions of the territory that he
could reach He reports population of
| 1000 persons, of which number $4,000 are
| Indians, 1900 Alutes, and 800 Creoles.
| The CreOles are persons of mixed Russian
and Alute blood. There were 1913 white
males and four white females. The enum-
Grafton of the inhabitants of that part of
the territory which is south of Mount
Elias, narrow strip of land ten leagues
in width, was to have been made by 4
deputy from Sitka, but his report has not
been received From what is known of
this portion it is estimated that the entire
population Of the territory is about 3d.
COO; CT which number not more than 300
are whites
IT is said, anthoritalively thai Levi P
Morton, of New York, will no longer CON
sent to the use of his name in connection
with the secrctaryship of the treasury
under General Garfield, and he has gone
! back to New York to enter upon a canvass
! for the senatorship. Under section 243 of
! the revised statutes, Mr.. Morton is inelig-
ible to appointment as secretary of the
| treasury on account of his dealing in gov
ernment and state securities. He is a
member of a banking house in London
and New York The following is the
prohibitory clause in the section alluded
TO:
SECTION 243. 10 person appointed to
the office of secretary of the treasury, or
first comptroller, or first auditor, or treas
urer, or register, shall directly or Indirect
ly be concerned or interested in carrying
on the business of trade or commerce, or
be owner in whole or in part of any sea-
vessel, or purchase for himself, or any other
in trust for him, any public lands or other
public property, or be concerned in the
6
ties of any state, or Of the United States.
GEN. FRANCIS 4. WALKER, superinten-
dent of census, has submitted his regular
annual report to the secretary OF the in
terror. He says that although the work
of taking the tenth census is substantially
complete (returns having been received
from all but seven of the total number of
II ,365 enumerated districts). II will prob
ably be two or three week before the
officer will be able to present complete
statistics of the population of the country,
and he therefore considers 1t advisable
to postpone to future report all
mention of the result enumerated and also
all discussion of the methods in use as
we'll as any suggestion which may be re-
quired to be made Ofthe changes In the
census law, with reference to future en-
umeratiOns. The superintendent says that
every year and every month that can be
saved in the compilation and publication
of census statistics, adds appreciably to
their value, and recommends congress to
be asked to authorize the printing by
a special contract under the super
vision of the secretary of the Interior of
the several reports of the census as fast as
prepared. The accounts of 2S, 40 enumer-
ators have already been settled, involving
total expenditure of upwards of 81 ,S2O,
600. Only about 1,200 accounts remain
unadiusted, and there is no reason to
doubt that the month of December will
see all enumerators paid for their services,
except only in case where there Is a sus-
pension required for reasons unmistaka-
bly, connected with some fault of the emu
meratOr.
THE Star says: There is great deal of
interest taken by army officers in impend-
ing retirements and promotions III the
higher ranks of the service. Officers who
are eligible to retiremint are striving to
prevent being shelved, and those who are
IN line of promotion are bringing all the
influence they can bear in favor of their
advancement Gen. Miles, to whom the
position of chief signal officer has been
open, has, it is learned, requested that his
name be withdrawn from all connection
with the position. He is now 4 candidate
for inspector general in place of Gen
Marcy, to be retired. 1t is the desire of
the president TO appoint Gen. Miles to
that place, and it looks as if he would get
it There is only one obstacle in the way.
The act of Dec. y. 1873. provides that the
senior inspector general shall have the
rank of a brigadier general. Colonel
Sackettis is the senior colonel in the suspect
or generals department, and will be the
senior inspector general as soon as Gen.
Marcy vacates the position. In accord
ance with this il would seem that Col.
Sacket should have promotion. Gen.
Sherman, it is known, has taken this posi-,
ton. The question is one, however, to be
settled by the president. and he is known
to favor Gen. Miles. Gen. Hazen, who,
as the other prominent candidate for chief
signal officer, would, on Gen. Miles refusal
of the office, seem to have a clear field.
He probably has, but it is stated that he
does not want the place so much now as he
did, preferring his chances to be quarter
master general, Gen. Mejgs' successor,
when that officer shall be retired. If this
is the case. Gen. Abbott, now on duty at
Willet's Point, New York harbor, and
! who is the choice of the American associa-
ton for the advancement of science, takes
the leading place looking toward chief OF
the signal corps.