Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1881-12-23
MINOR NOTES.

The United States Supreme Court decides
that the failure to pay life insurance premi-
UNI promptly when due forfeits the whole
policy.
1t is again asserted that President Arthur
has no intention TO build up or perpetuate
factions in any state, and will do nothing to
encourage them il created.
1t is now said that President Arthur, with
his private secretaries, will keep bachelors
hall at the Executive Mansion this winter,
and that there will be no ladies there except
those who may be invited to preside on social
occasions.
The House speedily concurred in the Sen
ate bill granting Mrs. Gen. Garfield the frank
ing privilege. This is the first bill passed at
this session, and the first to be presented to
President Arthur for his signature.
Ex-Socretary Blaine and wife gave a bril-
liant reception Monday night to the new Sec
rotary of State.
1t is intimated that the President will dis
approve of the finding of the court martial in
the Whitaker case, and restore the colored
cadet TO duty Gen. Howard is now the Su-
perintendent at West Point, and he will see
that Whitaker has a fair chance.
Mr.. Blaine has been invited by the joint
House and Senate committee to pronounce
the eulogy upon the late president in the me-
moran SERVICES 10 Dc 1olQ IN llo nail OF the
House Of Representatives.
The Washington Capital says that Secretary
Frelinghuysen is far from being man with q
cold heart, and it tells how on a winter night,
when the sleet was driving and a poor Irish
woman was struggling along the icy pavement
with heavy bundle in her arms, he came out
of his house on his way TO a State dinner,
and with courtesy invited her to take his car
rage and tell the driver where TO take her.
1t is said that the President had long con-
ference with Dorman b. Eaton before writing
the passage in his message relating to civil
service reform.
The Boston journal believes there are more
Federal officers in the country to-day who
have been in Office six, eight and even twelve
years than there are who have served less
than four
Internal Revenue Commissioner Raum Of
fcially reports that during the struggle which
has been going on for the past five years for
the suppression of illicit distillng there have
been killed by the moonshiners and there ac-
completes 28 officers and employees, and there
have been within the same time Ga persons
wounded. In a few cases the widows and
| children Of these revenue officers have been
pensioned by the government.
Mrs. Mary A. Livermore, the well. known
lecturer and temperance advocate, has Just
celebrated her Goth birthday. Prior to the
war Mrs. Livermore's life was that of the wife
of a clergyman and editor, and she was first
brought to the front as public speaker in
connection with service for the sanitary COM
mission. When peace came the desire came
from every state, from soldiers and the friends
Of soldiers that she enter the lecture field.
How well her work has been done, all well
know.
President Arthur's two children will spend
the Christmas holidays with him at Washing
! ton. His son is a freshman at Columbia col
lege, and his daughter is at school in New
! York.
The story of Jefferson Davis's alleged max.
ing of with great sum of gold coin ($2, 800,
00O) when the rebel government broke up ID
revived, this time by Gen. Joseph e. Johns
ton, Johnston declares that he knew that
Davis had taken the Confederate gold with
him in his fight TO the South, and that he
sent after the fugitive leader with request
for some of the coin for the payment of the
soldiers, but got nothing, and Davis has new
err accounted for the money.
1t is said that Attorney General Brewster
will sue the contractors ring TO secure some
Of the money paid out on expedited postal
routes, where the expedition was unnecessary,
or where no service whatever was performed.
William Henry Prescott, of South Carolina,
has been nominated by the President 10 be
Special Envoy Extraordinary and Minister
Plenipotentiary to Chill, Peru, and Bolivia,
and Thomas O. Acton to be Assistant Treas
urer in New York city.