The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1881-02-03
WASHINGTON BRIEFS.

The patrons of the telephone exchange at
Washington, are making energetic fight
against the rates of the company.
A GREAT number of petitions are being re-
ceived, being signed largely by merchants and
bankers, asking for the repeal of the tax on
bank deposits and circulation.
The Committee on Elections in the House
decided by strict party vote to report in favor
of unseating Representative Martin (Rep.) the
sitting member, and seating Yeates Dem.) the
contestant.
the member of the subcommittee on Foreign
Affairs to write a report on the Crapo resolu-
ton ON the Monroe doctrine. He is fercer
on this doctrine than Mr.. Monroe ever pre-
tended to be.
TH1RrY-N1NE clerks in the Navy Department
have been discharged. These clerks have been
on a temporary roll, and paid out of the ap-
preparation for contingent expenses. Their
removal is caused by the exhaustion of that
appropriation.
The President has approved the sentence Of
the General Court-martial in the case of Pay
master J. H. Nelson, of the army, which is
that he shall be dismissed from the service, con-
fined two years at hard labor in Penitentiary
(probably Albany, and fined %, 500.
THE President has sent to the Senate the name
of ex-senator Stanley Matthews, Of Cincin-
natl, for Justice of the United States Su-
preme Court, rtce Justice swayne re-
signed. OF course, Matthews is another
Ohio man," but, then, Justice Swayne was
an Ohio man also.
The Sunday Chronicle wants the President
to recall Minister Christiancy and appoint SEN
ator Bruce (colored) of Mississippi as a sub
stitute 1t holds that Mr.. Christiancy's perse-
cutions of his ''helpless young wife" units him
for the position, (which should at least be
filed by man of decency."
THE President has directed the following
officers to be placed on the retired list Briga-
dier General VIM. Dunn, Judge Advocate GEN
eral General Stewart Van Yleik, Assistant
Quartermaster General; Lieutenant Colonel
Samual Woods, Deputy Paymaster General,
and Major Joseph II. Eaton, Paymaster.
H. B. KELLY, of the Alien County Democrat,
published at Lima. Ohio, died at the Imperial,
on the I'D inst, of apoplexy. He was with the
Ohio Editorial excurscion party, who were WIS.,
iting Washington and other points east. Mr..
Kelley was aged about sixty years. The event
cast gloom over the entire party.
The Senate proposes to find out who stole
the report of the Chinese Treaties, and to do
this, they propose to investigate with closed
doors. OF course the stealing was done by cor
respondents, which will necessitate placing cor
respondents on the witness stand to testify.
Just how they will manage to do this and keep
the proceedings secret from the press it seems
has never occurred to them.
BILL has been introduced in the House, au-
thorizing the Public Printer to reprint an edi-
ton of so, 600 copies of each of the four vol
umes heretofore published of the Medical and
Surgical History of the War. Should this bill
become law, it will enable every member and
Senator to furnish free to every physician in his
district complete set of this valuable publ
cation.
The House Committee on the Inter-oceanic
Canal referred back to the subcommittee the
bill and report favoring the incorporation of
Eads Ship Railway across the Isthmus of Pana-
ma, with instructions to strike out that por-
ton which provides for Endorsements by the
Government of its stock to the amount of $780,
O00,0 1t is thought that this failure to
guarantee on the part of the Government will
have the effect to kill the scheme.
CORRESPONDENT writing under date of
the 23d inst, says: "The Executive, Judicial,
and Legislative Appropriation Bill will be ready
for the full Appropriation Committee early
next week. The Postoffce Appropriation Bill,
as reported to the House, appropriates $40,-
760, 432, and is based upon estimates aggre-
eating S42, ATS, 932. The estimated postal rev.
enue for 1882 is $3S, ,845, ,174, or $19 152 less
than required to make the Postofice Depart
ment self-sustaining. The amount appropriated
for the Star Route service is 81, S75 600, an in
crease of 1876, 900 over lost years appropria-
tion.'
MIR. SPRINGER's resolution instructing the
Postofice Committee 'to figure into the ex-
pendiency of establishing by law postal tele
graph system under the Government of the
United States" has been presented to the
House with the recommendation that it pass
for the following reason: "That it is evident
that there is general demand by the public
for protection in telegraph communications
from the extortion of a great telegraph
monopoly, that absorbs its competitors as they
become established and thus compels tariff
which pays dividends on stock believed to be
largely watered, and therefore official inquiry
should be made into the facts and legislation
proposed in accordance Herewith"
TuE Christiauov scanda1-divorca caeo-ic
putting things in the State Department in bad
odor. correspondent under date of January
g. says: minister Christiancy is in contempt
of the District Court here. He has not COM
piled with its order for the payment of alimony,
and until he purges himself from this contempt
no further testimony will be taken in his behalf.
If he should come here now he would be at
once arrested for contempt, and be called upon
to show cause why he should not be punished
for it. This is a somewhat awkward position
for the State Department and the President,
and is to be added to the growing dimensions
of this scandal. The diplomatic service is not
acquiring glory from the situation"
DURING the discussion of the bill to allot
lands to Indians in severalty, the intelligence
and veracity of Miss Bright Eyes came up,
which qualities in her are disputed by many
especially those who have been mearly perse-
cutting her. Senator Morgan, of Alabama,
read an able letter on the subject of the bill,
and finishing, announced that I" it was an In
dian girl who wrote it-Miss Bright Eyes,
whereupon Senator Hoar said: 'The young
Indian girl of whom he speaks addressed an
audience in my city at q meeting at which I
was present few weeks ago, and her address
was eloquent, sensible and one of the most
moving that 1 ever heard from human lips
She is well educated and thoroughly equal to
many ladies whom I know well, and she is
person whose accomplishments and character
would, in my opinion, do honor to any of her
sex, whatever their position in life.' That was
a handsome compliment for Miss Bright Eyes.