Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-01-25

teriay afternoon for Norfolk.
IT Is EXPECTED that the army retrements long
contemplated viii soon be made by President Ar
thur.
GENERAL GRANT contemplates making visit to
Florida in March next 1t is expecteNt that In going
south he VIII spend several days with President
Arthur at the White House.
Two QUESTIONS OF INTEREST TO BE DEcIpED.-
Judge Lawrence, first controller Of the Treasury,
has before him two questions of interest for decls
ion. Contractors for carrying the mails have been
In the habit OF drawing drafts on the department
before their wages are earned. They sell these
drafts at a discount for the propose OF raising
money. The question as TO the legality OF such
transaction has arisen through contractor who
claimed that his premature draft was fraudulentiy
obtained. and asked the department not TO pay the
holder Of it, but give him 1hs compensation. The
principle involved VIII be argued before the con-
trot the latter part of this the first part OF next
week. The other question which the controller Is to
decide is. whether an employe CT the government
can assign his pay for month 10y signing receipt
for it before il IS due and dating it when cue.
Juige l. .cwrence has gotten together a great many
authorities on these points. Beth questions, 1t will
only due prOSpectiyely. Unless some law To the
cOntr try can be produced Judge LawrenceS deciS-
ion viii be strongly against the legality OF sucn
practices
GARFIELD HOSPITAL. FUND.-Treasurer Gilf1lan
has received the following subscriptions to the
Garfield Memorial Hospital: All Souls church,
$50 20: J. W. Hardcastlc p NJ, LeXin@ton. Tex.
So; j. V. Bradford p. NJ, Marion, Tex. s.: First
Baptist church, Newburg. n. Y, Sl2: Working
mems Club Church OF Holy Communion, New York
city, so.
AFTER A FOREIGN MISSION. - The republican
members OF Congress from Wisconsin have asked
the President for foreign mission for ex-GOv.
Wm E. Smith, of that state. They named China
and Chill as the two vacant places for which they
have preference
CENT PER CENT Loans TO TREASURY CLERKS
The disbursing clerk Of the Treasury department
who, as stated in last nights STAR, has been.
according TO reports, standing in with the cent
per cent money brokers In their loans to Treasury
CLERKS, is named Ellis He disburseS for the sixth
auditors Office OF the department. Secretary Fol
ger is not yet through with this matter. The
stand which he has taken meets with the hearty
support OF all officers OF the Tre1sury department
The system, which has long been in vogue, Of
clerks borrowing money at exOrbitant rates and
giving orders on their pay. is not only ruinous to
the clerks, but denoraZing in its effects upon the
public service. Ii SeCrCtary FOlger can break up
the practice in his department, which he intends
to do if possible, he will Institute reform that
VIII be OF the greatest benefit to the public service.
1t might be stated that the money brokers not
all outside the public service. There are clerks in
the Treasury department who carry on money
lending business at an eXorbitaDt monthly rate.
All OF this applies just as well TO every other gov
ern1nent department.
ORIGINAL GEORGE WASHINGTON PAPERS There
are a number OF original George Washing
ton papers which have never yet been published
They belong TO the heirs Of The late E. W.
StoughtOD, of New York, whose last official posi-
ton before his death was that OF minister to
Russia. Judge Lawrence, first controller Of the
New \ ork, during the last presidential campaign.
He was then shown these papers. They We're in
them. JUICE Lawrence said to-day to THE STAR
reporter, were array orders issued by Washington
during the revolutionary war. All OF them were
undoubtedly genuine products Of Washington's
own pen. Most OF the letters are private ones
Sut are very interesting. One letter in particular
attracted his special attention. 1t was ON the
subject Of slavery. In it the writer took the
str~pgeSt grounds against slavery in this country
and eXaressed the fervent hope that it would soon
be biOtted OUT
AMONG THE PRESIpENT's CALLERS TO-DAY were
Ex-Governor Hendricks and ex-senator Mcdonald,
of Indiana; Senators Harris, Cameron, Hill, (ColO
Ferry, Platt, Hawley, Allison, Mcmillan, and Rep
resentatiyeS Neal, Converse, Petl.bOne, BrentS,
Alirich, Young, Orth, Browne, Paul and Wait
The President, at half-paSt II, shook hands with a
number of general callers to-day. The snow, per-
haps, was the cause OF so few Of them being pres
ent.
THE SOLDIERS HOME INvEsTIGATIoN.-The sub.
committee OF the Senate military committee on the
investigation OF the Soldiers Home met again this
morning Generals Drum and MacFeely, adutant
general and cOmmfSSSary general, two OF the board
vi managers, were DPf0re the committee. They
explained at length the laws rules and regulations
governing the Institution. and gave an account of
the expenditures. They both agreed with Surgeon
General Barnes, the third member OF the board, in
the opinion that the existing method OF discipline
or rather authority to enforce discipline, is de-
fective, and that there should be legislation to
remedy this. All the labor performed at the home
and about the grounds Is hired. The soldiers
are not required to do any work, nor is
tnere any authority, at present, that can require 1t
OF them. The managers think this should be cor
rected; that the inmates should not be permitted
to spend their time in idleness altogether The
managers also agree that the pension money be-
longing TO inmates OF the home should not be paid
10 them. They say that the soldiers as rule
spend this money In dissipation or that they are
cheated out Of it, and that, in fact, the money
proves TO be source OF trouble to the manage
part OF the inmates. The managers recommend
either that these pensions be, by act OF Congress,
turned into the fund OF the home or that it be
placed in trust in some responsible hands for the
beneft Of the pensioners or their families. The
subcommittee will take under consideration the
prOpffety Of recommending the legislation advised