The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1882-04-19
from our Regular Correspondent
WASHINGTON LETTER.
WAsHIkcroN. Arril lSth. isS:

Now that Lent is over, Washing
ton for a brief season resumed those
social entertainments from which so.
ciety has had a short respite. The
President has given one general re.
ceptiOn, on which occasion the White
House was crowded beyond srece-
dent, and this is saying good deal,
for the Old mansion has been packed
before. There has been some talk
about building a new Presidential
residence, but there is no prospec. Of
this being done soon. The present
house is old, and announcement in
many respects-iust too good to tear
down but not quite good enough to
stand. 7't'T
There has been further debate on
the tariff question during the week.
The subject has been agitated, and it
viii not sleep until it has changed
party lines and frontiers. If all
members who have speeches prepar-
ed on this question speak, the sess-
ion will be protracted till August.
ThereeHas q rumpf yesterday tha,
o =
the Secretary Of War, Robert Lincoln
would be removed in a few days and
q successor appointed, thus making
President Arthur's Cabinet entirely
new, but l have it from the best au.
thority the present Secretary will re.
main, the sole survivor of Garfeld's
cabinet. @
Mr.. Chambers appearance in the
Navy Department is regarded with
some dread by the barnacles, toredos,
and rats that have had so much to dc
in navigating the old hulk to the
d, and if reports are true, he
will soon reorganize the Navy De.
partment with avery stiff broom
Mr.. Teller, the new Secretary of the
Interior, it is reported, win also do a
little spring cleaning, and more than
one chief of Bureau, with his little
catorie Of dependents, is wishing tina,
he had not hung on a princess favors
until he became too weak to hang at
anything else. Mr.. Teller is a man
Of ability and industry. He has ex.
perience as lawyer and is especial.
ly familiar with land and mining
cases, and the Indian question, all Of
which matters are in charge of the
Department Of the Interior to which
he has been appointed. This De-
partment is an unwilling conglomer.
alton of incongruous parts. IT com.
prises the Patent and the Revision
Offices; the General Land Office; the
Indian Bureau; the Bureau of Educa.
tion. The census and the Geological
survey are both attached to the Inter
ior Department, as is also The Com
missionership Of all Railroads that
have been granted any loan or credit
or subsidy in lands or bonds by the
United States. "a .L'.l
The Navy Department, Of which
Mr.. Chandler takes charge, is much
nicerand more homogeneous ma,
chine. 1t consists of eight bureaus,
viz:-Yards and Docks, Navigation,
Ordnance, Provisions and Clothing,
Medicine and Surgery, Construction
and Repair, Equipment and Recruit
ing, and Steam Engineering. Some
OF these bureaus have subordinate
offices, as, for instance, the chief Of
the Bureau of Navigation has control
Of the Naval Observatory, the Nauti.
cal Almanac Office, and the Hydro
graphic Office, each of which employs
quite a number Of clerks and scien-
tific specialists.
There seems to be a very good pros,
pect for the passage of a bill relating
to the count Of the electoral vote in
Presidential elections, SO as to avoid
the difficulties that almost culminat.
ed in revolution in 1875. The Sen.
ate has passed a bill which will prob.
ably be concurred in by the House.
The object Of this bill is to throw up.
on the states themselves the respon.
sibility Of deciding all disputed ques,
tions as to their respective electoral
votes, and to limit the work of Con.
gress to the functions devolved upon
the two Houses by the Constitution
that Of counting the votes sent in.
...ia G. AS.
GONE TO Rest. F. Fague, editor