National Republican., 1883-02-08
ON TIE -AYENuE.
Small Taik About Men and Measures.

snal talk ABOUT Men ana hensttfes.
Inquiry relative to the status of the vari-
Gus treaty questions now pending drow the
following expressions of opinion from SEN
ator yesterday: There appears to be tacit
understanding that all these questions are to
be postponed until after the fourth of March,
when the senate will have time to consider
them in executive session. There are several
points which cannot be passed upon hastily,
and there is no likelihood that the senate can
reach them before the expiration of the pres
ont term, the tariff and other important bills
being very liable to take up every
working moment from now on.
The bills and resolutions for the
modification of the Hawaiian treaty
which were buried for so long in the bowels
of the committee on foreign relations, will
probably be discussed and acted on by the
finance committee as so6n as the tariff bill
pressure is relaxed. Claus spreckels is bring
ing every conceivable influence to bear to
fight Off hostile legislation. He has organized
a powerful lobby, but the fates are against
him. So is the finance committee"
a@e
Senator Lamar's speech yesterday was voted
by political friends and opponents alike to
have been a very able effort. The manu-
script of the elaborately prepared argument
he started in to make was laid aside, and only
touched at intervals. In one instance he
jumped twenty-five pages, and substituted
for the written matter an hours extcmpo-
raneous talk.
Ex-senator Newton Booth and Gov, Foster
wero among the distinguished outsiders who
were upon the floor of the senate yesterday.
80
The joint resolution of inquiry into the
swindling practices of certain parties who
pretend to be pension claim agents and agents
for soldiers land claims may have a depress-
ing influence ON their business. "The town
is full of sharpers who prey off of people who
have claims of some description against the
government" said an old lawyer to the
avenue man, "and / would like to see
congress open fire all along the line.
The practices of certain disreputable
claim agents IRE bad enough, but there are
other promising fields for Investigation. For
instance, inquiry might be instituted in the
interests of poor inventors who have long
claimed that many Of the patent lawyers OF
Washington are the paid attorneys of corpora
tons and big patent sharps, who employ them
to harass inventors who apply for patents
which might clash with their interests
These lawyers, it is claimed, keep their most
profitable patrons posted, and whenever an
unlucky inventor puts his case in their hands
they prepare osystematically wear him out by
delays until, in sheer desperation, he ahandon'
his case, on sells for a song what may be worth
fortune if he had fallen into honest hands
1t is an easy thing for shrewd lawyer, who
knows the ropes, to keep an application for &
patent in 'hock' for one, two, or three years
especially if he is in possession of inside facts
l do not vouch for the truth of these reports
but have heard inventors say that they had
no show among the legal patent wolves unless
they had money to fight off the guerillas. No
body questions the honesty and efficiency o.
the patent office. The abuses complained o
are ON the outside"
Nv
The talk over the Annapolis cadet revol
has reminded naval officer of q story "Ad
miral Rodgers, former commandant of th
Annapolis academy" he said, "was yer.
anxious to retire from the position, but th
secretary of the navy couldn't find o man fo
the post in whose ability to discharge tn
duties he could place confidence, and so tin
admiral continued in charge. One day tn
then secretary of the navy (AIr. Hunt an,
Admiral Rodgers paid the Trenton visit. Th
Trenton, which had been the flagship of tn
European squadron, had just arrived. and wa
found to be in splendid condition, clean as
polished door plate from stem to stern. Th
most perfect discipline prevailed everywhere
You will find the man you want on boar
this boat said the admiral to the secretary
the man who is responsible for this cleanli
ness and good order is the perso
you want for the naval academy. Capt Ram
say is the officer, believe The secretar
adopted the suggestion, and not long after
ward Capt. Ramsey was appointed to the super
intendency of the academy. 1t turned ou
however, that Capt. Queano was the rankin
officer on the Trenton, and that the cleanl
ness and order which so struck the visitor
was the result of his rule on shipboard. Cap
Ramsey's acquaintances say he is disposed
be something of a martinez"
@#@
One of the department clerks had As
Wednesday celebrated at his home yesterda
in practical way, He issued an order to th
colored servant to sift the ashes in the bac
yard and to work only between the hours {
0 and A, with q half hour for "ostensble lunc
purposes"