Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-03-09
WASHINGTON.
Ben Butler = Thieving Statesmen-The
Tarif Bill Marriage of Ex-Mayor
Wheaton's Niece-Pleasants and speer.
~ ASuINGIlE MarcL

Ben Butler Thieving Statesrnen-rbe a
Tariff Bill Marriage of Ex-Mavor
WheatOn's sNiece-PIeasants and speer.
WASHINGTON, March s.-"Ben Butler. of
Lowell" is always an interesting figure. He
has many warm friends. Said one of them
who is Massachusetts Yankee and a Demo.
crat, to me to-day: "People don't understand
Uncle Benjamin Take, for instance. the sto-
ries about his being a shylock. Butler does
make great deal of money out of his prac-
tiee. He told me last summer that he had for
the past ten years made not less than
$l50,O00 annually by his legal practice. He
generally charges big fees, but who wouldn't?
But the people do not know the number of
cases where he charges no fees at ALL He has
many clients who are unable to pay him a
cent, ana from whom he never expects to re-
aliZe penny. The old soldiers 90 10 him and
are always treated We'll. lie takes their eases
when they are unable to pay ANYTHING. and
pays as much attention to their Interests as if
he was to get fee of $4,000. There is one class
of cases for which he Will never charge a cent
under any circumstances. This class is where
ola soldiers come to him for his legal adviaRi i'm
tne prosecution OF their claims for pensions
lie has young lawyer in his office whom he
pays ", ,5O0 year just to look after the routine
pension cases which come to him from old SOL
aiers' tell You, Ben Butler is a 'tbully boy"
The same gentleman told me an incident
Mhlch Is illustrative OF the well known conf
dence and assurance of Rutler There came
10 Butler before the last elections wealthy
lady OF Boston, who offered him retainer Of
$4,000 IN suit for divorce, which she was
about to institute against her husband, II
would take the case most willingly he re-
pied, "but IT would not look well for the
Governor of Massachusetts to appearafterhis
inauguration as counsel in divorce proceed
lngs," Ana the election was four months Off
Ihe usual thing has happened again 1t is
10 be expected just as regularly as Congress
adJourns, The committee rooms at the capi-
tol have been robbed of their supplies of sta
tionery, fine inkstands, costly clocks, uphol-
stored chairs, fancy paner weights and 'such
like things, One able member of the House
Committee on Patents, Pennsylvania Demo-
cfat-whlch is generally about as bad a brand
Oh politicians as can be found in the whole
category OF parties-is reported to have ia
Ken from his committee room plentiful
supply OF fine towels and fancy soaps for home
consumption. There are plenty OF policemen
a., at Ine capltol from which all this plunder is
taken. They have evidently, like the men
VINO annually thus steal away, come to
regard such little peccadiloes, not in the light
OF ,Ghetts, but as legal perquisites.
The new tariff bill, as well as the internal
revenue portion Of 1t, is causing good deal
OF trouble. The Treasury Department officers
anu importers generally are at the present
moment considerably mixed about it. There
are errors in the tariff schedule but this is
only minor part of the trouble. Treasury
rulings on many'Of the tariff changes made are
required. In some instances it amounts to
millions of dollars, whether the department
snail rule this way or that. As can be readily
imagined the importers and Treasury people
are much concerned as to which Way the
ruling shall be. With these things to bother
the customs department of the Treasury
and the whole change of the rules, regulations,
stamps and licenses wrought by the internal
reYenne portion of the hin. it can with safety
be predicted that this viii be about one of the
busiest Congressional recesses that the Treas
ury oihcers and employees have ever known.
EX-May0r Wheaton, of Savannah, arrived in !
the city yesterday. He is stopping at Will
lards, where his quarters were when he was
urging the increased appropriation for Savan-
nan during the last session of Congress- He |
Is here on different business now. His niece
Miss Sterling of California, was married at
twelve O'Clock to-day to MIR. Hill also of Cali
tornia. Miss Sterling has been with Mrs
Senator Jones for the past two years. The
wedding to-day, which Ras one of the events
OF Lent Is why Captain Wheaton is now in the
city.
Peasants holds over at least for the present.
How long he will stay there you cannot tell
They may be buzzing about his ears again be-
fore another moon. Emory Speer, as you
know by telegraph, gets the recess appoint
ment for District Attorney at Atlanta. 1t was
settled fact that he would be appointed lust
as soon as Congress adjourned. His appoint
mept is received with universal regret by
Democrats. lie Is not yet confirmed, but, as
Senator Edmunds won't be Chairman of the
Judiciary. Committee in the next Senate, Speer
will very likely manage the rifle.
POTOMAC.