Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-01-02
THE NATIONAL CAPITAL.
SAD END OF THE PRESIDENTS
RECEPTION.


WASHINGTON. Jan. 1.-The weather to-
day was clear, bright and spring-like.
The great event of the day was the Presi-
dents reception. The Executive Man.
sion, which has been thoroughly repainted,
decorated and newly upholstered and fur
nished, presented a handsome appearance.
The floral decorations were plain but ele-
CANT. The Marine Band was stationed in
the vestibule and played several airs dur
ing the reception. The President and par
ty stood in the Blue parlor, and the pre-
sentatiOns were made by Marshal McMi-
chael and Colonel Rockwell.
The President was assisted by the wives
of several members of the Cabinet and a
number of other ladies. At IL O'Clock the
members Of the Cabinet and the Diplo-
matte Corps were received. The bright
uniforms of the Diplomatic Corps and the
odd dress of the Chinese Minister attracted
much attention. At 1:15 the Chief JUS
tice and Associate Justices ofthe Supreme
Court of the United States arrived and
were followed at 1880, by the Senators
and Representatives in Congress, the
Judges of the Supreme Court of the Dis
trict of Columbia and others.
At u o'clock the officers of the army
and navy, in full dress uniform, filed in,
headed by General Sherman and Admiral
Porter, and were each in turn presented
to the President. At 1890 number of
officials of the various departments were
received.
Up to this hour the programme laid
down had been followed, and the Presi-
dent and all in the building were in the
best of spirits, when an event occurred
which at once changed the whole spirit Of
the scene. Hon. Elisha Allen, the Minis
ter of the Hawaiian Islands. the oldest
member of the Diplomatic Corps, who
had remained a short time after being
presented to the President, had retired to
a cloak room in company with his son.
and was chatting pleasantly. Suddenly
his head fell back, and he became speech
less. Surgeon General Crane and several
other army and navy surgeons, who were
in attendance at the Presidents recep-
ton, gave Mr.. Allen prompt attention.
but he died in few minutes. The cause
of his death was dRgind pectoris.
Word was conveyed to the President. who
at once stopped the reception. The band
was silenced and the White House closed,
CONGRESSIONAL PROGRAMME FOR THE
WEEK.
Both houses of Congress, by the terms
of their respective adjOurnments last
week, are to reaSsemble tomorrow. There
is a good deal of doubt as to the assem-
blage of quorum of the House of Rep
resentatives, but kin any event the days
session will probably be utilized by con-
tinuing the consideration of the army an
preparation bill in committee of the whole.
leaving cOntrOverted questions to be
voted on separately when the bill
shall have been reported
back for final action. The
clause concerning the amount of cOmpen-
sation to be paid to subsidized railroads
for army transportation will probably
give rise to enough debate to keep the bill
before the House throughout the whole
legislative day, but it is expected that the
House will dispose of this measure by
Wednesday morning at the latest
Mr.. KassOn will then press the civil SER
vice bill for consideration, with appa-
rently superior chances for success in his
effort, although the shipping bill has been
set down as the special order for Wednes-
day, and although also there is some
talk of opposing its present cOnsidera-
tiOn by a motion to call up
the tobacco bill. The assignment in favor
of the shipping bill is not a continuing
ORDER" and its friends will not consent to
have it passed over, unless another day he
fixed for its consideration. A motion
for this purpose will be offered
the Joint committee which framed the
bill or by Mr.. Page, Chairman of the Com
merce Committee, which finally reported
it, and some such motion will doubtless
be adopted. 1t is the intention of Mr..
KassOn to endeavOr to limit the debate on
the civil service bill to two days.
If any part of the legislative week In the
disposed Of ii will probably be devoted to
the naval appropriation bill or to the leg
islative, executive and judicial appro-
priatiOn bill. both of which measures are
in a state of fOrwardness for report to
the House during the next few DAYS of
unfinished business.
To be laid before the Senate tomorrow
at the termination of the morning hour is
the bill for the relief of FitZ John Porter,
on which Mr.. Logan has the floor, to finish
the speech begun by him last Friday. The
prospects of reaching vote on the bill
before Wednesday are somewhat doubt
full, but it is probable that the measure
will be disposed of before the adj
iOurnment unless the Senate shall
unexpectedly find itself without quorum.
The bonded whisky bill will undoubtedly
next be urged for consideration, as its
friends appreciate the manifest advisa-
bility Of securing action upon it before the
time and attention of the Senate be-
comes engrossed by tariff questions
and the annual appropriation
bills. The status of the latter in the Sen
ate has not been changed during the past
week. The Military Academy bill which
can be passed promptly at any time) is
still on the calendar ready for action, and
the postal appropriation bill remains in
the hands of the Committee on ApprOpri-
atOns, who will not be ready to
report it before the last part
of the week. In the meanwhile the Sen
ate will have four or five days to devote
to general legislation.
n 1at1nff fnrv
expect to report back the House bill for
the reduction of internal revenue taxa
ton, with cOmpletetaritf bill added as an
amendment, by or before the middle
of the month, and an effort will
be made to procure its immediate
consideration. A prominent member of
the committee expresses his opinion,
based upon extensive inquiry, that the
Senate will not wait for the House bill,
(nOw in the course of preparation by the
Ways and Means Committee, but will
take up the Finance Committees bill as
soon as it is reported with the result
Gin this EVENT. that each branch
of Congress will soon be considering its
own tariff bill, and that probably con-
ference committee will have the final
shaping of any measure to be enacted.
The Senate during the morning hour to-
morrow will resume consideration of the
bill to provide for the Presidential success
sion. In view of the fact that the tenures
of office of the President pro tenn
pore of the Senate and Speaker of
the House of Representatives will
both expire by constitutional
limitation on the 4th of March, the pass
ace of this bill will be strongly urged by
some of its friends as means of averting
an extra session of the Senate, which they
assert would be otherwise practically
necessary for the purpose of choosing
new President pro tempOre.
THE APPROPRIATION BILLS.
The condition, Of the appropriation bills
in the House and in the House committeeis
more forward than ever before at so early
a dav ia the session. The Indian, post
office, consular and diplomatic, military
academy and agricultural appropriations
hills have passed, and the army bill is
now before the House. The District of
Columbia. naval and Notifications bills
are ready TO be reported. The pension,
legislative and judicial and sundry civil
hill will be ready before the 1st of Febru-
ary. AS to the deficiency bill the Chair
man of the Appropriations Committee is
authority for the statement that 1t Will be
a small one this year.
IaE PENDLETON BILL.
II is understood that Senator Pendle-
toms civil service bill will ne reported to
the House ON Tuesday or Wednesday, and
the understanding is that it will be given
tbe right of way before the appropriation
bills,
weather Indications.
OFFICE LHIKF eIGSAL OBSERVER,
/ WASHINGTON, Jan. l.-lndieations Tor