The Dillon tribune., 1883-01-20
Correspondence.
WASHINGTON LETTER.

[From our regular Correspondent
WAsHi xGroN, u. c., Jan. 18th, 1853.
The new year did not start ont very
cheerfuly al the White House. When
Hon. Elisha B. Allen, the Hawaiian Minis
ter, dropped dead at the Presidents New
Year reception, surrounded by the diplo-
matte corps, in the glittering dress Of the
court, and abaze with jewels and decora-
tions Of the kings and emperors whom, the,
represent, it closed the White House, turned
the throng from its doors. kept the sweet
scented youths attached to the foreign lega-
tions from making new years calls and
"lnashes," and filed lot Of superstitious
people with awe and trembling A Indy
respondent said that the President, Ike
herself was an Irishman by descent, and,
like all that people was warm-hearted but
superstitious; that he regarded the sad
event as an i'll omen, and she intended to
croak at him about it like Poe's raven on
bust-of Pallas.
The Fitz John Porter relief bill, after &C.
cupving many days, passed the Senate.
Already Fitz John Porter has occupied
more Of the time of this brief session in the
Senate than all the other 4o,o99,ooo fellows
in America.
| The way the civil service bill was rushed
through the House Thursday last was
surprise not only to the one hundred men,
| bers who were loaded to the muzzle with
speeches to fire oil at that bill and their ru
raj constituents, but refreshing surprise to
outsiders who were expecting to see half
the session wasted on that measure. The
calling Of the previous question by Mr..
kasson, the Chairman OF the Committee,
and the tactics OF Hon. S. S. Cox, cut OFT de-
bate and choked off those who wanted to
talk it 10 DEATH We have now a civil serv
ice law, and hereafter all young men whose
breath smells Of beer, or who cannot tel! the
location Of Sassafras creek, shall not he al
lowed to mingle with the educated angels
who toll for the Government from ga. m.
to p. N. with one hour in the middle for
lunch. Onc.third of this entire session hav-
ing been given upto Porter and a few hun
dred clerks, the rest Of us may reasonably
expect a few minutes attention before Con
gress adjourns Apropos Of the civil serv
ice bill, Just before it passed, MIR. Neale OF
Ohio, presented sensible petition fiom
citizens of Southern Ohio asking that the
civil service reform bill which passed the
Senate be so amended as to pro, ,ic that no
person be eligible to place in either branch
of Congress, or as chieiof any department
or bureau, who is an alto ne, for, stock
holder in or an owner Of any bond OF any
railroad, steamship or navigation company.
AS Il large number Of members OF both
houses are stockholders in railroads, and.
notably in the Senate, attorneys for railroad
companies, this proper feature for reform
was not adopted
The bill passed extending the time one
year for filing claims for ho, ses and equip
ments lost BY officers and enlisted men in
the service Of the United States, in all wars,
will afford lust relief to many poor men
who lost their horses while serving their
country, and failed to make claim for their
, value within the time prescribed in the old
law.
The Committee on Public Lands of the
House have reported a bill to repeal the law
allowing presumption OF the public lands,
, and contining the disposal of the lands en-.
tirelv to homesteads under the Homestead
, law. \ red-headed western statesman,
who is more forcible than elegant in his en-
pressions OF truth, denounced it as a scheme
Of the land grant railroads to cut off Gov
, ernment competition, that they (the rail
. roads, might the better and ut a greater
profit sell their lands
The board of medical and scientific eN.
perts of the United States Agricultural De
plrt,n-nt, who have been engaged in the
. investigation Of epidemic diseases among
domesticated animals in this country, have
almost completed their report on that sub,
ject, to DIR. Loring, the Commissioner OF
Agriculture. They have been successful
in reaching important facts in relation to
>penic or Spanish fever in cattle, but more
commonly known as Texas cattle fever
The board will report that whole herds OF
blooded and graded cattle, in the Eastern
and Western States, have been swept ava,
bv this disease being brought among thcit
herds BY one bullock from the Southern
States. The board report that the propaga
ton of the disease occurs only in the sum,
: mer and early autumn, and scarcely ever
occurs after heavy frost. The last case
reported to them was on November 80 and
no cases are reported at this time.
Gen. Grants visit to Washington at this
time, it is said bv the qnid mmmes, is not sim.
ply to hold receptions at the elegant resi-
dence of Gen. Beale, and take tea at the
White House, but for the purpose OF giving
such aid to Porter's friends in placing
Grant on the army retired list at $1,000
per annum. There are those among Re.
publicans Of prominence who are bold
enough to assert that Gen. Grants change
of views in the Fitz-J John Porter case is moi
an honest conviction, but shameless bar
ter. CoDEx.
Farmers and others desiring gentcel, lucrative
agency business. by which IS to $40 day can b,
earned. send address ut once postal. to II. C. VIII