Morning journal and courier., 1883-04-24

the Civil Service Commission, etc.
 WASHINGTON, April 19.
 To the Editor of the JOURNAL AND COURIER:
 The National Academy of Sciences is now holding it's regular annual meeting in Nation al Museum. The daily session opens with 8 business meeting which is usually called to order about ten o'clock and is held in the li- brary. From this meeting, of course, the public is excluded, but when the routine for the day has been attended to the open meet ing is held in the lecture room and papers on scientific subjects are read by the mem bers, the reading being followed by discus sion in which these brilliant luminaries flash their rays athwart one another. These dis cussions rarely assume other than the pleas antest aspect and are, for the most part, characterized by much of what is popularly known as 'tmutual admiration. Occasion ally, however, there will be passage at arms when some savant's pet hobby is attacked by a brother scientist yet even these encounters are marked by a dignity and courtsousness that rob them of bitterness.
 The most important work of the Academy so far has been the election of Professor O. Q. Marsh to fill the. vacancy caused by the death of President William B. Rogers Though a comparatively young man, Profss- lessor Marsh seems to have been chosen very promptly by the Academy to fill the impor- tant post, and his election appears to meet with the approval of the whole body. When the business meeting, at which he WAS elect ed, adjourned yesterday morning, and the public meeting WAS called to order, the new president made no allusion to the new honor that had been shown him and quietly pro- ceeded to call upon Dr. S. Weir Mitchell to read his paper on the effects of the poison of venomous snakes I thought this was 8
 very proper thing, as Professor Marsh had OrTrr lat R0o GI>oI Al.
 tied to thanks from him and the society had
 been properly thanked in business meeting
 To-day has been set apart for the unveil
 ing of the statue of Professor Henry, for
 merly secretary of the Smithsonian Institute,
 member of the Academy of Sciences, etc.
 The Academy takes conspicuous part in
 this ceremony, and all the departments of
 the government, tho various scientific socie-
 ties and the public generally will cooperate
 with it in doing honor to the memory of one
 who did so much to fulfill the trust of the
 founder of the Smithsonian, ''to diffuse knowledge among men" The statue IS of
 bronze, life size, mounted on a pedestal of
 various colored granites about eight feet high. It stands in'the park just iH front of the west end of the Smithsonian building and faces south. The cerempnies begin at f o'clock promptly, when the invited guests will march from the lecture room of the museum to the staging erected for their accommodation in front of the statue, head ed by the Marine band. After the audience is seated the full band will render the Halle lujah chorus from "the Creation" Then follows prayer by the Rev. A. A. Hodge
 D. D., after that an address by Chief Justice
 Waite, who will unveil the statue. Then the Philharmonic society, assisted by volunteers from the various choral societies of the city and accompanied by the Marine band, will sing ''The Heavens are Telling" Then comes the oration by President Noah Porter, and the conclusion will be triumphal march by the band.
 The Postmaster General has approved design for the new two cent stamp required by the act of Congress fixing the rate of let ter postage at two cents per half ounce. The design was submitted by the American Bank Note company and is chiefly remarkably for its simplicity. The new stamp will bear the vignette of Washington, surrounded by perfectly plain band, the legend occupying the corners and lower edge. The color has not yet been determined on. The depart ment will still continue to print the three cent stamp, as 1t will be required for the Ga nadian mails, parcels and the like. Next Oc- tober is the time fixed for commencing the use of the two cent stamp, and the Post master General has about made up his mind that the increase of mail matter of the first class will very nearly counterbalance the re- duction of thirty-three and third per cent. in the rates Of course this is merely an hy pothesis, 8 guess, but the clever statisticians who have carefully considered the subject are able to make pretty shrewd guesses on these subjects. If there is absolutely no increase in the number of letters mailed the first year the loss in revenue will be only six million of dollars, and what is that among so many?
 A week ago to-day the United States steam CT Dispatch sailed from the Washington navy yard bound on trip of recreation down the Chesapeake Bay. There were on board Secretary of War Lincoln, Commodore Commodore Wilson and a few oth- ITS. She returned the day before yesterday very much pleased with their trip and great y benefited in health. All right. There's 10 objection to anyone's having just as good time as he can possibly wiring out of this fife, but he ought to pay for 1t out of his own pocket. It is just such junketing par ties as this that bring discredit on our gov that make the great commonalty zrowI, and that tend to alienate the officers of the army and navy from the people who hire them, pay them big salaries and give ,hem easy duties. Those higher officers of he army and navy are notoriously the great est loafers in this country. There isn't work for them all to do in Washington. They have too much rank to rough it on the frontier ports, or to be required to take life by and large in ships cabin, and they have 5oo much influence to be shelved, they do the heavy elegance about that gorgeous architectural pile, the State, Army and Navy department building. Anyone of the officers who went on that title trip can well afford to pay his own way md ought to be made to do it. Then if it is required to send cruisers and dispatch boats town the Chesapeake, or any other waters adjacent to our navy yards, for the purpose of exercising the crews let draft be made from the overworked, underpaid women who Ire grinding their lives out in that sweat box he Bureau of Printing and Engraving, or that treadmill the government printing office md bindery, or that black-hole of noxious rapors the reclamation division of the Treas 1ry department. God knows there are thousands of poor clerks, men and women, 8ho need little relaxation, little of his own free air, but who cannot get it if they nave to pay for it. trip to Fortress Monroe and back cannot be made for less han twenty dollars, If one goes by boat, and ret these gentlemen, whose pay ranges from S5, GOO per annum upwards, have hand ,ome vessel, one might almost call her a steam yacht, placed at their command for a weeks recreation and don't have to pay ,ent for it
 Senator Sherman, notwithstanding his leclination to be the Republican candidate :or Governor of Ohio, is in constant receipt )C IeJGefS ana GeleSrAIuS IEOLh LAo ISSPuDi1- ans of that State to the effect that If nomi- | 1ated he ought not to decline. Poor man ! Distinction is, after all, burdened with respcn- abilities that all of do not envy, and smong them is the inability to quietly ttend 10 one's own business and follow the bent of i ,ne's own inclination. That Senator Sher- nan would make good governor, and that nominated he would carry the State, can hardly be doubted, but there are many per Ions who think that he can be of greater ssr- i rice to the country at large in the Senate i, chamber than as governor of Ohio.
 Ex-Representative Hinton, of Virginia, hinks that McDonald of Indiana will be the lext Democratic candidate for the preslden- i y and is quoted as saying Anyway, who ! ,ver secures the Democratic nomination Will ,e the next president sure.' It's well to be Jure of these things, and after such positive from such 8 source no doubt the rimmers will be prepared to govern their movements so as to fall on the right side of he fence.
 The Civil Service commissioners found hat they couldn't command sufficient ready money to properly furnish the quarters hey had decided to occupy in the court house md accepted an offer from Commissioner If Agriculture Loring of apartments in the lew building recently put up alongside the nain building for the use of the seed divi- jon of his department. Their rooms are low ready for them and they are ready for 1usiness but, pending the approval of their