Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1883-04-25
From our regular correspondent.
WASHINGTON LETTER.
Washington, d. c., April q, 'S3

Washington, d. c., April q, 'S3.
The Star-routc trial is rapidly
drawing to a close and it is interesting
to note the different views and expec-
tations concerning the result. The
prosecution is very confident of convc-
ton, whilc the defense is in high glee
over the certainty of acquittal. The
Judge has seemed to lean heavily late
ly towards the defense, which has
greatly surprised his friends. Certain
it is that Brady and Dorsey are in
excellent spirits, and they are already
planning to begin big law suits against
the papers that have slandered them.
The first suit, they say, will be against
the New York Times, by Dorsey, and
his damages will be laid at a half mil
lion dollars. He will engage the best
and biggest lawyers, and although he
has had to raise money on his valuable
property, he will, so he says, spend a
lot Of money to punish the Times. Bra.
dy announces that he intends to make
the government pay him large sum
OF money for defending himself against
Il prosecution for doing what the law
required him to do. All this planning
for revenge will come to naught if it
should happen that these gentlemen are
called upon to reside a few years in
private quarters at government expense.
1t is hardly worth while to express an
opinion as to the result. A pretty
strong case has been made out by the
prosecution, but it is hard to tell how
the jury may stand nevertheless. The
defense have fought tooth and toe nail
to keep out all the evidence they could,
and a good deal has been ruled out on
technical grounds that would have
thrown much light on the case. This
is the full investigation these defend
ants protested to court when first ac-
cused. Mr.. Liley, the old man of
seventy, whom Dorsey kicked out of
his house, has brought suit against the
latter for $4,000 damages for an as
sault.
There is q small breeze over the dis
placement of Peter Collier, chemist of
the Agricultural department, and the
appointment of Professor Riley to the
place. From what can be learned it
is a case of refractory conduct on the
part of the chemist. 1t is understood
that for eighteen months he has chosen
so far to emphasize his difference with
the Commissioner as to refuse to speak
to him, and it became intolerable. The
original point of departure was sor-
ghum. Mr.. Collier had the lie Due
theory about it, and he somehow got
the Academy of Science on his side.
Perhaps, at its meeting here it will
again take up the matter. President
White writes from Cornell university
that his college loses and the depart
ment of Agriculture gains by the re-
moval of Prof. Riley to Washington.
1t is known that Commissioner Loring
is well sustained. And now the Agri-
cultural bureau is busy prognosticating
the yield of wheat, most of which has
never been sown and the rest of which
is not yet out of the ground. In order
to get this ridiculous nonsense the gov
eminent has to pay the travelling ex-
penses of half dozen agents travelling
over Minnesota and heaven knows
where. Last year, besides the fact
that nobody knew Or cared one copper
cent about these absurd wheat esti-
mates, clerical error of hundred
million bushels was discovered in the
bureau of Agriculture. This bureau
is really rather useful thing when
managed on common sense principles,
and does not aspire to know in Febru-
airy how much wheat will be harvest
ed in Jaly.
The country rests easy under the
absense not only of the President, but
four out of the seven cabinet officers.
MIR. Chandler, of the navy, is still with
the President, though he has not fell
out OF wagon for several days. Mr..
Lincoln, of the War department, is
away on the Dispatch. Mr.. Brewster,
Attorney General, is somewhere out
Of town, probably in Pennsylvania,
but he goes and comes with such sud
denness and frequency that nothing is
thought Of it. Secretary Folger is re.
ported as absent in Senaca, N. Y,
where his son and daughter are very
i'll with consumption. The Princeton
Glee Club gave a concert here one
,;rht laat lxveek and wera afferwards