News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1884-02-14
WASHINGTON NOTES.

The House has decided not to ap
point any more official s:enographers
The theory is that great deal o
money will be saved by piece work
The practice will probably be that i
will cost great deal more for tn
shorthand reporting of the committee
by piece work than for the House tC
pay two stenographers the customar,
annual salary.
The travelling Ministers and Consul
are to be brought to book. The Hous
has passed a resolution calling upol
the Secretary of State for information
as to how many Ministers and Consul
are or have been absent from tLei
posts since Jan. 1, and whether they
are drawing their salaries in their alb
sence.
Joseph G. S. Blackburn was elected
U. S. senator from Kentuky, to sue,
coed ''Cero Gordo" Williams. He is
called Blaine of the South brilliant,
prompt, aggressive, and eloquent.
The latest story in relation to cab
met changes is that Secretary Folger
Is TO become Attorney General, that
Mr.. Morton, at present Minister to
France. is to become Secretary of the
Treasury, and that Mr.. Brewster is
qoinc to Paris. The story is not a
particularly reasonable one. When
Secretary Folger was asked about 1t
he significantly said that he had once
declined to be Attorney General.
Sergeant-at-Arms Canady has made
a good many removals in the Senate
and has not been able to satisfy the
demands of the Senators who are
clamoring for place. The attention OF
the Senate was called in an indirect
way to these removals recently by Mr..
Beck. who introduced resolution
directing the Civil Service Committee
to INQUIRE as to the removal of John
Dudley. a colored servant Ofthe Senate,
and to report what change Is necessa-
nv in the rules to prevent the dismissal
of competent employees. Dudley Is an
old colored soldier, and was a faithful
and competent man of all work about
the Capitol. Mr.. Beck says that he
was removed without cause, and that
he was confident that Dudley would
have the sympathy Of the Senate.
The public debt statement shows
that during the past month 100000
standard silver dollars were added to
the supply already on hand. This Is
1000 900 more than the amount
coined for the month. That is, moi
only have the 100000 dollars coinet
during January not got into eircula
ton, but 10000 900 of the dollars al
ready in circulation have been sem
back. Nv nat reason can oe gwen 10
continuing THIS coinage except that
is profitable for the Bonanza kings?
Chairman Buckner, of the House
Committee on Banking and Currency
has expressed the opinion that the
committee will harmonic upon Sena-
tor McPherson's bill to authorize ma
tional bank circulation to be issued to
the par value of the bonds deposited.
He adds that he does not think it will
provide against the impending con-
traction, but that it will do some good,
and that while be expected to get his
bill to issue Treasury notes to meet the
contraction before the House he had
no expectation that it would pass. He
believes that the bill to redeem the
trade dollars will pass, and that moth
ing else will be done on the silver
question.
The River and Har5or Committee
has decided that the river and harbor
appropriation, aside from what appro-
prtations should be given to the
Mississippi River, should not exceed
eleven million dollars. This means a
bill for from twelve to fifteen million
dollars unquestionably, so far as the
House is concerned, with such amend
ments as the Senators may choose to
add. 1t is by no means improbable
that River and HarbOr bill which will
approach very nearly the magnitude
OF the one that was so much condemn
ed, will be passed by this Congress,
but it will be bill, the appropriations
IN which will be distributed with very
much more wisdom.
A son Of Fred Douglass, speaking
Of the reported intention of Louise
Sprague, a former housekeeper for
Douglass and sister-in-law of Mr..
Douglass daughter, to bring SUIT
against Fred Douglass for $4,000 for
service as house-keeper, intimates
that the suit is to be brought to prei-
udlce his father and to raise a breeze :.
that while it is true that the Young
woman did render service as house-
keeper, he does not believe that her
claim IS well founded, and that Fred
Douglass. just before he left for Bos-
ton to attend Wendell Phillips tuner
al, sail that if such a claim should be
presented and was not exhorbitant il
would be paid, sand" said Young
Douglass, with warmth, she never
refused to pay a just debt. If there
had been no marriage there would
have been no such claim heard of. and
1t has been brought forward only for
annoyance" Mr.. Mackey, the coun-
sci for Miss Sprague, says he has been
retained by the son-in-law of Fred
Douglass, and that Miss Sprague in
sists that Fred Douglass, the fore
most champion of the rights of his
race, shall not have the privilege of
denying to one of that race the just
reward for her labor.