Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1884-12-11
Washington News and Gossip

Washington News and Gossip
GOVERNMENT RECEIPTS To-DAY.-Internal reve-
nue.. $47S, ,S27; customs, s3O4,749.
CHANGE OF SUPERINTENDENT OF THE NAVAL OB-
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 8. r. Franklin, at present
superintendent of the naval observatory is to be-
given command of the south Atlantic station aJ an
early day. Orders have been issued for him to pre-
pare for sea service. 1t Is not yet known who is
to succeed him at the observatory.
CoUNTRRFEITERs ARREsTED.-The Treasury de-
partment is informed of the arrest, in New York
city last night. OF Carlo Fontano, Negrin Gasteno,
Emil Pasqual Jachet, Charles Fornar and Gustive
1elt coin. large amount OF counterfeit coin, to-
gether with the apparatus used in its manufacture
was captured.
ARMY ORDERs.-The leave OF Major James C..
Mckee, surgeon, Is further extended one month.
Leave for four months on surgeons certificate Of
disability, with permission to leave the department
OF the Missouri, is granted First Lieut.. John L.
Bulls, 24th infantry.
THE CASE AGAINST TIE NATALIE TO BE ABAN-
poEED.-The United States district attorney at
Norfolk has been instructed to abandon the case
against the British bark Natalie, which recently
arrived in Hampton Roads, and on which penalty
tonnage tax wasimpOsed on the ground that She had
d CdiSO vi SuduO IrOm fe0fO Keys, which are In
cluded in the list OF guano islands appertainng to
the United States. This action on the part OF the
authortles Is taken because Of representations on
the part Of the British government that the islands
OF Pedro Keys belong to Great Britain.
TIE ENGINES OF THE PURIrAN.-The Secretary
OF the Navy received telegram to-day from Mr.
John Roach at Chester stating that the engines Of
the Puritan have been tested and proved satisfac-
tory IN every respect.
r.v
were Senator's Sewell, Hawley and ingalls,, and
Representatives Anderson, Morrill,, Lawrence,
Robinson, O.; Taylor, J. d. Pettibone, Dunham,
Poland and Stewart.
THE DINNER to Senator German at Wizards
hotel does not take place night but on the 18th
instant The whole number participating will be
only one hundred including guests and members
OF Columbia Democratic club.
NAVAL ORDERs.-Com. s. r. Franklin, ordered to
holdelmsef in readiness for sea service; Lieut.. j.
T. Sullivan, to the training Ship Minnesota, Goth
instant; ENSIGN A. G. Wlnterhalter, to the naval
observatory. 3lSt instant; Paymaster r. S. ThOmp-
son. TO the Swatara; Passed Asst. Paymaster w.
w. Barry. detached from the Swatara and ordered
to settle accounts and wait orders.
DISTRICT COMMISSIONERS EDMoNDs AND WEST
MUST FILE NEW BONDs.-The Secretary of the
Treasury has notified District Commissioners Ed
mondS and West that in view OF the fact that one
vi tue OI Oh JncLQ Is UnQ6r contract
furnish supplies to the District contrary law 1t
viii be necessary for each nf them to file new
bond. MesSrs. EdmOndS and West had an inter-
view with Secretary McCulloch on the subject this
morning.
PgRsoNAL.-Senator Gibson and Representative
King were registered In New York yesterday
Gen. George A. Sheridan, formerly OF this city, is
OF Young Mems Christian ASsOciatiOn.-W. W.
Mccullough and family, OF Washington. were pas
Sengers by the central overland ,raln to arrive at
san Francisco last Friday.-Pay Director and
Mrs Watmough, of this city. sailed for Bremen from
New York yesterday.-Mr Israel Kimball. jr-,
labor. Is confined to his room by painful affection
OF the eyes.---Ex-Cf mnander Gorringe is at
NOTWITHSTANDING Ben: Perley Poore has pre-
pared volume OF his interesting "reminiscences for
puOlication.-Gen. Walker, formerly Superinten-
dent Of the has been member
Shuman, OF Illinois, is at the Riggs
Question of Naval Rank.
NAVAL OFFICIAL SAYS MR.. Coxs RESOLUTION CALL
ING ON THE PRESIDENT FOR INFORMATION IS CASE
OF "SOUR GRAPES"
The resolution offered by Representative Cox,
asking the President why certain commodores
have been given the rank OF acting rear admirals
when no vacancies existed to justify such action,
has created considerable talk among naval officers
Said one official OF rank to STAR reporter to-day:
81 guess If the inside OF that movement were
grapes. Commodores who command navy yards,
ETC., do not have the rank OF acting rear admiral,
and some OF them do not like to see other commo-
dores accorded that title, particularly II they are
their juniors"
''How about the law In the natter" asked THE
STAR reporter.
trivial one, but l am not prepared to say whether
there is or is not law the side OF the President
There are not enough rear admlralS in the navy to
I'LL the positions to which they are usually as
signed, that Is commanders OF SquadrOnS It be-
comes necessary, therefore, to assign commodoreS
,a M to such duty BY giving them the
cent more pay and are not advanced one step IN
any way. but they have the advantage OF being
ostensibly OF equal rank with commanders OF for
elgn squadrons. This is great advantage and con-
venence. <On foreign stations the naval representa-
tves OF different countries not only show courteses
to one another, but often confer upon very i'm
pOrtant matters In such conferences it Is well for
our representatives to have rank equal to the
others Naval people are great stlcklerS for rank,
commanding squadron to be ranked with the
commodores OF other countries who command one
or two vessels. subordinate to the rear admiral
who commands the squadron. The law says that
the President may select any officer not below the
grade OF commander and assign him to the COM
OF Now WITH ths the rank and title
is an officer who flies nag. Only
the admiral, vice admiral and rear admirals
fly flags, and they are the only officers supposed 10
command squadrons Commodores fly pennants
commodore, who commands squadron, should
fly flag by virtue OF his duty, should he should
he not be ranked as an acting rear admiral Before
the war squadron commanders were called "hag
officers" and we made big fight then on the point
that our "fag officers" were equal in rank with
foreign rear admirala II they were equal then
they are now. and they ought to have the title to
show their equality.
President CIeveland's Southern Policy.
A FLU1TER AMONG SOUTHERN DEMOCRATS WHO ARE
NOT EX-CONFEDERAiES.
The Baltimore Sun interview with Senator Bay
ard, printed elsewhere in THE STAR, in which the
latter Is quoted as saying that on his recent visit
to Albany, Gov. Cleveland told him that his SOUTH
ern policy would be guided by the advice of such
men as Gordon, Colquitt, Lamar and other ex-con-
federates, has created 1utter among those south
Senator Brown, of Georgia, who was not In the
southern military service, and who Joined the re-