Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1884-02-22
Washington News and Gossip.

Washington News and Gossip.
| PATENT OFFICE APPoINTMENTs.-The special
| board OF examiners appointed under the civil ser
vice commission to conduct special and technical
examinations for appointment in the Patent Office
Will begin Its work the first OF March, not the
nrst OF June, as published.
THE STEAMER BEAR MISUNDERSTANDING Chand-
er and several naval officers yesterday inspected in
| New York harbor the steamer Bear, which has
Deen purchased for the Greedy relief expedition
Chef Naval Constructor Theodore Wilson, after
naVlng thoroughly inspected the Bear, states that
the vessel Is admirably adapted for the service and
Will PROBABLY be ready for sea by the first OF April
POSTAL INSPECTOR NEwcoME AND THE ALLEGED
BRITISH SPY.-The Postmaster General yesterday
transmitted to the House of Representatives the
report OF Inspector Major Sharpe, appointed to In
yestigate the charges against L. A. Newcome, OF
New York, post Office Inspector who was charged
win permitting British spy named OBrien,
knowing him to be such, to visit his Office where he
open the correspondence OF American merchants,
ana lay his plans to entrap men, some OF whom
LIVERPOOL and sentsnced to prisonmeS i,eo [os fs n
Inc postmaster General states that the charge is
not warranted by the facts. The proprlety Of MI:
Newcome's action in being in such intimate social
relations as he was with a man about whom he
knew so little was doubtful; but there is no
evidence OF wrong doing.
DEPARTMENT OFFICIALS complain that the time
OF the clerical force is now largely employed in
collecting Information, in reply to resolutions
by M calling for and
nual complaint and the department people do not
claim that it is worse this year than previous
and trouble could be saved II members OF Congress
would write to the head OF the department person
ally, ana all the information could be furnished
that was needed, and much unnecessary labor pre-
vented.
The COMMANDER OF THE GREELY RELIEF Ex-
PEp1rloN.-Commander Winfield S. Schley, who
| Will command the Greely relief expedition,
was born in Frederick, Md, In 1S39 He grad
| uated at the naval academy at Annapolis In 1859,
and went TO Japan with Comm ndcr McKean. He
was promoted to master In 1851 and was attached
to the lrlsite Potomac, storeshp at Ship island,
Id 1862; To the steam gunboat Wlnona, OF the west
DlOckadlng squadron and engaged with field
battery near Port Hudson, La, december IA, 1882.
He was also in all the engagements which led TO
the capture or Port Hudson. from March 16 TO July
9, 1863. and in two small skrmi>hes in cut
ting out schOOnerS. He was commissioned as lieu
tenant on July 6. 1862. and from 1864 to 1866 was
stationed on the Wateree. OF the Pacific squadron.
On july 25, 1866, he was commissioned lieutenant
commander. lie was placed at the naval academy
from 1861 to 1862 then was transferred to the Fen
icia Uhlrd rate. OF the ASiatic fleet: then back
again to the naval academy during 1873 1876. He
was commissioned commander June 10. 1874, from
which time he had charge OF the Essen third rate),
OF the South American station, until 1873. He was
recently on lighthouse duty. He married Hiss
Frdnklin, daughter OF Mr.. Geo. r. Franklin, OF An
napolla
THE WEEKLY STAR for this week IS now ready
for mailing: price, three cents per copy. 1t is
pasted and folded, and Will be sent anywhere in
the United States and Canada, postpaid, for one
dollar year.
PERsoNAI--Mr 3. II. Warner has gone to Florida
on brief pleasure trip.-Judge G. c. Goodwin.
editor OF the Salt Lake Tribune. is in the CITY,
Mr.. Louis de Bebian, the agent at New York OF the
French line OF steamships. IS at the Riggs house,
accompanied by his daughter. who is Well known
In New York society.-1he Russian minister, Mr..
c. de Strive. is in New York--The venerable and
much beloved mother of Mr.. samuel 6. kinsley, the
business manager of the National theater, is dying
In Baltimore.
The Confederate Debt. -
A LONDON PUBLICATION AS TO THE RESPONSIBILITY OF
THE UNITED STATES IN THE NATTER.
Copies OF pamphlet, entitled ''The Confederate
Debt and Private Southern Debts" by j. Barr Rob-
ertsOn london, Feb. 1st, 1885,, have been received
by members OF Congress. The writer's conclusions
are given in his Introduction. He says: have NO
pretens1onS whatever TO be a lawyer, and there
fore the following observations must be regarded
as simply and solely those Of flnancter and man
OF business The conclusions arrived at in the fol
lowing pages are: That the confederate states had
only belligerent and not International rights
that the cOnfederacy being an illegal corporation,
according to United States law, could not issue
bonds which would be valid against either the
SOUTH that therefore neither the cotton bonds nor
the dollar bonds have any validity whatever as
federate debt In the absence OF the cOnfederacy;
that there is nothing in the opinions and cases
adduced in support 0ft the bonds which
really conflicts with this view OF their
1ll"gaiity in the United States; that the
equities arising Of the original cOnro-
versy between north and south, not being cogniz-
able by any court, are reserved as subject matter
for consideration by the United states, and
therefore outside the scope OF the present discus
sion. and that there is In the dollar bonds
omitted international claim against the United
States for payment OF private debts owed by south
ern citizens to Europeans at the beginning Of the
war, and which are now represented by dollar
bonds that were sent to them as the only means OF
remittance from the southern states, and that
engaged in the war, ana OF Europeans, for property
taken by force and for which confederate bonds
We're compulSOry rendered. not in Gny way
affected 10y the fourteenth amendment, and there
fore ought to be paid by the United States.
The Arctic Steamer Alert.
OUR GOVERNMENTS ACKNOWLEDGMENT BRITISH
COURTESY.
The President sent a message to Congress yester-
day afternoon announcing that the Arctic steamer
Alert had been given TO the United States by the
British government, unconditionally with her
chOrS, chains and such OF her equipment as can be
utilized for the Greely relief expedition in recogni-
t1on OF the restoration OF the Resoute to the gov
erDment Of the queen The Gift, and the incident
OF which it is a recognition have both been men
toned in THE STAR Recognizing this graceful and
Opporune act OF courtesy the part OF her majes-
" government, the Secretary OF State yesterday
instructed Mr. Lowell as follows by telegraph: