Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1884-09-26
THE TREASURY PORTFOLIO.
TIE sEckETARYsAIp FILLED.
r'''"a'''e"erai Gresham Receives the
APPOINTMENT and Is at Once Inducted into
tmee-Nos Likely to b. Permanent.
lbf telegraph 10 the DIsna,ch.i

e. ,N' O''inasteT-teneral, received
,e'egrsin rom the President after II
oclosk Ias, night Informing him OF his
| appointment to the seoretorvshin az the
Treasury. He Immediately 9ualified and
sent to the President his resignation as
| Postmaster-Gcneral.
At 10 O'Clock this morning Mr.. Gresham
went TO the Treasury Department with Sec
reiary Chandler. His designation from the
President was given to him by MFR. q. l..
frhden, assistant private secretary TO the
lreslieht, ana MS commission by Third
AssistaDt-St cretary-ot.State A. A. Adee.
The two Assistant Secretaries OF the Trea-
sury, French and Coon, were present and
rendered him their congratulations. The
new Secretary will leave here this afternoon
to consult with the President. Under the law
First Assistant Postmaster-G General Ustton
becomes Acting Postmaster-G eneral for ten
days.
The President to-day designated Assist
ant Secrotary Coon TO act rs Secretary OF
the Treasi ny during the absence or SICK
ness at any time OF Secretary Greshlm.
Mr.. Coon was also authorized by the Sec
rotary TO sign in his stead all warrants for
The payment OF money into the public
Treasury and all warrants for the disburse-
ment from the public Treasury OF money
certified by the proper accounting officers
81 the Treasury. Similar authority 10 sign
warrants duriag the absence or sickness OF
Assistant Secretary Coon was delegated 10
Assistant Secretary French.
All the bureau and division officers OF
the department called on the new Secretary
about noon and were presented by Mr..
Coon.
TIE APPOINTMENT CAUSES SURPRISE IN THE
CABINET.
A great deal Of -eculatiOn and comment
has been occaSioncd by the stste OF affair,
in the Treasury Department. much OF which
has been condensed IN an article in the Star
this evening. from which the following eX-
tract. are made: The fact Of the appoint
mcnt OF Judge Gresham was not generally
known until this morning. and It
caused great surprise among the members
Of the Cabinet. However, it has been the
subject Of talk for several days past. and
Judge Gresham has known that he might
be called upon to take the place in a GER
tain contingency. The contingency was
the inability to obtain a decisive answer
from n gentleman whom the President
has In view for the Treasury port
folio. This gentleman is believed
TO be Hugh McCuloch. Judge Gresham
accepted the position as = matter OF accom-
modation TO the President. and his intimate
friends say Il il only temporary appoint
mcnt. The duration OF the appointment is
commonly fixed till about the Isl OF Octo-
Der, when il il believed that Judge Ores
ham will resign and accept the iudgeship
on tie Illinois circuit.
PECULIAR CIRCUMSTANCES ATTENDING THE
APPOINTMENT.
Late last night, after he had retired.
Gresham was visited by Assistant-Secrctlry
of-State Adee, who told him he had re-
celved a commission from the President for
his appointment a. Secretary OF the Trea-
sufy. This was an entire surprise to the
POsmaster-General, and the only intim1-
ton lie had received OF such a possibility
was telegram from the President
a couple Oi days ago asking him
(GreSham) il he would he in town on
the oath. Secretary Chandler, who resides
near Gresham, was at once summoned aud
Gresham rendered his resignation as Post
ma,tcr-GeneraI, which was accepted by
Secretary Chandler for the President The
letter Of resignation simply consisted OF is
address and the form OF words 81 hereby
resign the Office of PostmaSter-Gencral OF
the United States" Assistant-Secrctary-Of
state Adec informed Gresham that IL was
necessary for him TO qualify rs Secretary Of
The Treasury before midnight. Thereupon
the three officials proceeded To the residence
OF Judge Wylie. corner Of Fourteenth street
and Massachusetts, avenue, and the oath OF
Office was administered by him. This
morning Gresham occupied the desk OF the
Secretary OF the Treasury. He is not
well, and has gone TO New York 10
confer with the President, and it il
MI la will RI
rev duties at once. Mr.. Coon will
act as Secretary during his absence.
The circumstances attending the appoint
mtnto Of the new SECRETARY are very peculiar.
in view OF the fact that Gresham was offered
the Treasury portfolio shortly after the
death Of Secretary FOlgcr, but declined it.
The subsequent designation Of Coon TO
act rs Secretary. and the delay in
making the appointment until within
one hour of the limited time lead
TO the belief that the President was
waiting for u response from some one who
had been rendered the office. IL Is the inn
preston that the response was not received
in time, or that ii was in the shape OF
decliDatiOn; hence the sudden appoint
ment Of Gresham. There seems 10 be no
doubt about the truth OF the report that
GTesham's al pOintment would be but tenn
plrary. The belief that the President in
tended TO give the Treasury portfolio TO
an ex-Sccrctary OF the Treasury is still en-
tertained, and both cX-Secretaries Bout
we'll and McCulloch are mentioned in that
connection.
THE POSTMASTER-GEN ERALSIHP
The resignation OF Mr.. Gresham from
the postmaster-gencralsh leaves that Of
fee vacant. II was supposed that Mr.
Gresham'S commission as Secretary OF the
Treasury would be accompanied by one
appointing Frank Hatton as Postmaster
General, but there was no communication
from the President on that subject. Mr..
UattOn Will act as POStmaster-GeneraI,
however, and ii Is generally thought he
will receive the permanent appointment
before the expiration Of the ten days.
WHAT THE PICTURE Will BRING FORTH.
Following what has been his uniform
practice since the question OF a successor
TO Secretary FOlger came under discussion,
General Gresham declines to say anything
about bis own or the Presidents future
intentions in regard TO the Treasury and
the western iudgeShip. There are .cou-
sCGueutly about as many persons who hold
20 the opinion that he will remain in the
Treasury until the end Of President Ar
thurs term. as who think that he is merely
iOcum teRenS for somebody who is slow
about making up his mind.
Four Men Lynched I'm Mississippi.