The Portland daily press., 1884-01-04

| tion of bills named
Legislative, Executive and Judicial Appropria-
| ton Bills-Messrs. Holman, Hancock and Cannon.
Sundry Civil Appropr ration Bill-Messrs. Ran
dali. Forney and Ryan.
shend and keifer.
Navy Messrs Hutchins. Randall and Calkins.
Post ofice-Messrs. Townshend, Holman and
Horr.
Indian Appropriations Messra. Ellis, Holman
Consular and Diplomatic -Messrs. Burnes. Town
shend and Washbusn.
| Pensions s--Messrs. Hancock, Follett and Wash
| burn.
Military Academy -Messrs. Ke,fer, Forney and
| Ellis
Fortifcations-M -Messrs. Hoar, Ellis and Hancock.
District of Columbia-Messrs. Follett. Hutchins
and Cannon
| Observation-Disclosures Randall Burnes and Han
| cock.
Garfield Memorial Church.
On Sunday, the Goth inst, the new Christian
| Church. the Garfield memorial edifice, will be
dedicated. The pews are being put IN place
now, and everything will be ready by that date.
| AT the IL O'Clock service the dedicatory adj
| dress will be delivered bv President w x.
| Pendleton of Bet aoy C)llege, West Virginia,
| and a historical sketch of the church will be
| read by ex-Gov. Bishop of Ohio. Mr.. W. s.
| Roose, chairman of the building committee,
| will present the edifice to the congregation,
and the pastor, Rev. f. D. Power, will receive
| it, The evening service will be conducted by
| President @. A. Loos of the Kentucky Univer-
| sity at Lexington.
| Alleged violation OF Civil Serv ice Rules.
| There is an interesting controversy as to
| whether or not the civil service law has been
| violated by the collector Of the port of Boston.
| The Civil Service Commissioners and the
| Treasury Department are not agreed as 10 the
| circumstances, and the question to be first set
| tied is whether the Commissioners will assert
| their authority. There are two different state
ments as to the facts. The point at issue is
| whether Mr.. Whitehouse, weigher in the
ctrrrns nsaot1 ko1cn P0.I .IiVnn on fho Rrh of
| last June to enter upon his duties as member
of the New Hampshire Legislature, and was
re-sppointed in October, after the civil service
law was in force, without having passed the
civil service examination, or whether from
June until October he was still on the custom
house rolls, although absent, and merely re-
turned to duty in October. There is no qLes-
tion TO the fact that between Jcne and Oc-
tober he served az member of the New
Hampshire Legislature. An officer of the
Civil Service Bureau recently in Boston, had
his attention called to these facts, and made
an examination. The Civil Service Commis-
sioners, through their own officers, are advised
that Whitehouse resigned his position on June
8lh, and took bis seat in the New Hampshire
Legisla ure, and that in October he was re-
app 5iuted to the position of weigher in viola
tion of the civil service rules. This reported
state of facts was certified to the Treasury De-
partment
Civil Service Reform.
R. G.. Dyrenfurlh, Assistant Commissioner
of Patents and Chairman of the Special Board
of Civil Service Examiners, has prepared his
scheme for the technical examinations for ap
~p2intsaent in the patent office. He has classis
fed the appointments nnaer the nve folloyying 4
heads; Assistant examiners, assistants IN thef
scientific library, proof readers mechanical i
draughtsmen and copyists of drawings. The
examinations are to be very thorough in math-
ematics, physics, chemistry and principles OF
mechanical and chemical technology; and in
the arts. industries, manufactures, mechanism,
machinery, engineering and architectural con-
structon. The candidates are to be tested in
their ability to read mechanical drawings. The
examinations will generally be competitive.
Mr.. Dyrenfurth has been placed in entire
charge OF this branch of civil service examina-
tions. The members of the Civil Service
Commission themselves, of course are not
competent to conduct thess technical scientific
examinations.
A seif-smstaining Department.
The Patent Office officials greatly desire that
Congress shall give them permission TO use a
portion of the two and half millions Of mon
ey to their crSdt in the treasury to render the
service more efficient. The patent Office is
one OF the few branches of the government
which is self-sustaining, yet the law requires
that all the money earned shall be covered in
TO the treasury, and not dollar be expended
in the patent office, except through an appro-
priation. The Professional Economists limit
the appropriations, as they did last year, so
that the Office not able to retain the services
OF eutlCleu6 DunD0r OF Scl6nGlnC men TO
properly perform the duties of the office.
Blaine and Logan at she Reception.
Mr.. Blaine came early and stad with the
President throughout the entire New Years
reception, and the President spent the even
ing at Mr. Blaine's house. Mr. Blaine, while
he did not receive with the President, st ocd
Just behind him, surrounded by richly dressed
ladies, and the object of as much attention as
the President himself. He seemed partcu-
larly happy, and when, at the end of the re-
ceptioD, he went ont into the east parlor and
was at once surrounded by an admiring
throng, he had tribute TO his popularity, or
prominence. that was the subject of no little
comment.
But it was Senator Logan who seemed spec
tally joyous. Fauitlessy clad, with diamond
sparkling in his linen, and trooping at the
head of dozen more fair women, he seemed
suddenly to comprehend that there were other
joys than those OF politics. He stood for a long
time gazing at the new portrait OF President
Arthur, aud at length, realizing that hun
dred or more pairs of eyes were resting on
him and none on the portait. he sailed away
toward the conservatory, Inspiring his gay
company with the highest glee.
Many were the glances exchanged when tho
President, Logan and Blaine met. The jest
that passed between them, probably some
trife, was lost but it seemed to add to the
good humor of each
The Greenback Test Case.
The Supreme Court met yesterday fter it,
holiday recess but rendered no decisions A
number OF cases were submitted printed
briefs without argument, among them the
greenback test case agreed upon by General
Butler and S. B. Chittsnden, in which the
question involved is the constituto nal right of
The govern .nent to continue greenbacks in cil-
culation after the close of the war.
Congress.
When Congress meets next Monday the first
day will DO devoted to calling the ates for the
int rNA1 ,Of1 Ilc IA -
tee'w i'll report the bill for the relief of Fiz
John Porter, and it is now expected that this
will be one OF tde first measures to pass. It is
expected that it will also pass the Senate. La
the Senate Mr.. Sherman proposes to make aa
effort TO secure the passage of d bill embodyiug
Comptroller Knox's suggestion tnat the banks
be allowed W per cent. of the market value of
their bonds. He thinks that majority of the
finance committee and of the Senate will agree
to this proposition. but it is doubtful if the
House will concur.
HHr. Saba Defines His Position.
Senator Saba, chairman of the National
Republican Committee, authorizes the Minne-
aDolis Journal to define his position as regards
the national finances as follows: He beiieves
that payment on the national debt should cease
at once; favors the issue of per cent. 5O-year
bonds, Tito which all other bonds shall be con-
verted as they mature or called in. These
bonds could be used as the basis for bank is-
sues. Accompanying this measure there should
10 d repeal Oh tn0 per CENT tax on bank Cir
cuiation. This would make the interest on the
new bonds equivalent to the banks to per
cent, and he thought majority of the banks
would readily take them, especially if allowed,
as they should be, to issue circulation upon
their full face or par value.
Shipping Interests.
The select committee on American ship
building and ship owning interests met yester-
day, but as there was not quorum present, no
definite action was taken. 1t is the opinion of
some of the members that the bill authorizing
free ships will not pass the committee. Mr.
Dingleys bill to remove certain burdens on the
American merchant marine meets the approy-
al OF the committee, and, with few minor
changes, will be reported to the House at an
early day. 1t provides, among other things,
for reduction of hospital duties and some
members of the committee are in favor of re-
lieving from such duties entirely all ships en-
| gagged in the foreign trade.
Misceila aeous
The U. S. s. Tallspoosa left Washington
yesterday, for cruise to Norfolk, New York
| and Portsmouth, N. H.
THE STORM.
| Terribly Geld Weather E2eported-44 De-
grecs Below Zero i'm Manitoba.