The Delaware ledger. (Newark, Del.) 1879-19??, 1885-11-21
Washington Letter.
WAsmIxarox, Nov. 10Th, 1885

Interior Department centre of interest
during the week. Secretary Lamar's
court has been sitting on the Bell patent
1t is case in which not only the mono
polists of electric talk are interested but
the public as well. The room which is
the scene of these proceedings is that OF
the assistant Acknowledgement of the
Department, and it has been filled at
each hearing by distinguished lawyers,
inventors and officials. Arguments have
been made by representatives of the Bell
Telephone company, the Washington
company and the Pan Electric company.
Secretary Lamar's course of procedure in
this case is almost without precedent in
the history of this Government. It is
perhaps the first time a Cabinet officer
has called upon defendant in possible
Government suit to first produce his evil
dence in order to determine whether
such suit should be brought. 1t is evil
dent Mr.. Lamar thinks this is the right
course for great AMI strong Govern
ment, and that when it has once issued a
patent it should hear every possible bit
of testimony to be produced before pro-
ceeding to begin the suit to set aside a
right once confirmed. He proposes to go
to the verge of extreme fairness, and
whatever his decision may be there Is
little doubt that it will be based upon
the facts in the case.
The Interior Department has been call
ed the Governments waste basket !"
This name, however, is only expressive
of the nature of the department as re-
ceptacle for all miscellaneous business
not coming under the especial jurisdic-
ton of the other Departments. The bust
ness of the Department is everything
but the Governments waste or trash.
More individual citizens of the country
are directly interested in the Interior
than in all the other Departments COM
bined.
The Secretary of the Interior has sup
ervision of the Land Office, Indian
Bureau, Pension Bureau, Patent Office,
Bureau of Education, Railroads, Geologi-
cal Survey, Census, and Bureau of Labor.
He has charge of matters relating to the
civil government of the territories, and
the appointment of territorial officers.
He has control of the Government hos
pital for the insane, that for the Deaf and
Dumb, the Freeman's hospital, the Vel
lowstone National Park, the Hot Springs
reservation in Arkansas, the Maryland
Institution for the blind and the Gov
eminent Printing Office.
If variety seasons life, Secretary La
mars is not lacking in that feature. He
may issue n patent to-day for some new
weapon of war with which his Indian
ward is killed tomorrow. Or the Indian
may scalp a soldier and the Secretary
grants pension to his widow and or
phans The Secretary has to keep one
eye on the great moneyed corporations
to see that they construct their roads in
compliance with the requirements of
their charter. With the other he has to
watch the cowboy and squatter to see
that they do not trespass upon Uncle
Sans broad acres. He has to feed and
clothe the red man and educate his pap
poose. He gives the old veterans 100
acres Of farming land for services render
ed, and then patent all sorts of labor saw
ing machines with which to work it.
There are hundreds of other duties de-
volving upon Mr.. Lamar and the assist
ant high keepers of the Government
waste basket" Then every ten years
this Department must see to suming up
the Nations profits and loss from its
numberless industries, and telling how
many more there are of us than there
were ten years ago.
Secretary Lamar, who was known to
be a scholar and a student, has surprised
some people who doubted his qualifica-
tions as business man. He has re-organ-
lied the Interior Department by arrang-
ing its work in divisions so that he can
take in complete picture of the service
without being perplexed with too much
detail. He reads all the decisions made,
and his health, which his friends thought
would succumb to the strain of his Off
cial work, seems to be improving under
the stimulus.
Much criticism is being directed
against the Land Office for not issuing
land patents rapidly enough. Commits
sioner Sparks says patents are now being
issued at the rate five thousand month,
and as fast as he can obtain evidence
which enables him to separate the hon
est from the dishonest settler