Morning journal and courier., 1885-06-26
THE PR ADVISERS.
A Look At The Cabinet As 1t Appear
 WHpen m SeSSton


 From the Washington Correspondence to the New York Sum-
 President Cleveland has changed one of the cabinet days from Friday to Thursday, and now meets his constitutional advisers on
 Tuesday and Thursday of each week. This
 is the only change that has been made. The forms that have been observed for half 8 cen-
 tury and more on cabinet days are still un- disturbed. The hour of meeting is 12 o'clock noon, and the room is the same that has
 been used for the meetings since Lincoln's time It is the room immediately at the
 head of the stairs leading to the library, and OH the left is the private secretary's of fee, to reach which you have to climb two or three steps.
 The cabinet room is open to visitors at all
 times when the cabinet is not in session. It is a-plain room with no striking features about it. Its two large windows, extending from ceiling to floor, command lovely view of the sweeping lawns, the monument, and the shining Potomac beyond. The interior is simplicity itself. The walls are painted in drab tint, the ceiling is frescoed with
 flowers and cherubs and the mantel of cin- namon- -colored marble surrounds capacious fireplace, where hickory logs are usually blaz ing cheerily. A lowered brussels carpet with black and red background covers the floor, and grey silk rep curtains hang at the windows. Between the windows hangs oil portrait of John Hampden, label on which informs us that it is reputed to be Vandyck On the opposite wall is a DOT trait of Washington, by Cadena, the South American artist, which was presented to the government in Hayes time A large birds eye view photograph of the city is over the door leading to the Presidents room. Maps
 ] J<f and Washington hang on the remaining walls. In one corner stands large school globe, and. in another is revolving bookcase of modern invention which is filled with revised statutes, dictionaries, and various documents. Near the door to the Presidents room stands a small walnut secretary, and near the win dows a small walnut table to match. The lounge near the door leading to the hall and the dozen chairs distributed about the room are of walnut upholstered with lowered raw silk to match the carpet.
 The table around which the cabinet is seated is an octagonal affair of black and French walnut in the fashion of 20 years ago. It has a profusely carved central leg and legs at the corners. It is covered with billiard cloth The eight arm chairs that surround it are all alike, of walnut, with red upholster ing. The President sits at the head of the table with Secretaries Bayard and Endi- colt and Postmaster-G General Villas on his right; Secretaries Manning and Whitney and Attorney-G General Garland on his left, and Secretary Lamar at the foot.
 Very little formality attends the meetings. Under Mr. Cleveland's administration, at least, the members very promptly on time Mir Garland is usually the first to ar rive. He is always a few minutes ahead of time, and if the President is not 1 engaged he frequently goes in to see | him. Sometimes MT. Bay ard is first l and sometimes Lamar. The members l generally come singly, rarely in pairs. 1 Each always carries under his arm 8 portfo- | 1io such as lawyers for papers, only the 1 cabinet portfolios are more antiquated than | those affected by lawyers-as old, probably, l as Senator Evarts' hat. The cabinet portfo l lie is a thing of calfskins about 24x20 inch | es. It has single pocket covered by flap. | It has no lock, but is fastened by two straps and buckles. Some of these portfolios are probably one hundred years old, and the half century. The newest is exactly like the oldest in pattern, and each is letteIed with a stencil to indicate to what department | it belongs.
 Each member of the cabinet shakes hands with all the others when he arrives. The President usually in after nearly all his counse1lors have arrived. He shakes | hands with them all around and chats with them for moment and then takes his seat at the head of the table, his advisers taking their places in the order indicated above The session begins at 12 o'clock exactly whether the members have all arrived or not The President does not rap the meeting to order and it is wholly informal throughout No vote is taken on any question. If the President wants the individual opinion of his