, 1885-05-22
Washington Budget.

WASHINGTON, May 2l.-Secretary Of
the Navy Whitney proposes to make
prompt inquiry into all the matters relat-
ing to the Mare Island navy yard.
+. r. 0'Neil, of the St. Louis Post
Dispatch, who is one of the agents of the
state of Missouri commissioned to go to
Auckland, New Zealand, to bring back to
this country Maxwell, the Englishman
who murdered Preller in the Southern
hotel, St. Louis, arrived in this city to-
day to await the signing of the extradition
papers. The papers have not reached
the state department.
A delegation representing the G. A. r.
Of the department of Pennsylvania and
the Veterans Rights Union, called on
the president, Secretary Manning and
Gen. Black. commissioner of pensions,
to-day, in the interest of the enforce
ment of laws relating to the appointment
and retention Of ex-soldiers in the civil
service Of the United States In their
interview with the president, the delega-
ton asked that a law giving preference to
OK union soldiers shall be enforced where
ever removals are made, and that when
ever reductions of forces are made, the
law of 1876, which provides that in the
making of any reduction of the force in
any department, reasons may be given.
TheI president assured the delegation that
he desiredto do all that can be done for the
old soldiers; that as president it was his
duty to see all the laws Of the United
States enforced, and that he recognizes
the claims Of old soldiers upon the gov
eminent, but, he said, it Is impossible for
him to give his attention to individual
cases. The delegation then asked to be
allowed the privilege of laying before him
by letter or otherwise all violations of the
laws in question which shall come
under their notice, and they asked,
further, that when such cases
are brought to his attention he
will give them immediate consideration.
The president cordially assented to these
requests and said he would be glad at any
time to receive any communication from
them and would give all their eommunl-
cations proper attention. The delegation
next called on Col. Lamont, the presi-
dents private secretary, and informed
him of what had been said at the inter
view with the president and obtained
from him an assurance that he would
promptly lay before the president any
communication from them. The del
egation saw Secretary Manning and called
his attention to the laws to which they
had directed the president notice. They
also called his attention to the removal OF
the assistant custodian Of the Philadelphia
post office building, an ex soldier, and the
appointment of a civilian to succeed him.
Secretary Manning, in rerly, said that the
department would respect the laws in
question; that the spirit Of these laws
met his hearty approval but
he said ex- Union soldiers who have
been extensively partisan should not ex-
pect to be retained in office; that they
took their chances in the last prcsiden-
tial election. The delegation replied that
they realized this fact, but they asked
that in filling the vacancies created by
such removals, preference be given to ex-
union soldiers over civilians. Mr.. Man
ming gave a cordial assent to this propo-
sition, but added that there are a great
many honorably discharged union soldiers
and sailors who have never been recog-
nized in the distribution of offices in the
past twenty years, men who are Demo
Gratis, and who although ex soldiers and
ex-sailors, some of them bearing wounds
received in defense of their country, have
never got into office. He said the claims
of these men would be recognized by the
department in filing vacancies, and in
removals for offensive ~partisanship.