Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-01-17
THE NATIONAL CAPITAL.
EAcrs, VIEWS, AND GOSSIP.

pr,susns- Msxsess.ws vsssrans-Psssai
Matters.
From cur Regular corcspondentj
WASHINGTON, ID. G., January l6.
The sentiment Of the House is favora-
Bile to the proposition TO restore Gen
ersl Grant 10 the army and retire him
with the rank Of General. This would
give him life-income Of about sI7, 900
a year. and, with the revenue derived
from the $3.50, 900 invested for his bent-
1T, ought TO keep him from starvation.
III the first bill which the Senate
PASSED for the retirement Of Grant, and
which mentions him by name, can I've
brought before the House for square
vote il will probably pass; but the Ed
munds bill, which authorizes the Presi-
dent to appoint and retire n person
who has been General Of the Army"
meaning but not naming Grant, would
not have so good a chance. II is held
by the friends Of General Fitz-John
Porter that TO pass the Edmunds
bill would be to acknowledge the
soundness Of the reasons assigned
by the President for vetoing the bill for
she relief of General Porter, ard they
will oppose it on that ground. They do
rot doubt that the President would ap-
prove the original bill for be relief of
Grant. notwithstanding the fact thai il
is open TO the same objection s sseiis,h Mr..
Arthur aaoate !, at the suggestion Of
ttivrney u eps "a: Brewster alI under
the pressure Of party exigsncy, IS Al
excuse kg yetoing the Por,er ~.
THE NAVY.
The Democrats in Compress arc -
vided upon the question whether tie
rebuilding e The navy ought to ~ oe
gun by appropriations to be .a-.oe This
session or the work be postponoG .'t0
Cleveland is warm in his place and tl9
policy developed. This subject was
under discussion in caucus last night
Mr.. Randall representing those who
favor postponcmeL, until next win
ter. and Mr.. Ellis, Of Louisi-
ana, being the chief exponent Of
the opposite opinion. While no
formal decision was reached, il was cyi-
dent that a majority were inclined to
follow the advice of Mr.. Randall. The
opposition secured an adjournment Of
the caucus TO prevent an endorsement
r I'll nh,
about to be done, although Mr.. Randall
did not ask or desire any formal ex-
preston by the caucus.
COMPLETING THE MONITORS.
The naval appropriation bill for the
next fiscal year will make provision for
the completion of the monitors and the
three new cruisers, but no appropria-
ton for beginning the construction Of
additional vessels will be made before
next winter.
P0sT-0FFICE MATTERS.
The pOst-oflice appropriation bill will
contain a new method of determining |
the compensation of railroad companies
for carrying the mails. The proposed |
new method viii be based upon the
amount of space occupied by mail mat
ter and the speed of the trains. The
weight of the matter will be taken into
consideration only us an incidental ele-
mcnt in the computation. The COM
mittee have adopted in the main the
of the three commits
sioners appointed about two years ago
by the Postmaster-General, but have
rejected some suggestions which are
very favorable to the railroad compa-
MES. The committee estimate that not
less than million dollars would &c
saved OH railroad mail transportation
during the fiscal year ending June b,
1886, by the adoption of the new lie
thod.
. MENICAN-WAR VETERANS.
The Mexican pension bill received
setback in the House to-day, ma
jority refusing to agree to take up the
question in preference to bills on the
private calendar. The prospects of the
passage of this bill are not encouraging
to its supporters. Besides the parlia-
mcntary difficulties Of its situation, it
is encountered by very Objectionable
put on by the Senate.
which northern Democrats do not feel
hat they can safely vote against and
southern Democrats are unwilling to
iote for. 1T also has the disadvantage
If incompetent management in the
House, and the veterans Of the Mexican
var will probably have to wait at least
another year for justice.
Secretary McCulloch takes great in
crest in the projects of the manufactu-
ers and owners of whiskey, and, be-
ides the iavors heretofore granted them
n respect to bonded whiskey, extended
hem a helping hand to-day by sending
o the House the draft of bill pro-
idirg that the internal-rcvenue tax shall
ot be due on distilled spirits until it is
iithdrawn from bonded warehouses for
assumption. The Secretary accompa-
les the draft Of the proposed legislation /,
nth long communication in its sup
Ort.