Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1885-1890, 1885-09-12
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From our Regular Correspondent.
WAsHlSGToN. August q. 1885.

From our Regular Correspondent
WASHINGTON, August %, 1885.
Washington is just now enjoying
the peace and quiet which yearly pre-
cedes the autumnal hub-bub, the pc.
liticai and social opening. Every
body" as he calls himself, is out Of
town. But 'everybody' here, as else
where, means only that favored small
per cent who have money or who car
borrow or beg it for a trip to Europe.
a month at the seaside, or a two weeks
stay at q mountain farm house where
board is cheap, and the contrast with
city surroundings is sharpest. In
spite OF the unusual heat of the sum
mer the stay-at-home peopleof Wash
ington have managed to live in toler-
able comfort. There is more breath
ing space in this city than IN any
other Of its size in the country. The
wide streets and many parks afford
the amplest space for the free ~circula-
ton Of air, and the malaria SO much
complained of, is suffered only by the
Incorporate.
The return to Washington Of her
holiday population viii begin in a
week and will be complete by the first
of October, Atpresent MI. Lamar Of
the Interior Department is the only
Cabinet officer in the city. Mr.. Gar
land left this week for his home in
Arkansas. The other members Of the
Cabinet have been out Of the city for
several weeks.
The President had not been expect
ed before the last Of September, but
| learn that the present cool weather
may cause him to alterhis plans. AT
ter roughing it in a isherman's camp
the luxury of the Executive Mansion
will doubtless be enjoyed.
The habiliments Of mourning have
been removed from the White House
and all the Government departments,
the thirty conventional days having
expired. The recent rains had wash
ed out the cheap dyes Of the miles Of
black cambria in which the white
marble columns were swathed, and it
will cost several thousands Of dollars
to remove the discoloration. The
White House will be repainted.
The most sensational news Of the
week is in relation to the discovery of
the alleged frauds in the Alabama
Claims Court and also in the Pension
Office. The Alabama Claims Court
was organized in 1874 to hear proof
Of the claims to be paid out of the
Sl5,500,00O awarded by the Geneva
commission. It is charged by Comp
troller Durham that this court has n
its pay rolls a large number of offic-
ers and clerks not authorized hy Con
gross who have been receiving in sal
aries about $4,000 per year. Among
those who have been paid as special
counsel are Walker Blaine, T. D.
Hunt, Hamilton Fish, Jr., George
Frelinghuysen and others.
The force Of the court Of Alabama
claims is demoralized by the decision
Of the first controller cutting off their
salaries. The judges have been tele-
graphed for and are expected to ar
rive here very soon. They will prob
ably prepare a defence and make a
fight for the retension and payment
of their employees. It is claimed at
the court that the authority given the
court to organize included the author
ity to employ all necessary clerical as
~sistance, and they claim that the force
they have is barely sufficient to per-
form the work required of them, and
at one time extra assistance had to be
employed and they worked night and
day. They say, too, that Judge Law
renee, the former first controller, was
not ignorant of the manner of the es-
Enlistment and management Of the
court, and approved Of it in approx
ing the accounts. During the six
months limit before it would become
too late to file claims the extra force
was necessary besides those objected
to in Judge Dunham's decision, and
the court applied to Judge Lawrence
Or an opinion as to the authority Of
he court to employ more clerks, and
he replied that the court had the au-
thority itself. There were $3.50 claims
originally, and 1,400 of these are still
to be adjudicated. The papers in
the e cases fill two rooms.
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