The Press., 1885-11-26
WASHINGTON LETTER.

NasnlngtOn ID. C., NOV Zu iooo.
 The time for the meeting of the new congress draws very near. Many of its members are already here, and are settling themselves and their families in their win ter quarters.
 What course the senate will take in re- gard to President Cleyelands appoint ments is a question of interesting discus sion among them. Senators themselves answer it in. various ways. One says, My attitude towards the administration Is to agree with it when can, and oppose it when must" Another says, "I do not think will oppose the confirmation of a good man because of his politics" Some say there will be general opposition to the appointments on the ground that they are in violation of the tenure of office law. Others think the republican majority should prevent the removal of all republi- can officials, and others still deprecate the idea of struggle between the president and senate upon political grounds, and de- clare their intention to vote upon his nom- nations according to the merits and de- merits of each case.
 caucus of republican senators will be held in about week to- decide several questions. Until then it cannot be known whether the senate will act with the con- servatism that marked its relations with the president during it's extra session last spring, or whether the republican majority will declare war upon the democratic presi- dent. z..s >S
 There is much dissatisfaction with the house rules, and majority of the mem- bers favor a change. They ask for sys- tenn of rules by which business can be fa- ciliated and not obstructed in the way that the present rules permit. Several plans for revising the rules will be presented.
 The one for shearing the appropriations committee of some of its strength by dis tributing appropriation bills among cer- tain other committees will be popular from the fact that 1t will personally benefit many of the members Members of the other committees have always been jealous of the power accorded to those who were so fortunate as to be placed on the appro- priations committee. Any plan that will give them a chance to share this power cannot but meet with favor.
 This being the season for annual reports from the various branches of the govern ment serv1ce, that of General Sheridan may be mentioned as one of especial inter- est. It shows that the past year was any thing but year. of piece and quiet for the army, and reviews its varied services. These include operations against the Chir- icahuas the threatened outbreak of the starving Utes the Cheyenne and Arapahoe disturbance; the troubles near Fort Stan ton the repression of the Oklahoma raids |; the scouting on the Canadian border, and as many more difficulties with stockmen, Indian grass leases, and the Chinese. The lieutenant-general advocates giving land to the Indians in severalty, and disapproves of the army managing for any length of time the red mems interests.
 Nor have the treasury detectives been idle, as the report of the chief of the se- cret service shows They have made 444 arrests during the past year of persons counterfeiting and passing counterfeit money. The total amount of fines assess ed was $13, 300. They captured large amount of plates, moulds, dies, presses, and materials used in counterfeiting.
 In department matters the most import ant event of the week was the close of the famous telephone case involving the Bell patent, upon which Secretary Lamar's court has been sitting. No decision has yet been rendered.
 Treasury clerks have been much excited by the strict espionage that has been placed over them in the last few days. They are reported if they arrive late at the depart ment, and detectives stand about the cor riders to see how much time they waste. The popular opinion of all except the clerks themselves is that the duties which are call ed for by the government are not arduous, and that the clerks should perform them faithfully. The first days surveillance re- vealed 235 tardy clerks, the second 9, the third 9. The estimated loss 10 the gov ernment by the first days delinquents was from three to four days.