The National tribune., 1885-11-26

completed his four year course can form close
estimate of his chances of getting an appoint
ment in the navy.
THE SECRET SERVICE.
The Chief of tho Secret Service Division, in
his annual report to the Solicitor of the Treas
ury, shows that during the last fiscal year 444
arrests were made by the operatives OF the
| service, assisted by local officers, large ma
jority of which were for passing, dealing IN, or
| manufacturing counterfeit money. The other
arrests were principally for violations OF the
postal and internal revenue laws. Three prls-
oners escaped. Most of those arrested were
convicted and imprisoned. The amount OF fines
assessed was $i3,300 The amount of money
| captured during the year was $780, $50, mainly
in fash notes. A large amount of plates, dies,
molds and counterfeiting material was selzed
and destroyed. The Chief of the Division ex-
| presses the opinion that there are now In the
hands of counterfeiters about 100000 in base
money of the following character: $50 silver
certificates $40 United States notes, SO note OF
the Third National Bank of Cincinnati, and So
United States note. The report says the coun-
| terfeiting of coin is on the increase, which, IN
the case of the five-cent nickel, is due to the
disparity between its face and intrinsic value.
1t also speaks of the good results of the law for
| the punishment of persons who counterfeit
| foreign money and securities. The report also
says that while counterfeiters of paper money
have been unusually active during the past
year, they have been generally unsuccessful in
their efforts to float the results of their work.
| A recommendation is made for legislation pro-
hibiting the making of dies or molds for max
| ing fac SMILES for business purposes of United
States coins, and another for legislation to eX-
tend the powers of the service as to include
authority to act in all cases of frauds against
the Government.
| CHIvALRY IN THE CABINET.
Although Postmaster General Villas is a Demo
crat and not as violently addicted to Civil
| Service Reform as some other members of the
| Administration, he has ehivalrous feeling for
! the gentle sex that is not always found among
| political partisans. When he took his position
at the head of the Post Office Department he
made rule that no women who were serving
| as Postmasters should be removed without
good and sufficient reasons The mere fact that
| a sturdy Democrat wanted the place was not to
be considered as one of these reasons. The en-
| forcement of this rule has caused no small de-
| gree of annoyance to members of Congress and
active politicians, whose gallantry was not
equal to their partisanship. They got up
scheme to evade the rule by using only the
| initials of the name Jane, or Susan, or Mary,
and carefully omitting the Miss" or '' Mrs" !"
| when applications were made for the removal
| Of those whose sex placed them under the shsl-
| tering wings of Mr.. Vilass order. In such
cases the masculine gender was presumed, and
action taken accordingly. This trick was sue
eessfully played the other day by Maryland
Congressman, but it was discovered soon after
and the action was reversed, the woman being
| reinstated. Mr.. Stevenson, the First Assistant,
| who has charge OF the appointments, was
much chagrined when he found how he had
been imposed upon, and ordered that in all
cases where women had been thus removed, and
| commissions not actually sent to their success
/ l,a lafta ha
women reinstated. The utmost care was en-
Joined to prevent such mistakes in future.
PENSION LEGISLATION.
1t is most probable that the proposition to put
| on the pension roll all soldiers who served in
the Union army during the late war will be
E'pushed in the coming Congress. The question
| OF how much the pension shall be will probably
excite more discussion than that Of the pro-
priety of passing the bill 1t seems that ma
| iority want the pension to be So month. This,
of course, means that pension of $6 month
Shall be given to all, and there shall be no dis
| tinction because of rank, a Brigadier- General
| receiving the same pension as a private, the
Major the same as a Captain. This proposition
does not look toward an interference with in
| valid pensions, and those on the pension rolls
| now will continue to receive the same benefits
| that they have in the past, and there will
| be the same possibilities of securing increase,
ETC., that there have been. Quite number of
Congressman have indicated that they will in
troduce a bill early in the session. so that it
| will get up in both branches of Congress in
| time to be passed upon. 1t it ever comes to
vote, there be little question of its passage.
1t is not political question, and neither party
would want to stand the responsibility of its
| defeat.
| THE GOVERNMENT AND THE RAILROADS.
Gen. Jos. E. Johnston, Commissioner of Rail
roads, has submitted his report to Secretary
Lamar. Commissioner Johnston favors a scheme
| to refund the Indebtedness due by the subsi-
died roads to the Government. At the last
report, up to June 80, 1884, the total indebted
ness Of these roads, principal and interest, was
Sl27, ,723, ,016.1S subject to credit for transpor
tation of $24. S34 ,222. leaving balance due the
| United States on maturity in 1898 of $102,-
| S34 T94. The plan of both the Hoar bill and the
judiciary Committee bill is to refund this debt
at per cent. and extend the period 46 years, or
| 23 years beyond the present maturity, less
amounts due for accruing transportation on all
the roads owned or leased by the companies,
| payable in equal semi-annual instaliments.
| Commissioner Johnston believes that the most
| feasible way to recover this debt is by immedi-
| ate process, otherwise the Government must
satisfy the first mortgage liens and take posses
sion of and operate these roads. AS Secretary
Lamar voted in the Senate Judiciary Commit
tee in favor of the reported bill, it is thought
he will stand by his former action, though il
| Will meet the continued opposition OF senator
| LdmundS
THE GRANT PROPERTY SOLD.
Last week, in the Office of the Recorder of
| Deeds in Washington, recorded an assign
ment by w. II. Vanderbilt of New York, to
| Edward V. w. Rossiier, of Flushing, n Y, Of
the interest of the first named in two mort
cages made by Ulysses S. Grant and wife of
certain Washington property, received May 20,
1884 TO secure the payment of Sl50000, the
consideration being $l23, 5000; also, an as
signment by Rossitcr to w. ]. Van Arsdale of
New York, of the mortgage dated May IL, 1884,
from Gen. Grant and wife to Mr.. Vanderbilt,
the consideration being $4,000. These mort
cages were given TO Mr.. Vanderbilt to aid in
securing him for the $l50000 Gen. Grant bor-
rowed of him to help prop the totterng firm Of
Grant & Ward, the failure of which immedi-
ately after brought such utter ruin to Grant.
oREGoN's NEW SENATOR
The Oregon Senatorial vacancy. caused by
the deadlock in the Legislature last Winter,
has been filled by the election of J. H. Mitchell,
Republican. He was successful by receiving
the votes of II Democrats. He takes the seat
of Mr. Slater, Democrat whose term expired
March a, last Mr. Mitchell has heretofore been
in the Senate, representing Oregon from 1873
to 1879. be was born in Pennsylvania. his
name being Nipple. On aecoust of some
irregularities in his early life he went to the
far Vest and changed his name to Mitchell,
I ii heaa, ze6 a tiaXy bry