The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1885-11-20
The EgiS & Intelligencer
Bel Air, Md, November go, 1885.
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
Regular Correspondent.


WASHINGTON, Nov. 10, 1885.
The week has been one of close confinement to
the President, who is at work on his first message
to Congress. He has had frequent consultations
with different members of his Cabinet, but has
seen few other people than those having the most
urgent business with him.
The present week will be one of equal secusion,
as he expects by the close Of 1t to complete this
document, and have 1t ready for the printer
The message is pretty well under way, and parts
of it are now being copied on the typewriter. 1t
is said he has touched upon many points with his
characteristic vigor. good deal of space has
been devoted to commercial relations and the
steamship controversy, and is believed the Presi-
dent will sustain the Postmaster General. The
navy will also be given due consideration, and
Congress will be urged to appropriate largely for
new vessels.
turned to Washington was asked what would be
the tendency of legislation this session. He re-
piled I'VE cannot tell until we see what the Pres
ident will ask US to do in his message Still he
thought there were several matters that were
certain to come before Congress for action
qulre good deal OF legislation" There is SEN
timent among Democrats that this administra-
tion must re-create the Naval Service, and that
Il must be restored to the position 1t occupied in
the worlds fleet before the war.
Ii is easy to note upon the faces of Republican
expression of discouragement. They feel that
the party in power will stay. The Republican
party has had taken away from It the power OF
ments from office holders. The Democratic
party came very. near beating 1t with all of this
artificial strength, and the recent elections have
proved that the Democratic party can stand
alone. and needs no federal patronage to back 1t.
You hear no more now about war in the Senate,
and nothing about Democratic revolt even from
Republican congressman
The Presidents order excluding office seekers
when p they have public business With him, viii
probably be revoked at the end of the month";
1t was made to give Mr.. Cleveland time to pre-
pare his message, and he has said that he feels
no inclination to restrict public men in their
visits TO him or to require them to specify their
business in advance. A few days ago some
prominent congressman were protesting against
the order in the office of Private Secretary La
mont, Presently they were admitted to see the
President, and finding him alone once was such
an unexpected convenience, that they went
away thinking well of the late order.
The event at the White House on Saturday
was the arrival of its long absent hostess, Miss
Cleveland. She has been at her home in Oneida
county, New York, and returns to resume her
social duties here.
The White House was thoroughly overhauled
and cleaned during her absence, and now 1t Is In
order again for the coming season. Carpets, pic
lures and bric-a-brac were all taken out and
subje cted to the processes familiar to good
hou sekeepers, and replaced. The windows are
draped in lace and damask as of old and the only
change in the whole arrangement from that of
last year is the substitution of full length por-
trait OF ex-President Arthur for that OF Gen
latter has been placed in a conspicuous position
in the corridor.
During the week several Republican officials
here were relegated to private life. Nearly all
the higher officials in the Treasury Department
now are new men and Democrats, and the good
work OF the new broom goes on steadily if not
rapidly
Secretary Manning seems to grasp his whole
complicated department, and his energetic bust
ness methods are felt through every branch of it.
He spread CONSERVATION among treasury clerks
last Friday by issuing an order that the names of
all clerks who came late to the department
should be reported to the chief clerk. The door
keepers at the treasury were armed with tablets
and took down the names of tardy clerks as they
arrived. The result of the first days catch was
235 den quents.