The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1886-02-04

a!r;c, and consent nf The Senate The
speech,s when compiled will CO, situ'r
an exl aus;;'r exposition of that great
constitutional question, and it is thought
that there will be many demands fer
copies by libraries and individuals from
all parts of the country.
The House and Senate has passed q
resolution providing for the removal from
the foot of the Capitol grounds of the
statuary group, recognized only in name
by all visitors to the Capitol as the
Peace Monument" In. its stead will be
placed a statue of Columbus, and in
view of the latter, towards the other end
of the grounds and opposite the entrance
to the Botanical Gardens, will be placed
statue of Lafayette.
The troubles of the Signal Service
Bureau are multiplying. Second Comp
troller Maynard has just made report
upon the accounts and expenditures of
the Service, in which he charges that
hundreds of thousands of dollars have
been illegally expended, and no sufficient
vouchers presente' therefor. Represen
tative Robertson, Of Kentucky, has offert
ed in the House resolution directing
an inquiry into these representations, and
report of such measures as will pIevtn
future violations of the law.
The Committee on Claims in The H"use
contemplate framing a Bill to refer to
the Court of Claims for proof aud >etlle
ment large class of claims which can
now only be settled by Congress. No
we'll devised plan has yet leen settled on,
but different propositions are being
informally considered, and after all of
them have been carefully considered a
plan will be formulated and submitted
to the House for adoption. For this
reason comparatively few claims referred
to the Committee this session have been
considered. If all claims of & private
character against the Government can
thus be referred to the Court of Claims
for adjudication the calendar of the
House will be greatly reduced, and then
measures of public nature can receive
more attention at the hands of Congress
and great public good will result.
The Board on Forti6cations have re-
commended to the President that Con.
gress be asked to appropriate Sl,323,500
for improving the immediate defenses to
the National Capital. They further
recommend, with the same object in view,
that floating batteries be provided for
Hampton Roads, also eighteen torpedo
boats, turret Notifications, and other
batteries. Hampton Roads, it will be
remembered, is where the famous contest
between the Merrimac and Monitor took
place, at The beginning of the late war,
just opposite Fortress Monroe, near Nor
folk, Va. The safety of the Capitol
against approach by water depends upon
efficient defenses at Hampton Ro4ds, and
hence the Board has made its recommen.
dations. The estimated cost Of providing
these defenses is SS,Sl5,50O.
The Presidents first evening public
reception was held Friday night. Nearly
every stranger in the city was present,
besides society people in general. A
large number Of the wives of Senators
and members graced the spacious parlors,
The floral decorations were most elabo.
rate, and the elegant and costly toilets of
the many beautiful women present made
a scene Of plendor never excelled.
Besides this public reception the Presi
dent has arranged for three other recep.
tions during the season. The others are
what are known as "card receptions" to
which only those having cards will be
admitted. The first will be TO the Di-
plolnatic Corps; the next to the Army
and Navy, and the last to the Senate and
House of Representatives. Refreshments
are furnished at all these receptions, and
no money. il spared in ministering to the
aesthetic and epicurian tastes of the
guests. b.