The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1886-01-23
washington News and Gossip.

washington News and Gossip.
From our Special Correspondent.
WASHINGTON, ID. c., Jan. Is, 'S6.
Mn. EDIToR:-The week past has
been the coolest experienced in Wash
ington for many years. The river is
covered with a solid sheet of ice, and
navigation has been entirely suspended.
y foot of snow upon the smooth pave
ments has afforded excellent sleighing.
while the ponds of the Fish Commission
have been Transformed into mammoth
skating Kinks. Owners of sleighs have
been in great demand, delapidated old
boxes upon runners, which in the North
would hardly be deemed worthy of the
title of sleigh have rented readily at
| the modest rate of five dollars per hour
The attention of Congress has been
about evenly divided between the sever
al important questions before it for con-
sideration. The Senate has held sever
al animated discussions upon the sub
| ject of the admission of Dakota. 1t is
not improbable that in the Senate bill
of admission will be passed, but while
the Republicans in the House favor the
admission, they know that the measure
would meet with opposition from the
Democrats, and so do not take much
interest in it, Although Dakota has
been knocking at the doors of Congress
for three winters it is probable that the
Committee on Territories will not even
report the measure to the House.
The silver question has been dis
cussed in all its phases, and it now APP
pears that the silver advocates have so
strong backing that Notwithstanding
the recommendation of the President,
that the issue of silver be restricted, that
it will be impossible TO check the coin
age at present. Col Snowd2n, who for
many years was Superintendent of the
Philadelphia Mint, says in reply to Con-
| gresham Horr's declaration that there
are fifty million counterfeit silver dollars
in crculation;' that sit would be inn
possible to circulate imitation dollars in
any considerable amount without de-
lection. The dollars could not be mint
ed without costly and elaborate machin-
cry. With all its appliances the Gov
ernment has been able to float only So
000,000 silver dollars in seven years
Evidently countcrfeiters could not dup
licate this issue secretly" Col. Snow
den concludes that there are fewer coun-
terfeit dollars in circulation than at any
previous time in the history of the Gov
ernment.
The Hoar Presidential succession bill
which passed the Senate before the holi-
day recess. occupied the attention of the
House during the greater portion of the
week, and when put to vote on Friday
it was passed by vote of 1888 to II, and
it row awaits the signature of the Presi-
dent.
Notwithstanding the fact that the
Washington monument has frequently
been the subject of Lnfavorable criti-
cism, it appears that the advocates of
the plan are perpetuating the memory
of the nations dead by the erection of a
monument of a magnitude commensur-
ate with the degree of reverence enter
tanned by the people for the deceased,
still have their representatives in Con-
gress. A bill was introduced in the
Senate on Monday last providing 70. the
construction of two monuments in
Washington, one Of which is to be erect
ed in memory of Lincoln, and the other
OF Grant The monuments are to cost
81 1,000,O 900 each, and are to be completed
within ten years after the passage of the
bill.
The great telephone contest which has
been occupying so much of the time of
the Secretary of the Interior, has at last
been decided in the manner that was
expected. The Secretary holds that the
Bell patents are contestable, and should
be brought into the courts. lie says:
I'm my opinion, the proceeding should
be in the name of the Government, and
wholly at the expense and under the
conduct and control of the Govern
ment," and he concludes by saying
"Such a proceeding. so conducted. will
comport with the dignity of the Govern
ment and the gravity of the subject and
will ensure final and just adjudication
of the merits Of the controversy"
The magnificent residence of Hon,
John w. Foster, eX-Ministcr to Spain.
at No. li0j street, was partially des-
troyed by fire on Tuesday evening last
The magnificent furniture of the house
was almost entirely ruined. The house
was erected by Clark Mils,the sculptor.
and was at one time considered one of
the handsomest houses in the city.
TheCOmmissioner of Patents of Japan.
has been spending few days in the
city. He is engaged in studying our
patent system, with the view OF i'm
proving the system now followed by the
Japanese Government. II.
|
nm u0TTmTTHDH DTTDnnm