, 1886-05-27

laid aside for other important meas
uros. Gov. Swiueford's VISIT and
efforts here have awakened interest
IL this bill. On the 18th inst. he was
granted Il hearing before a sub-com-
mittce of the committee on territor-
les, and his representations were so
clearly set forth and apparently
plausible that when the hearing was
completed. Representative Hill, of
Ohio. chairman Of the committee,
asked the governor TO explain to him
personally many of the points that
the governor had treated. This was
done, and the result is, after the gov
erEOr left the committee room, Mr..
Hill amended 4 bill that had former
Iy been introduced in congress,
amended it SO as to embody his own
views. in part, and Governor Swine
fords IN part, and introduced it in
the house of representative the same
day. The full committee en- terri
tories have not yet considered the
bill, but as the main features Of it are
understood to'be acceptable to the
majority of the committeeman, the
bill Will doubtless soon be favorably |
reported to the house. tits probable |
however, that several provisions of
the bill Will be changed before it
leaves the committee room. The |
haste with which certain democratic !
representatives have suddenly taken |
hold Of this measure leads Il few of |
the republican members to think that |
the bill Is being championed more for |
political capital than for desire TO |
benefit Alaska. Should this prove to |
be correct, favorable Legislation will |
be retarded instead of being ad- !
YGnced.
General S. Y. Benet, chief of the
ordinance department Z. S. A.. and
General John Newton, chief of the
corps of engineers, have addressed
letter to Senator Dolph giving at
length their views of an amendment
intended to be proposed to the house
bill making appropriations for forti-
ilcatIOns and other works of defense
for the present fiscal year, which
amendment was last week submitted
by Mr.. Dolph to the senate. The
amendmsnt proposes an appropriation
of 100000 for the construction of
fortlticatlons, etc. After stating the
defenseless condition of the United
States, the condition of other coun-
tries to ward off sudden attacks, the
needs of our country for armored
tGrrets, armored casemates and earth
batteries, these officers sum up their
views as follows: THAT land bat
teres, armed with modern heavy
guns, in conjunction with lines of
submarine mines across the practi-
cable channels of entrance-these
lines being defended by the fire of
the batteries against attempts to re-
move the mines-afford with few
exceptional cases the requisite pro.
lection against the passage Of hostile
fleets The exceptional cases are the
heads of the passes in the Mississippi
river, at which place the foundations
for heavy batteries do not exist, and
at San Francisco, where the distance
between some of the batteries is too
great to admit of a good cross-tire
from them. In both of these cases
the defense may be supplemented
with floating batteries of. peculiar
construction with extra heavy armor,
thicker than sea going vessel could
carry. Torpedo boats, although not
essential to security, would be use
full at many points along the coast.
* x =: = i
One advantage of land batteries over
armored ships consists in the greater
thickness of armor and the ability
to increase that thickness without
reconstructing the works whatever
the increase of penetration of pro-
iectiles may demand additional pro.
lection to the guns
President Cleveland does not ap-
pear to please anybody very long; the
stalwart republicans poke fun at him;
the stalwart democrats are sulky
when the president refuses to sur
render to party the entire lump of
the patronage; while the mugwump
brays as mournfully as hungry
army mule when the president shuts
his eyes periodically to sins of omis-
sion and commission in the admins
tration of tho civil service. When
old man Cleveland rides the party
jackass he is cursed by the mugwumps
for making his poor boy, George
William Curtis. walk; when George
William rides the jackass smiIingly,
then the democratic party is indig-
nant that the president of the party
should walk while the mugwump boy |
rides; and when old man Cleveland |
and the mugwump boy Curtis both !
ride the jackass eomplacently, the
rough and unterrified democracy rail
at the president for his folly in max
ing the party jackass carry double
load. Cleveland is damned when he
has a policy and damned when he
hasn't, one day he is charged with
trying TO play Jackson, and the next
day he is denounced as becoming as
placid and hueless as Hayes. Mecu-
ito said, Il see Queen Nab hath been
with you" So when Cleveland re-
appoints republican, or resists all
pressure to remove one the democrat
ic partisan whispers that the mug
wump fairy hath been with the pre-
sident, drilled and quilted him to do
her bidding and relume the fiickering
torch of reform.
A PoRr TOWNSEND Boy In LUCK.-The
following from the SEATTLE P.-L will be
OF interest to our readers-amoDg them
fho MANY frian1s of the youno law sfujent