Morning journal and courier., 1886-01-28
G A. .R. CONVENTION.

A Large Gathering of Delegates-The
 Continued Prosperity - Housing
 Reception to the Guests at Lincoln
 Rink Last Evening.
 Delegates from sixty G. A. R. posts attend ed the nineteenth annual encampment ot the Department of Connecticut, G. A. R., which was held at the Athsneum yesterday after noon. Department Commander Frank D Sloat read his report, speaking of the we'll being and prosperity of the encampment, which was followed by the reading of the re- port of Assistant Adjutant General William H. Stowe, during which MT. Stowe said: The table of membership shows sixty-one posts, with 5,246 comrades in good standing. The statistics of the past four years show the number of suspensions to have exceeded the number of reinstatements by over 500. Dur ing the past year the gain by organization and muster-in was TAG, by transfer S9 and by reinstatement PAY, making a total of 1 1,OS2 The loss by death was 49, by hon. orable discharge 25. by transfer 139, by suspension AT and by dishonorable discharge 3, making a total of 632, which leaves a net gain of 450. Sixteen posts show losses in membership. Post 73 is in very bad condi- tion The obituary roll of the department for the year contains forty-nine names, a death rate of fraction less than one per cent of the average membership of the year. Assistant Quartermaster General William H. Pierpont, of this city, reports debit account of $3, ,205 and a credit account of $2, ,567.19. In addition to the balance of S637 .91, the supplies on hand are worth $124.72 The finances of the various posts in the department were never in so prosperous a condition, the balances for the quarter l ending December 31, 1895, being: Post funds, $14. .026.75; relief funds, $29, ,061. 70; making a grand total of $43, ,09S.45.
 Reports from ffty-six of the sixty-one posts show a total valuation of property held by these posts of $63, ,631.33. No reports from the other five posts were received. Medical Examiner B. W. Munson, of Bridgeport, states: 'By reference to the re- port of the United States commissioner of pensions, we find that Connecticut sent 55, ,S64 of her sons into the army and navy during the war of the rebel
 lion; that of this number 5,435 appear on the returns of June 30, 1885, recipients of invalid pensions; also, that 3,807 widows, minor children, mothers and fathers, appear upon the proper rolls as having been depend ent on other soldiers for support, making total of g, ,242 men disabled as to be tn- competent to wholly provide for themselves or their families"
 About POO members of the Admiral Foote post, G. A. R., met at the State House at about 9 o'clock last evening, and headed by drum corps marched down Chapel street to Church, to the Atheneum, where they re- ceived their guests, the encampment dele gates, about 200 in number, then marching down Center to Orange, to Chapel, to the New Haven House, where they met Governor Harrison, and countermarching escorted their guests to the rink. About 800 were present at the rink and about 300 sat down to the generous banquet provided by the Admiral Foote post, at which Past Commander Sine on J. Fox presided and made the address of welcome After welcoming words he said: ''Your delegation has assembled tor the pur pose of comparing views to the welfare of our order, and to so legislate that the soldiers of the late war may be still closer and frmer united in the three great principles of our or ganization-in that fraternity which should come as natural to the old soldier as do the revolutions of the earth, in that charity which seeks quiet way to relieve those of our comrades who, through distress and mis- fortune, need the helping hand, and the fam lilies of those who once answered to the roll call but whose voices are silent, and that loyalty which lives in our hearts with the proud conviction that it has been proven. Loy alty, sir, is supposed to pervade the breast of all people toward their country, but where can you find the loyalty which fills the heart of any monarchcinl country equal to that of one who forms part of a united and free republic! The loyalty of our forefathers was heroic and grand. It gave birth to American freedom, and that spirit descending in it's power on the genera tion of which we form part preserved free dom, guaranteed liberty to all men and saved nation. That loyalty has been proven on the march, in the skirmish and in the great shocks of battle, and it carries with it warm beating of the heart that en- nobles the possessor, that makes him the | z h is of untold millions cannot command" :" Commander Fox concluded with hearty in ! vitation to the guests to proceed to attack the 'Frations."
 Department Commander F. D. Sloat then acknowledged the address in a few words, after which tha blessing was asked by Chap lain Atwood. The collation was then served and lasted for three quarters of an hour, after | which the following toasts were responded to:
 ''The G. A. ,'' by Commander.tn- Chief s.s. Bur
 sConnecticut and her soldiers" by Governor H. B. Harrison.
 ''The boys of '61 and 's6,'' by Comrade Simmonds,
 "The veteran soldier; what he deserves and what is due from m him" by Past Commander-in-c Chief
 Union volunteers by Comrade P. T. Louns-
 'ti A R. of the West, by Past commander-in- Chief Vanderwood.
 The speeches were vigorous and delighted the large assemblage and the speakers were vociferously applauded. Corporal Tanner as usual made one of his inimitable speeches, ''bringing down the house." The occasion was one of highly interesting character throughout. The boys separated at about midnight.
 There are about 25O delegates from the different posts in attendance upon the con- vention which closes to- day.
 The WiIIImantic Cashier,s Case. Bank Cashier Bingham, of Willimantic, maintains confidence in his ability to show a clean record. The hearing in the case will bs at Norwich February 18th. Mir. Bipg- ha1ns friends say: "An examination of the banks accounts and affairs was made last week by the directors of the bank, and we are informed everything was ascertained to be correct, and the bank found sound and with a surplus. They reported to the bank ing department at Washington that there was and had been no violation of section 5,209 of the banking act. In recent case against the Marine bank MT. Bingham, as administrator of an estate, obtained verdict of something over fifty thousand dollars against the bank, and it may be that this charge is an outcome of that suit in order to prejudice his interests in the upper court to which it has been appealed.