The National tribune., 1886-05-06

reached the White House Saturday in a letter
full of hope, and written in hand as firm and
steady as it could have been had the writer
been in the most perfect health.
RETURN OF CAPTURED vALUABLEs.
Both Houses of Congress last week passed a
bill to restore to the owners the large quantity
of jewelry and silver plate that was captured
during the war, and has since been locked up
in the vaults of the Treasury Department
The people had almost forgotten it was there
until the contents of the vaults of the Treasury
were turned over by Treasurer Wyman to Mr..
Jordan, his successor. 1t was found that there
were several large boxes containing articles of
value that were placed on deposit by the Sec
retary of War in the Treasury for safe keeping.
These boxes contain not only large amount
of solid silver plate, but 300 or 400 watches
jewelry of all sorts and descriptions, diamonds
and pearls, which were captured from time to
time by the Union army, much of it by Gen.
Sherman's command and good deal by Gen.
Custer. Whatever the soldiers did not get
away with was turned in by the commanding
officers to the Adjutant-General,w who sent it to
Washington. The boxes have not been opened
since 1865, but it is said that they contain
documents which will establish the ownership
of nearly all of the articles, and Treasurer
Jordan, in consultation with Secretary Endi-
colt, decided to ask Congress to release him from
responsibility of their custody and take steps
for their return to those who originally owned
them. These boxes do not contain the three
swords that were captured from Gen. Twiggs.
They are in the vaults of the Bureau of Engrav-
ing and Printing, where they were placed soon
after the war. These swords are very valuable,
their scabbards being of gold, handsomely
mounted with jewels. Gen. Twiggs's family
have made repeated attempts to recover them,
as they were gifts to him from the State of
Georgia, from the Government of the United
Sfafn nd from, 70 hrt fhaub how
not been able to convince Congress that the
property of a traitor should be restored, par
ticularly as Gen. Twiggs drew against the
Government of the United States sword that
was presented to him by Congress.
KENTUCKY MEMBER WANTED WATER.
1t does not take much, sometimes to pro-
woke Congressman to laughter. During the
debate in the House on the contested election
case of Hurd against Romeis Mr.. Robertson, of
Kentucky, made speech for Mr.. Hurd, in the
delivery of which he became good deal ex-
cited. Feeling thirsty he called page and
asked for glass of water.
docs gentleman from Kentucky ask for
sCater 2" exclaimed q Member. 1.-The PrOhi-
bition millennium must be near at hand"
OF course everybody laughed uproariously.
The hilarity was increased when Mr. Roberts,.
son, feeling called upon to apologize, said he
did not often call for water and he hoped his
he drained the glass and went ON with his
speech.
THE PUBLIC DEBT.
The Treasury statement shows that the re-
duction of the public debt during the month of
April was $40 965, ,3S7. .95 The total cash in the
Treasury May l was $493, ,462.51073. During
April the Government receipts from all sources
were $26, 81 ,590.2l, and the expenditures S21,-
036, 1888.
BURYING A SENATOR.
The bill of the Congressional committee sent
to San Francisco with the remains of the late
Senator Miller has been presented to Congress
for payment. 1t amounts to $7,376, itemized
as follows:
Transportation S3S48
Pullman 2 l29
Travelling expenses including hotel bills. 933
Sa5hes, gloves. etc 2I3
Carriages in Washington gton..-.................. Ii9
Drnping Senate Chamber. "a
Carriage and use of 300 0chars.................. 81
378