The Press., 1886-11-18
wAgHINGTnN LErTRR.


 Some members of the forty ninth congress are already in Washington, others are on the way in few days all will have arrived, and the legislative department of the government will resume work for session that will last just three months. There are indications that the session will open industriously. The chairman of the house committee on ap- propriations, Mir. Randall, proposes to come soon and get things in readiness for the meet ing of his committee, which ia to take place, if . quorum can be brought together, on the 22d. This Is in order to have Q bill ready to be repoi ted at the opening of the session
 Hon. Mr., Hewitt says he is anxious to re- main in congress as long as possible. He would have preferred to carry out his work here, but the mayorality was forced upon him. He wants to push the administrative tariff bill to passage before he resigns, and had hoped to remain in his seat after he had taken the oath of office as mayor, but by the legislature of New York, 8 man cannot hold federal and municipal office at the same time.
 The SO called police scandal of Washington has attracted considerable attention, and the president has taken hold of the matter. It is all about an alleged scheme of the city police to collect damaging facts about the private lives of congressman, with view to forcing them to vote for appropriations for the Dls- trict of Columbia If the story is not exag- gerated, it affords insight into the demorali- zation of public affairs which has long existed in Washington
 The presidents Boston trip seems to have done him good. He has been smiling and iovial ever since, and unusually gracious to his east room callers. His country home has new name-"Oak View" It has been va- riously named by other people, but this time it is said to have been christened by the own. CT himself Oak trees surround the house, de 1c,1l directions,
 1 The valuable relics formerly belonging to General Grant and bequeathed by the Wander bilt estate to the government, are now being classified at the National Museum, where they will soon be exhibited to the public. The collection was packed in-ffteen large boxes, and will take 8 good deal of room when placed in glass cases. And space is the desideratum now at the museum. The director of the in- stitution is loudly bewailing it's wealth of re- source and poverty of space, and says new structure is an immediate and pressing neces- sity. In his annual estimates for the museum, he asks congress to appropriate $25O, 900 foI this purpose, proposing to flank the Smith sonian building on the west as the present museum Hanks it on the east. The 100, ,OOO feet of exhibition space in this building is found totally inadequate, and how to find room for the government mementoes and for the articles contributed by the Japanese Gov ernment, now on their way here, Illustrating all the useful and ornamental arts of that GU rious people, are among the problems which the museum authorities say they are unable l to solve
 Thousands upon thousands of interesting objects, which are as truly means of popu- lar education as any of those already exhibi. ted are prepared for display now, but they have to remain stored away in cellars, crypts and garrets. A numper of wooden structures near by the museum are also packed from floor to ceiling with rich materials which have never been touched by the scientists. A hun dred tons also of exhibits shipped from the Centennial Exposition ten years ago, have never been opened.
 l The officers say it is not intended or possi- ble to put on exhibition more than 8 fraction of the mass of materials which will be in theil possession Many of the exhibits will be but the indices of those held in reserve, which will remain packed witk view to economy of space and accessibility for study. The museum has three principal sources of supply. 1st. By iaw all the collections made by the scientific bereaus of the government, the ge. ological, ethnological, coast survey and fish commission become the property of the mu- scum after they have served the original pur- poses of their collectors. 2d. Foreign n1u. seums in all parts of the world send of theil surplus in exchange for surplus materials shipped abroad And Sd, private collectors donate the contents of their cabinets to an in stitution which is supposed to have perfect fatalities for study, comparison and display The current accessions are sufficient to fill 2 | little meseuTn AVorV wear s-r