The Portland daily press., 1886-02-08

Sneerlngly ana SHgnGlnSly OF MN, anu now
the New York World has made a discovery
concerning him. In a recent number of that
paper it is stated:
senator Eugene Hale Of Maine is one of the
uncertain quantities with which the Republican
majority in the Senate is very much troubled just
at present. Senator Hale's support OF Republican
policy has been half hearted at best, and now his
altogether. Senator Hale has been decided DIS
appointment to his political brethren
This is indeed piece of news. 1t is likely
that the Senator's republicanism will be
found to be of pretty strong kind before
the season is over.
An Opinion Wanted from the At
torney General.
The delegation of letter carriers which is
here from various cities to have their status
under the eight hour law defined, called up
on the Postmaster General the other day and
requested him to have the Attorney General
submit an opinion on the subject. When
Mr.. Brewster was Attorney General the let
ter carriers saw him and asked him to rem
der an opinion of this law. Mr. Brewster
replied that he could only answer questions
Of law propounded to him by the President
or heads of departments, and could not re-
cognize private individuals. This was told
to Postmaster General Hatton, and he said
he would officially request the Attorney
General for an opinion upon it, Mr.. Hatton
did not do this, and the carriers have never
get any satisfaction. Certainly if the eight
hour law is to be applied to any persons in
government employ, it should be to those in
the postal service, who are acknowledged to
be the hardest worked and poorest paid OF
any in government service.
HLaborers" Put to Work.
After the great snow storm of last week it
was found at the treasury department that
there were only ten men~available for clean
ing off the sidewalk around the building, al
though the roll showed that there were en-
ployed by the department forty 'laborers. :
Inquiry showed that the remaining thirty
were employed at clerical work. These So
called laborers were put in as such to en-
able them to obtain footing,in the depart
ment which would render them eligible for
promotion without undergoing the dreaded
civil service examination.
The necessity was urgent in this case, and
all the ''laboring" clerks were compelled to
labor for once at the kind of work for which
they were supposed to be employed.
tits said that considerable quiet swearing
was INDUCED in by the force, but they did
their work well.
CuYlosities OF the Malls.
The Secretary of the Treasury has recent
ly received two curious letters One Of them
was from woman in Massachusetts re-
questing to be furnished with the numbers
of the So, 500 conscience money recently re-
ceiyed, as they may prove to have been the
bills recently stolen from her father. The
other was from bondholder living in Texas
in reference to his bonds. 1t was addressed
to s'The Honorable Secretary of the Treas
ury, Most Worshipful and Distinguished
Sir and the envelope was formed of two
envelopes turned inside out, which had re-
Gently been addressed to him by the treasury
department. The conscience fund referred
to is a fund which is composed Of money
sent anonymously to the United States treas
ury, it is supposed, in response to the pangs
of conscience of persons guilty of defraud-
ing the government. 1t has been growing
for about fifty years, and now amounts to
over two hundred thousand dollars.
Surveyor General Dement,,
WASHINGTON, Feb. 6.-Surveyor General
Dement, of Utah was again before the Senate
committee on public lands today. He read
the statements made by the newspaper men
to the committee day before yesterday, and
reiterated his denial that he had ever said
what had been attributed to him, but added
nothing to the information previously in the
possession of the committee. Appointment
Clerk Hassler of the interior department
was also before the committee bearing the
letters of recommendation upon which Mr..
Dement, was appointed.
Adverse Report on Considering Nom
nations in open Session.
The Senate committee on rules, at its
meeting this morning, ordered adverse re-
ports on the resolutions offered by Senator
Platt, requiring that executive nominations
shall be considered in open session. senator
Platt was before the committee, and made a
strong argument in support OF his resolu-
ton. The ote upon it was as follows: !:
Sherman, Ingalls, Harris and Blackburn,
negative; Frye, affirmative. The resolution
will be adversely. reported by Senator In
gals. Senator Platt will ask that it go upon
the calendar but will not seek to obtain CON
sideration for it at once, as he does not wish
to have 1t connected in any way with pend
ing issues between the executive and the
Senate, with which, in fact, it has no neceS-
it up in open session and discuss it upon its
Work of Congress.
WASHINGTON, Feb. I'm the House OF
Representatives tomorrow, after the call OF
States for introduction of bills and OF COM
mitteeS for reports the House Will probably
resume in committee of the whole consldera-
tion of the half gallon tax bill upon which
general debate is now proceeding. Mr. Nor
Tison will attempt to confine the discussion
to the merits of the bill, but owing to the
wide latitude given by the rules governing
debate in committee, it IS likely several Ell \
speeches relating to the silver question will
be delivered. 1t is the intention Of the APP
preparations committee to call up the pen
sion appropriation bill for action Tuesday.
The bill usually proyokes little, discussion,
but the recent agitation as to the new pen
sion legislation may OH this occasion elicit a
general expression of opinion on the meas
ure. Should it receive final action Tuesday,
and should the tax bill be disposed OF, We'd
nesday will be devoted to consideration OF
the Atlantic and Pacific land forfeiture Dlll.
According to the special order made Friday
last the Fitz John Porter bill will be taken
up Thursday, but it is understood vote Will
not be reached this week. -. .
Senator Blair hopes to secure the right OF
way in the Senate tomorrow lmmedlateiy al
ter the morning hour for his educatlolial
bill. and the chances are in his favor. Sena-
tor Cameron wishes to have the bill to create
an assistant secretaryship of the navy dls-
posed of and will make an effort to secure
that result at the earliest opportunity, SEN
ator Hoar proposes to ask the Senate to take
up the bankruptcy bill and Senator Plat'
contemplates pressing the bill for the admls-
sion of Washington Territory. Neither
Senator Hoar nor Senator Platt will antag
onize the education bill. The, regular or
der, whatever it may prove to be, is likely
to be laid aside within a day or two to ena. eIta.
BILE Senator Frye to make speech on M
resolution in the report from the commlttet
on foreign relations in regard to the hsher' I3
les. There is a general expectation that lne
judiciary committee will be heard tomorrow
in relation to the refusal of the attorney gen
eral to furnish the papers in the Dustin case
but the expectation has no other foundatlo1
that the facts that the committees resulal
meeting day is Monday and that that SUP
ject has been referred to the committee DA
the Senate Should the committee report 10
morrow portion of the open sessions OF tnt
week may be devoted to consideration OF tht
constitutional relations between the eXecu
| tive and the Senate.
Wrecked Vessels Floated.
PRovINcETowN, Mass, Feb. 7.-The Darl
Carrie Wyman 1oated at high water toGaa! G
Il