San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1886-01-14
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From Our Regular Correspondent.
WASHINGTON, Jan. l, 1886.

through with his committees. H,
has skeletonized the list and has mos
, OF his chairmanships settled and II
fitting the members in their places
, The committees he is having the mos
, difficulty about are tho foreign affairs
labor and coinage, weights and meas
ures. The committee on foreign af
fairs ia the most troublesome TO him
The fight Of last Congress is renewed
and Mr.. Perry Belmont is very hope
full this time. In the last Congress
the committee was given to Governor
Curtin in spite of his bitter opposi-
tion to MIR. Carlisle's selection us
Speaker, and Mr.. Belmont did moi
get over his disappointment during
the session. This time Governor
Curtin favored Mr.. Carlisle for Speak
er, and for that reason is supposed
to be on a stronger footing than
when he won before, but the fight
upon him is being pressed more vig-
orously than then, and charges that
he was governed by Secretary Ere
linghuysen, and some similar charges
have been brought forward as reasons
why he should be promoted to
some other committee, that on mill
tary affairs, being spoken Of on the
other hand the committee was well
conducted and accomplished much
under the Governors management
last Congress, and he has in his favor
the fact that he is the only democrat
in the House who has held tirst-class
foreign mission. The fight is being
pressed SO warmly and there is so
much personal feeling involved that
it is rumored that Mr. Herbert, of
Alabama, who was quite an able
member of the ways and means COM
mttee, will be chosen as q compro-
mise and be given the craftsmanship.
The scramble for the labor commit
tee is not confined to the chairman
ship. About one third of the mem
bers of the House want to get on that
committee, and Mr.. Carlisle is having
d hard time to choose The chair
manship, it is generally considered,
will go to either Foran, of Ohio, or
O'Neill, of Missouri, both of whom
are good men for the place and are
pressed with nearly equal earnest.
ness by labor organizations in vari-
GUS parts OF the country.
1t is settled that Bland is to hold
the Craftsmanship of the coinage,
weights and measures, but the com
position of the committee is giving
the Speaker much worry. Pressure
is being brought to bear by Bland
and the other silver men to have none
but advocates of the silver dollar
placed upon it; while on the other
hand great influence is exerted to
have it constructed in harmony with
the administration. In this way the
Speaker is subjected to a heavy cross
fire that is very harassing.
The Secretary of the Navy, it is
said, will have much to say about the
composition of the naval committee.
Mr.. Hewitt, it is conceded, will be at
it's head and number of Others
whom Mr.. Whitney favors will be
placed upon it.
Mr.. Blount, of Georgia, it is said,is
to be the chairman of the postoffice
and post roads committee.
The officials of the First Assistant
Postmaster Generals Office, Post
Office department, had a genuine sur
prise this morning when John L.
Morton, of Arkansas, presented him
self in response to notice that he
had been selected for 81, 900 appoint
ment through the civil service board
Morton was one of four whose names
had been sent to the Postmaster Gen
eral by the commission to fill va
cancy in that grade. His papers
showed that in the examination held
out west he had been graded 73, and
that he was q school teacher. Moth
ing more was known about him, and
when this morning a colored man
presented himself, everybody was
surprised. He is the first colOred
man appointed in that Office, and
when he reports for duty tomorrow
as he was directed to do, the
clerks will look with considerable won
der at their new associate. The fact that
il was not known that he was colored
shows the civil service law is being
carried out in the presumption that
the appointment is based entirely up
on the examination.
1t is quite long time since there
has been a bond call, and the one is
sued Tuesday was for not a very large
amount II has been understood that
the policy of the administration has
been averse to taking up the bonds at
a rapid rate, pending the settlement
Of the silver question, but now that
the prospects Of change in the coin
age laws are 80 slight it may be that
the government has decided TO 90
ahead cancelling the debt az usual
II is said at the Treasury that the
call is rendered desirable az this time
by the high price Of exchange. the
danger Of god shipments, The re
quirsments Of the sinking fund and
the demands Of trade. l.