Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1886-01-16
Washington News and Gossip.

Washington News and Gossip.
GOVERNMENT RECEIPTS To-DAY.-Internal
revenue, $3.50, 713; customs, S442,eO5.
SICK CoNGREssMEN.-Represe I. N.
Evans, Of Pennsylvania; ID. w. Aiken, of South
Carolina, and West, of New York, are seriously
Ill at their respective homes.
AMERICAN MEN-oF-WAR IN AsIATIC
WATERs-Rear Admiral DAVIS, commanding
the Asiatic station, reports to the Navy depart
ment, under date of Woosung, China, December
9th, that the repairs Of the Palos were nearly
completed, and that before sailing for Che
mulpo to relieve the Marion she would have a
a , 1,p ana De a. Inc Alert would
southwark, reaching Yokohama about April
lst: The flagship Trenton would sail soon for
Yokohama, and the Marion on q cruise to
the. southern ports among the islands. The
Ossipee was to be sent from Yokohama to the
Caroline islands. Communication had recentle
frontier Of China on the north, completing the
connection to Tientsin.
THE HAzING OF CADET DR1GGs.-Four of
the five naval cadets caught in the act of hazing
Cadet Louis briggs, of the fourth-class, in his
room at the naval academy, few weeks ago,
have been tried by courtmartial, and the
charges against the fifth one, Cadet VIM. T.
Gillespie, of Virginia, will be taken up on the
completion of the case against Henry T.. Guey-
9an' OF Texas which is being now Investigated.
The other cadets implicated In the affair
Steber, OF New York; Waters, of Georgia. and
Welsh, OF Ohio-have had hearing end are
cused are members of the second class except
Gillespie, who is a third class man. The evil
dence before the court. it was stated, showed
That several OF the cadets slapped briggs face,
while Others by their presence encouraged the
assault. The findings OF the court, when COM
pleted, will be forwarded to the Secretary OF the
Navy for his approval.
SENATOR SHERMAN returned from Ohio this
mn tpo
pleased at the cordial reception given him by
the people of his state, democrats as well as re-
publicans Joining in welcoming him.
THE EADs PkoJEcr.-The model Of the Eads
ship railway, which was in Washington last
winter has been brought back and set up in
the military committee room of the Senate.
This looks as ii the ship railway project was to
be pushed In Congress this session.
THE SUB-TREAsURYsHIPAG AGAIN DECLINED
A special from Saugerties, N. Y, states that the
Hon. w. F; Russell, who was seventy -four years
old yesterday, has declined the New York sub
treasuryship rendered him by President Cleve-
land.
ADMIRAL JOUETT, commanding the north
Atlantic squadron, reports to the Navy depart
ment from Saranilla bay, December %, that
he arrived there that day in the Tennessee,
having left Curacao under sail on the Goth
December; The Galena was at Saranilla bay,
with the U. S. minister to Bogota on board. The
health Of both vessels was good.
EXPENSES OF THE GRANT FUNERAL.-The
bill of Undertaken Merritt for the Grant funeral
expenses has at last been paid, a requisition for
the amount (S14, 163. 75) having been sent him.
and Of the
preparation for this year. This leaves q deficit,
which will be covered out of the special appro-
priatiOn provided for in the bill now before
Congress to pay the expenses of the Grant
funeral.
BI-METALLIC CoNFERENCE.-Therew will be
a meeting of the national committee of the
National Bi-Metallic Coinage association, in
this city, on the Goth inst, and on the evening
of that day conference of the friends OF silver
will be held, which will be addressed by a num-
Der of the champions of bi-metallic coinage.
A LETTER FROM GEN. w. T. SHERMAN is pub
lshed in the Baltimore Sun to-day, In which he
says it is utterly impossible that he could have
eember North american Review, "that had c.
F. Smith lived, Gen. Grant would have disap-
peared from history"
COmmOtiOn in Army Circles.
WHAT Is SAID OF SENATOR BUTLER'S BILL
RECENTLY INTRODUCED IN THE SENATE
The bill introduced in the Senate on
the 18th inst. by Mr.. Butler, relating to aids to
general officers OF the army, has created no
little commotion in army circles The bill pro-
vides that the lieutenant general may select
from the army two aids and q military secre-
tary, who shall have the rank Of lieu
tenant colonel of cavalry while on his
staff; that each major general stall
have three aids, selected from captains
or lieutenants, and each brigadier general two
aids from the lieutenants. The term of service
ofthe above shall be in the discretion of the
lieutenant general, major generals and briga-
der generals so long as they shall remain on
the active list Of the army. The above bill is
evidently designed to nullify the recent
general order (No. S5) issued by direction of
the President, limiting the term of service of
army officers gu detached duty to four years,
and sending back to their respective regiments
all those who had served over that
time. This order affected number Of
personal aids OF general officers, ana the
latter made strong protests against
It's being carried out, but without avail. OH
GERS who had occupied easy berths on staff
duty through personal influence were relegated
TO active duty with the regiments to which
they belonged. 1t is held that the passage of
the above bill would be an interference
by the legislative branch Of the government
with the prerogauves Of the executive. The
PRESIDENT is tie commanderipchief of the
army and au such law would 2 ace twentyfour
omcers selected by general officers entirely be-
y.ond his control. While 1t Is not thought In
the army that there Is q possibility OF the pas
sage OF the bill, surprise is expressed that at
tempt should be made in q democratic quarter
to handicap the administration In an effort to
eradicate what is considered q long existing
abuse OF personal influence.