Saint Mary's beacon., 1886-01-21
Correspondence of the Beacon
WASHINGTON, Jan. Is, 1885,

has been th, coldest experienced in
Washington for many years. The
river is cov,red with . solid sheet of
ice, and navigation has been entirely
suspended. A foot Of snow upon the
smooth payments has afforded excel
lent sleighiig. while the ponds of the
Fish Comnission have been trans
formed iato mammoth skating rinks.
Owners of seighs have been in great
demand, ddapidsted old boxes upon
runners, which in tie north would
hardly be deemed worthy of the title
of sleigh" have rented readily at the
modest rate Of FIVE dollars per hour.
The attertion of Congress has been
about eveEv divided between the
several iHs0ttapt questions before it
for consideration. The Senate has
held several animated discussions upon
the subjectsf the admission of Dakota.
1t is not improbable that in the SEN
ate bill Of admission will be passed,
butwhile the Republicansin in the House
favor the admission, they know that
the measure would meet with opposi-
tion from the Democrats, and SO do
not take much interest in it. Although
Dakota has been knocking at the doors
of Congress for three winters it is
probable that the Committee on Terri
tories will not even report the meas
ure TO the House.
The silver question has been dis
cussed in al its phases, and it now
appears that the silver advocates have
so strong a backing that notwitbstand-
ing the recommendation OF the Pres-
dent, that the issue of silver be re-
stricted, that it will be impossible to
check the coinage at present. Col.
Snowden, who for many years was
Superintendent Of the Philadelphia
Mint, says in reply to Congressman
Hoar's declaration that there are
fifty million counterfeit silver dollars
in circulation that "it would be i'm
possible to circulate imitation dollars
in any considerable amount without
detection. The dollars could not be
minted without costly and elaborate
machinery. With all it's appliances
the Government has been able 20 float
only 50,000,0o0 silver dollars in seven
years. Evidently c9unterfeiters could
not duplicate this issue secretly. "
Col. Snowden concludes that there
are fewer counterfeit dollars in circu
lation than at any previous time in
the history Of the Government.
The Hoar Presidential succession
bill which passed the Senate before
the holiday recess, occupied the at
tention of the House during the great
er portion of the week, and when put
to a vote on Friday it was passed by
a vote Of 1873 to II, and it now awaits
the signature Of the President.
Notwithstanding the fact that the
Washington monumunt has frequently
been the subject of unfavorable criti-
cism, it appears that the advocates Of
the plan of perpetuating the memory
of the nations dead by the erection
Of a monument of a magnitude com
mensuate with the degree of rever'
encs entertained by people for The
deceased, still have their representa-
tives in Congress. A bill was intro
duced in the Senate on Monday last
providing for the construction OF two
monuments in Washington, one o
which is to be erected in memory o.
Lincoln, and the other OF Grant Th'
monuments are to cost 81 .000,0 900 each
and are to be completed within ter
years after the passage of the bill.
The great telephone contest which
has been occupying so much Of the
time of the Secretary of the Interior
has at last been decided in the manner
that was expected. The Secretary
holds that the Bell patents are con
testable, and should be brought inte
the courts. He says: I'm my opinion
the proceedings should be in the name
Of the Government, and wholly at tn,
expense aud under the conduct ant
control OF the Government, and ht
concludes BY saying Such & proceed
ing. so conducted. will comport with
the dignity Of the Government and
the gravity OF the subject. and vii
ensure a final and just adjudication o.
the merits Of the controversy.
The magnificent residence Of Hon
John W. Foster, ex- Minister to Spain
at No. l405 l street, was partially de
stroyed by FIRE on Tuesday evening
last. The magnificent furniture o
the house was almost entirely ruined
The house was erected BY Clark Mills
the sculptor, and was at one time con
sidersd one of the handsomes. houses
in the city.
The Commissioner Of Patents o
Japan. has been spending few days
in the city. He is engaged in study
ing our patent system, with the view
Of improving the system now followed
BY the japanese Government.