News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1888-02-16
FROM
From u Regular Correspondent
WASHINGTON, D. c., ]
Feb. z. 1888. |

rules, upon when the commission has
been laboring for a year, was ap-
proved Friday by the President. Sat-
urday the ten thousand employees of
the departments in this city were
busily studying an abstract of them
published in morning papers. The
old soldiers were pleased with the
President amendment to the compul-
sorry examination provision. The ex-
soldiers have arrived at an age when
any kind of an examination is a ter
rcr. The new rules exempt all OF
them from examination for promotion
or for the retention of their places.
There are a good many clerks in the
departments who dread the ordeal OF
an examination, especially since the
percentage has been raised from 90
to 20. The weight of option as gath
cred in a visit to several of the public
offices Saturday, seems to be that the
| amended rules are IN the direction OF
| reform.
The best prophets in this blessed
CITY to forecast the business prospects
of the Congressional season are the
hotel and restaurant keepers. One OF
the landlords of one OF the leading
hotels here, said to me the other day
..Write it down and print it from
Sheol t high living that this will be
the dullest season Washington has
seen for many a long year. The So
ciety attractions will be as great as
usual, possibly so, and we will
do a good business in the hotel line.
But the lobby will be left in the lurch.
This Congress, at this session at least,
will do anything to feed the lobby.
| have felt the pulse of the situation,
and that is my diagnosis of the case
Here is the national campaign impen-
ding, and every man on either side in
either house is afraid he may do some
thing that may prejudice his own or
his party's chances next November.
And the lobbyists understand that the
same as 1 do. They are not coming
to the front now and spending money
as they will in the short session begin
ming next December. No, sir, it will
be a dull season, except in a society
way. The public business pending in
Congress will be wrangled over and
attended to in 8 tangled manner, but
outside of that but little will be DONE"
The features of the pending extra
dition treaty with Great Britain, maxi
ing persons extraditable for larceny
or enlightenment as well as for as
saults upon life with dynamite and
other explosives are not new. They
were in the treaty as it stood before
the Senate last session, and that vas
the great bone of contention that un-
der the dynamite clause Irish patriots
taking refuge in this country could be
extradiled. The embezzlement fea-
lure is the one of importance to the
United States, in order that Canada
may no longer be a safe refuge TO:
~embezzlers fleeing from this country.
1t is understood that the foreign re
lations committee made some change
in these features, looking to a clear
distinction between political offenses
and crime under the dynamite clause,
but the provisions are not new.
Second Comptroller ~Sigourney But
Ter is responsible for the introduction
of 3 fashionable fad. A navy pay
master informed him recently that be
was about to dispose of a fine lot of
seamen's coats. Mr.. Butler conceived
the idea of purchasing n for his own
particular use. They were warm and
cheap-only $3.50 per coat. The
Comptroller not only bought one, ou'
be wore it. Deputy Comptroller Nc
Mahan saw the coat, admired it and
concluded to secure one. He did SO.
The messenger of the officials thought
he would like a seaman's coat at $3.50
himself right well, and the Comptroll-
er got him one. The craze is spread
Ing fast among both the rich and the
poor. 1t is even said that dudedom
has an eye on the coats designed for
weather beaten tars, and will give a
dress parade in the near future, the
principal feature of which will be that
all the dear boys will have their man
ly forms enveloped in $3.50 navy blue
coats. The fad Is being adopted by
pretty much every body in the treasury
department.
A Postmaster in a small village in
Mississippi has written to the Post
master-G General asking him to discon-
time the office. He explains that his
neighbors who are wool-growers, be-
came distrustful of his rabbit dog, and
in consequence, he states, sit turned
up missing" $50 1 am left here"
continues the postmaster pathetically,
without the means of sustenance. So
if you expect me to set up nights for
the train, you will have to forward at
once some pork and beans or some
other nourishment, or a new postmas-
ter will have to be appointed at this
place" He adds in a postscript,
"Mr. - wants me to split some
rails if | a get rid of this office, so
hurry up with the grub or the dis
charge" The office was discontin-
ued in response to this appeal.
LENox.
HI~