Crawford avalanche., 1888-03-29
THE NATIONAL CAPITAL.

The National House of Representatives has
passed the bill authorizing the issue Of frac-
tional silver certificates 1t directs the Sec
retary of the Treasury to issue silver certifi-
Gates of the denominations of 25, Is, and 10
cents, in such form and design as he may de-
termine, such certificates to be received, re-
deemed, paid, and reissued in the same man
ner as silver certificates of larger denomina-
tons, and to be exchangeable for silver certif-
Gates of other denominations
The great event at the national capital on
Monday was the decision by the Supreme
Court OF the telephone cases, which has
been 80 long in coming and has been the
source of much anxiety, controversy, and
speculation.
The number OF people directly Interested in
this decision, including the stockholders in tho
various corporations involved, says a Washing
ton special was probably greater than in any
case that has been decided for many years, ns
the valuo OF the entire telephone interest
reaching almost every town OF size In the world
was affected. The Boil patents were sustained,
however. as was expected by almost everybody
but the attorneys ana stockholders in the rival
companies. In fact, it was fight Of all the
other companies combined against the Bell
The crowd in the courtroom was unusually
large. and the opinion, written and read by JUS
tice Blatchford, althocgh the longest that has
been presented to the court for years, and occu-
pying nearly an hour and three-quarters in
the reading was listened to with the greatest
attention. This decision settles the entire
controversy. While il docs not provo, as JUS
tice Blatchford said, that Bell was the original
discoverer Of the fact that articulate sounds
may be transmitted over n wire, it establishes
the fact that he was the first to adapt the dis
covery to the wants Of his fellow-mon, and
Is entitled to the full value OF the invention.
One hundred and twenty-one OF the
best lawyers in the United States have boen
engaged In this litigation, including Sena-
tor Edmunds, ex-senator Conkling, Postmaster
General Dickinson, Robert g. Ingersoll, and
many others almost as famous, aud IL is est-
mated that several million dollars havo been
expended in counsel fees and other court ex-
penses The Bell monopoly will now have its
own way, and the stock OF that company, which
has fiuctuated widely on account OF the constant
ntgatlon, VIII nave h1ed value until the OK t
in tho case for the reason that different me en-
bers OF his family hold a large interest in the
d,d ben t company and Justice Lamar because ne
prepared by Chief Justice Waite, but was road
by Justice Blatchford, owing 20 the formers In
disposition.
Turing storm at Washington lightning
struck the Capitol, the flash being especially
vivid in the Senate Chamber All the occu-
pants OF the Supreme Court-room-Justices,
lawyers, and auditors TO their feet
but quickly subsided In the House wing
balls of blue FIRE we're noticed playing about
the corridor, and somo memLers thought the
roof was about to tumbla A horse outside
was knocked down, AMI an engineer in the
basement was prostrated
A BILL is to bo reported by thu House Com
mittee on Revision OF the Laws, at Washing
ton, providing for an amendment to the Con-
etitution whereby Senators will be elected by
direct popular vote instead OF by the Legis-
latures. A member OF the committee is quoted
as saying:
We have agreed upon this report only after
careful and painstaking investigation of the
whole question. We believe the change is de-
manded by the people. II adopted IL will add
much to tho representative character OF senA-
tors, and will do much to relieve the odium
under which the Senate has long rested on ac-
count of the disreputable methods alleged TO
have boen used in many instances TO influence
Legislatures. A proposition 10 also pending in
the committee for q Second Vice President.
but this does not seem to be In resi- ronse TO any
popular demand.