Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1889-11-01
WASHINGTON LETTER.
Written snd Compiled for tie IiERALD
WASHINGTON, Oct. -, 1889.


draft of his message - Congress
at the last Cabinet meeting. aud
sever II hours wcIe devntpn 90 q
discussion ct II. There IL uo dis
agreement between the President
aud his advisers ~ TO the matters
TO be discussed in the message,
but of course each OF the Cabinet
has ideas IA To the bes5 manner
of presenting c'rtaln things. 10 IL
probable that several other ca6i.
net meetings will be- devoted TO the
consideration of the message be-
fore that important document Is
completed. That II will he an able
document cannot BIS doubted.
Secretary Blaine his completed
his estimate Of the funds nee led
to run the Department Of State
for the fiscal yeac beginning July l,
1890. 1t aggregates abo II 80 900,
900.
Secretary Window has appoint
ed NJ. NJ. Holland, u colored law
yer, cbeif of a division in the
Second Auditors office. Mr.. Hol.
land took an active part IN the
Presidential campaign. Mr.. Win.
dom believes in recognizing the
men who devote their energies to
working for the party. SO much
cannot be truthsnly SAID of some
Of our prominent officials.
Secretary Tracy has received the
report Of the board OF naval Off.
GERS appointed to consider plans
for the development of the League
Island Navy yard, should Congress
decide to have 1t reopened. The
report strongly fayOrs the equip.
ment of this yard with modern
facilities for building, fitting and
repairing vessels, and submits
plans for the purpose, with an es.
innate of the cost, Sll, 500, 4S0. 1t
recommends that the appropriation
for the first year be 81 1860
The desirabllity OF first class navy
yard on the Pacific Coast, is con-
coded BY everyone familiar with
tho subject.
Secretary Noble resents the I'M.
plicatiOD that he removed G. +.
Conrad, a special agent of the
General Land office, who invest.
gated the Benson land survey
frauds in California, to please the
men who had defrauded the Gov
ernment. The man was removed
because of charges made against
him. Speaking OF the removal,
Mr.. Noble SAID sin report
made to the department he had
charged Secretaries Teller, Schurz,
and others, with completely in the
land frauds, and alleged that the
active field partners in the great
swlndle where the surveyor gener.
ais of Dakota, Wyoming, New Mex
leo, Colorado and other states
In August last, Conrad called on
me and asked to be- seat back to
California as the land cases were
to be called September IL. told /
him then that had no confidence /
IN him, and that / had no further /
use for him, AZ the United States /
attorney, who has charge Of the 1
land cases, had sufficient evidence /
to proceed with the cases, and his
(COnrad's) testimony was not need.
ed. also told him that his suspi- .
clon had become so large and nnl-
versaI that he had better hire a
ball aud exhibit it,
If one may be allowed to judge
from the Lumber Of bidders and
the figures submitted at the open
ing Of proposals for building three
cruisers on Saturday last at the
Navy department, it looks very
much like the charge made of com.
binatiOn among shlpbuilders when
bids we're opened several months
ago for the building OF these same
cruisers, was true. The first time
there we're only two bids, one Sl1j,
900 in excess of the money appro'
pristed for each Of the cruisers,
and the other $50, 900 in excess
This time there are five bidders,
al within the appropriation. The
contracts have not yet been award.
ed, bat 1t Is expected that the
work will be divided, one of the
cruisers being built by each of the
three lowest bidders.
Secretary Blaine's family will
this week take possession OF the
old mansion opposite the
White House, which has been en-.
tirely redtted since Mr. Blaine leas-
ed it last spring. by the way, this
seems II good place 10 say that the
sensational accounts of trouble be.
tween Mrs. Blame and Mrs. Har-
rison, which have several times re-
Gently been sent out from Wash.
Ington, have not the slightest
The two ladies are,
and have been on the very best Of
terms for years.
The new Pension Commissioner
IL not making much nOise, but he
is quietly and iudus'riousIy striv-
Ing to obtain a necessary knOwI.
edge OF the workings OF his Office.
Ne has done nothing toward de.
elding what IS to be done with the
men In the oflica who are charged
with having had their DensiOns ii.