Waterbury evening Democrat., 1889-04-08
WASHINGTON TOPICS
What Is Going on at the
 National Capital.
FOREIGN POSTAL RELATIONS.
The Mexican Government Is We'll Pleased
 With the Present Arrangements.

Talk of an Investigation Into the Naval ] Catastrophe at samoa-Was Admiral
 Kimberley at Faul,?-The New Gunboat
 Yorktown Going Into Commis sion This 1 ship of the Currency.
 | WASHINGTON, AprA s.--Under President | Harrison's administration it will be the policy of the Post-office Department to con- tinue the plan 0: making postal conventions with tSe countries of the American conti- nent which was a feature of the last Ad- ministration. The success of these con- ventions has been quite as great as was ex- pected. The quarterly returns already re-
 ceived show that during the present calendar
 year the United States will send to Mexico
 in packages, through the parcelpost, mer-
 chandise of the value of s, ,OOo, ,OOO This is
 one-quarter of the value of the merchandise sent from the United States to Mexico during the fiscal year. excluding agricul- tural implements, and including within the term merchandise what may be called
 tho merchandise of the stores The delay
 on the border, which was caused by the in experience of the customs officials when the system was first established, no longer ex- ists. The dutiable packages are now held at the border only one day for the rating of the duty, and are then returned to the Mexican Postofice to be forwarded to des- tination with the collection slip, indicating the duty 10 be paid to the Postmaster. gnmmed to the package
 The Mexican Government is very much pleased with the result of the convention. It Is claimed by Mexicans that if some in ternational money-order system could be established between the two countries. the United States would secure nearly all the trade of Mexico, the bulk of which now goes to England and Germany. Minister Romero is interesting himself to prepare the way for the establishment of such an international money order system One great difficulty in the way is the fact that the currency of Mexico is silver Another difficulty is that there is no domestic money order system in America.
 Several other conventions will probably be concluded in the next thirty days.
 During the past week there has been con- siderable talk in naval circles about the re- Sponsibllity for the recent disaster at Sa- moa A number of the most pronounced disciplinarians of the service Ire not slow to condemn the actio. of Admiral Kimberly In allowing the vessels to be caught In such storm without using some precautionary measures This was the season of the year when hurricanes and tidal waves might be looked for, and the sailing directions plainly state this fact. Many officers think, especially since the story of the escape of British steamer Calliope, that there is sure to be an investigation by court of inquiry. The loss of life and ships will have to be in qulred into. If there was coal enough to get up steam on the ships 1t was, they say, Admiral Kimberly's duty to have fired on and them nf ho bor as the commander of the Calliope did and then rode out the gale. If there was no coal then the cause of this state of affairs should be in quired into and the respo nsibity placed where it belongs.
 The new steel gunboat Yorktown will be put in commission Wednesday. Command CT F. B. Chadwick, who has been naval at tache at the American Legation in London Tor the past seven years, has been ordered to command the ship. The Yorktown will not fer the present at least, be attached to any of the regular squadrons, but will be employed on special service.
 The President has given several sittiugs to Henry Savage Landor, who is to pro- duce portrait in oil of General Harrison at an early day. MT. Landor has completed a portrait of the daughter of Robert Lincoln ~AAe Ao Ao" WoAAAuS oA Ouo Ol tue Cl1neSe minister.
 A new candidate for the place of Co., troller of the Currency has appeared in the person of ex-Representative Edward l.. Lacy, of Charlotte, Mich. Mir. Lacy repre- sented the Third Congressional district of Michigan in the Forty seventh and Forty eighth Congresses and made considerable reputation for himself in that time in his work on financial matters in the House. He is banker and Senators McMillan and Stock bridge, who presented his name to the President emphasized the fact of his familiarity with banking matters. It is said that the appointment of the Con- troller Of the Currency will be made next week. MT. Richard Parsons, of Cleveland. is the other prominent candidate for the place.
 Funeral services were held yester- day at noon In the Senate reception room at the Capitol over the remains of James l. Christie, who died here Saturday morning. Senators Ingalls, Hawley, Teller and Hale and others, in fact nearly all the senators now in the city, number of con gressmen, and many personal friends of the deceased-including General Boynton, E. B. Wight, P. V. De Graw and many other journalists were present. Dr. Butler, Chaplain of the Senate, delivered brief oration, after which the remains were car ried to the Pennsylvania depot and at D. m. left for Dover, N. H. Mr. Frank Chris tic, brother of the deceased, also accompan- led tho remains to his home in New Hamp- shire.
 Great Day for the Meth odists.