Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-01-21
LATEST FROM the CAPITOL.
Proposed Legislation and Interesting
Gossip


The House military Affairs committee have
an assistant secretary of war at . salary Of
1880 per year.
PROPOSED REORGANIZATION OF TIE LAND OFFICE.
The efficiency Of the general land office is
the theme Of bill introduced today by Sem
ator Teller; il IL an amended edition Of q bill
Tor similar purpose laid before che Senate q
month ago. The bill provides that there shall
De IN the land Office nine chiefs Of division who
, Snal receive salary OF S2.500 per annum.
Ihese chiefs OF division are 70 be appointed by
the Secretary Of tho Interior
PAT OF NAVY YARD xNPLoYEs
ITO regulate the pay of employees at the
Washington navy yard" ID the title Of . bill
introduced In the Senate this afternoon by
Senator Hale. The measure grades the pay Of
all per diem employees in accordance with the
pay OF per diem employees Of the same classes
and grades in the United States navy ward at
BROOKLYN The bill Is ide ntical with the one in
troduced In the House by Representative Lodge
Senator Hale also introduced Mr.. Lodges bill
70 femunerate employees OF United States navy
yards for time lost in consequence Of injuries
received In said yards. The bill provides that
in no case shall the payment continue for a
period exceeding twenty six consecutive weeks.
SAYS He WAS TIE FIRST NAN WOUNDED IN THE
WAR.
The name Of John swearer was heard in the
Senate today. Mr.. swearer wants his pension
increased, and be bases his claim not only on
the fact that he was wounded but
also on the belief that he was the
first man wounded in the war Of the rebellion.
Others who were wounded since he have been
cared for but he is still without any more tan
gible recognition than "a per month. The
petition recites the facts in the case and
they show that SWearer, bricklayer.
was at work on Fort Sumter when ii was bonn
barded and that he dropped his trowel and
worked ct the guns He was wounded
by fragment Of shell and he
produces lots Of testimony to show
not only his courage and fidelity. but also to
prove that he was undoubtedly the one-time
possessor OF the first blood shed in the Union
cause.
Twenty dollars a month will satisfy Mr..
Swearer who, by the way, lives at Baltimore.
DOESN'T LIKE THE DIMrNUTIvE COINS.
Senator Jones Of Nevada doesn't want any
more % and 81 gold pieces to be put into cir
cuiation, and he also has an antipathy to the
three cent nickel piece SO today he introduced
bill which, if it becomes q law, will suppress
the coinage OF those specimens Of numismatic
art
GETTYSBURG MEMORIALS.
Senator Quay this afternoon introduced bill
authorizing and directing the Secretary of War
to deliver to the Gettysburg battlefield memo
rial association specimens of the arms, equip
ments, projectiles. uniforms and other material
OF war used by the armies in the battle of
Gettysburg, for the purpose of preserving and
exhibiting them in the museum at the house
used by Maj. Gen. Meade for headquarters.
PETITIONS IN BEHALF OF THE BLAIR BILL
The central bureau OF relief has petitioned
Congress to pass the Blair bill The petition,
which was introduced by Senator Blair, had
attached to it the signatures Of Perry
II. Carson and the other officers and members
OF the organization. In connection with the
presentation of the position Mr.. Blair submit
ted few remarks, in which he intima,ed that
the right of petition did not amount
to anything just now because the Sen
ate suppressed those documents instead
OF spreading them ON the record
The Senator also called attention to a bunch
of seventeen petitions from citizens of the
District OF Columbia asking for the passage of
the education bill
CONTESTED ELECTION CASES.
For two weeks the House elections commit
tee has listened to arguments upon contested
election cases, including four West vir-
ginia and one Arkansas case This
week, according to previous arrange
ment, is to be devoted to action upon their
cases, and the committee began this morning
to consider the West Virginia case of Smith
against Jackson, but reached no on,lusion
and will further consider the case tomorrow.
NOTES.
Major Powell will this evening address the
irrigation committee OF the Senate in the rooms
OF the public lands committee.