Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1890-01-02
tFrom our regular Correspondent
Washington Letter.

WASHINGTON. ID. c., Dec. %. 1889
The President has decided to spend his
Christmas at the White House, although
to do so he was compelled to decline sew
eral very enticiug invitations to go else.
where Mrs. Harrison has seen no COM
pany since the death of her sister but she
will assist the President at the official
reception on New Years day.
Speaker Reed kept his word and an.
nounced all of the House standing COM
mittees on Saturday. The assignments
seem to give general satisfaction to the
members.
| If the present House continues as well
as it has begun it will deserve well of the
| country. First. Speaker Reed broke all
previous records in the appointment OF
| committees; and on Saturday an appropri-
alton bill the Dist riot of Columbia-was
reported to the House from the commit
| tee on Appropriations, the first time in the
| entire history of Congress that such a
! thing has been done before the holiday
| recess at the beginning Of a new session.
/ 1t is a great pleasure to be able to record
this bit of industry, and it is to be earnest
! ~ hoped that the good work will be kept
up when Congress comes together again
| January G.
Senator ingalls, doesn't want the present
| census, or rather that of 1890, to be a
repetition of the last one, which was no
toriously inaccurate, and by the way, all of
the tones of transformation, as Mr.. In
| gals termed the reports. have not yet been
printed. Senator Hale promises that the
eleventh census shall be much more prompt
than was the tenth.
Senator Hoar has introduced bill that
oil hpSi kn tn p,s
law as soon as possible 1t provides for
a uniform system of bankruptcy through
out the United States.
The House has by rcsolut on, requested
the Treasurer of the United States to take
charge of the money left by Silcott in the
safe of the Sergeant-at- Arms of the House
something like S35,000-untl some
agreement is reached by the House As to
its final disposition. The matter will be
settled after the recess.
The Senate confirmed large number of
nominations, including that of Justice
Brewer. before knocking of for Christmas.
Assistant Postmaster General Clarkson,
who has Just returned from Il visit to his
! home, in Iowa, says the talk about oppo-
slion to the re election of Senator Allison
is all bo>h; and that the republicans of
Iowa have never heard of it, except
through outside papers.
Senator Cullom has introduced a bill to
| establish a postal telegraph service. 1t
| authorizes the Postmaster General to IT axe
a five year contract with any existing
, telegraph company to transmit messages
between free delivery cities. The mes
sages are to be delivered by the regular
letter carriers The price will depend on
| how good a contract can be made with the
telegraph companies.
The Senate passed Senator Chandler 5
resolution calling upon the Secretary of
the Navy for information as to the exist
ence Of band of Naval officers organized
/ for the purpose of lobbying.
Somebody. or some committee. ought To
! have authority to exercise some sort of
| censorship over bills introduced in Con
| gress. Among the avalanche of measures
| poured into the House and Senate, par
| ticularly the former during the past week
are hundreds of bills that ii is sheer
waste of money to print Besides the
| foolish and absurd bills introduced
generally to get rid of some cranky
constituent. there are duplicates or almost
| duplicates, Of the interesting and really
important measures. II somebody would
take the trouble to figure up the cost Ia
1 the Government of these useless bills am
4 certain the amount would be astonishing
/ and that some method of stopping the
needless expenditure would be speedily
| discovered
| Commissioner Raum i reorganixing the
/ Pension bureau in order to increase lis al
] Indicating capacity. He has made change
/ that Will virtually give him the additional
| services Of - experienced clerks.
/ The House committee on elections has
I announced the programme for hearing the
/ Jantested election cases. 1t will begin
and continue oh the West Virginia cases,
last occupying the weJe disposed Of the
ruary l.. inning Feb