The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1890-01-23

from the corps of Judge Advocates and the
| Majors by appointment from other branches of
the army, of officers who have served at least
1Oyears. Officers Of the Department may bo re-
tired after reaching 50 years of age and serv-
| ing % years.
URGING THE EXODUS OF THE NEGROES.
Senator Butler, of South Carolina, made an
elaborate speech in the Senate last week, in
support OF his bill TO encourage the emigration
| of persons of color" from the Southern States.
/ Mr.. Butler wants S5,000000 set apart to assist
! ont of the country such colOred persons as may
! formally apply TO the Quartermaster-G General OF
/ the Army for aid 10 emigrate from the country.
/ The Congo Free State has been decided upon rs
/ the dumpng-ground for the blacks who may be
/ induced TO leave the United States, and rs
! stimulus 10 eXpatriatiou. an inspiring picture
of future powerful Black Republic IN the
/ Congo Basin, civilized, controlled and guided
/ 10y American negroes, has been drawn 10y the
4 ready fancy aud persuasive cloquence of SEN
/ ator Morgan. of Alabama, who recently made
/ quite lengthy speech in favor of the bill. Tho
/ bill has little chance of ever becoming law,
/ for a majority of the Southern men in Congress
] cannot possibly see how they can do without
the niger" while people from other sections
would not support such proposition under any
circumstances. The measure is taking MP con-
siderable of the valuable time of the Senate,
however, and should be squelched ut the very
first opportunity.
NOT MUCH CHANCE FOR A DUEL.
Rumors have been a6oat for the past week
that a duel was likely to take place between
Senator Plumb, OF Kansas, and Senator Call. of
/ Florida, because of the excessively personal
! quality of the debate on Tuesday last. The ru-
NOR was no doubt started in Joke. but good
1 many persons concluded that as Senator Call
has been absent from his seat III the Senate for
several days he had placed himself in the
/ do of ~ fri Int Il N
ator would undoubtedly hear from him. and
/ visions of a meeting in the early dawn at the
/ historic ground near Biadensburg have lifted
! through the minds of the special correspondents
\ here in Washington Senator Plumb, when in-
terviewed had heard nothing of the hostile in
tentions of Senator Call, but remarked that it
would not he difficult for anyone desiring to
| see him on dRg kind of business to find him
either in or around the :Captol at all times.
| The chances are however. that the matter will
never 20 10 such length as duel, for both
men are level headed, and entirely too sensible
/ to risk personal encounter, where they have
! everything TO lose and nothing to gain.
ARREARS OF PAY AND BOUNTY.
On Thursday last Secretary of the Treasury
! Window transmitted to the House of Represent
atives, with favorable recommendation, COM
munication from the Second Auditor of the
! Treasury making estimates of appropriations
/ TO pay claims of volunteers who served during
/ the war of the rebellion, and their widows
and legal heirs for arrears Of pay and bounty
/ during the six months ending June 80, 1880,
aud during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1891,
as follows: Jan. l 10 June 80 1880 $500 900;
July /, 1890. to June 80, 1891, S6s0,0O0.
NEW SECRETARY FOR THE SOLDIERS
HOME.
On Tuesday last orders were issued from the
War Department relieving Capt. Benjamin f.
! Rittenhousc u. s. A.. retired, from the Secre-
| tary and TreasureTship of the Soldiers Home
near Washington. and assigning Capt. Richard
c. Parker, u. S. A., retired, TO that position
! Capt. Ritteuhouses name has appeared in the
columns of The NATIONAL TRIBUNE quite
| frequently Of late in the Story of a Cannon
! GER" as hc commanded Grifin's battery. or
| Rittenhousc's battery-D, 9th Art. The duty
| of Secretary and Treasurer devolves by law
| upon q retired officer OF the Army, and be
eeives $1,000 per annum in addition TO his re-
tired pay for his services. He has large sums
OF money 10 handle in this position, and Is re-
quired 10 furnish heavy bond for the faithful
performance of his duties. The Office rotates
among retired officers according 70 the four
year-tour-of-duty rule laid down by precedent,
bat Capt. Ritteuhouse has been the incumbent
OF the office for eight years, and has served
with general satisfaction 10 the Governors of
the Home aud the men.
Capt. Parker. the new Secretary and Treas
urer, enlisted in the 9Th Pa IN April, 1861. but
was shortly afterward May. 1861 promoted 10
3 LieuteHantcy in the 18th u. S., in which
regiment he served continuously until March
20 1873 when, while commanding the post ut
Fort Yuma, Cal. he was retired for disabilities
contracted in the line Of duty.
CLAIMS PENDING IN THE PENSION OFFICE.
count just completed shows that there are
now 400. 556 unadj udicaled aud pending claims
on file in the Pension Office. classified AS fol-
lows: Invalid claims. 1855; widows claims,
1880; invalid increase claims, 100, ZIG; wild
ows' increase and accrued claims, 2.ii5. OF
these cases g, $40 have been placed upon the
list OF completed files for immediate cousid-
Grafton; the entire adjudicating force Of the
Bureau will devote five days in each week
TO the consideration of these completed cases
until the list is disposed Of.
OUR NEW NAVY.
| Word comes from Lisbon, Portugal, that the
/ United States Squadron Of Evolution had all
| arrived safely in that port, although the York
town came into port some 80 hours behind the
rest of the squadron. Her commander reported
| that on the 18th Of December lie was obliged
| 10 heaye-to on account Of the tremendous sea
wbah was running. During this operation the
vessel shipped heavy sea. which carried every
/ thing movable of her decks. Her steering
/ gear was also broken, and ID became necessary
/ TO lower a whaieb0at 10 act drag on one Of
| her quarters This boat had 10 be abandoned
/ because Of the terrible batterng IL received
| during the gale After lyng-to for A. hours
/ Capt. Chadwick. when the sea lulled somewhat.
concluded 10 run into Fayal, Azores, to repair
/ his steering gear aud take on more coal The
| yorktown remained at Fayal two days and a
/ half aud then made the journey to Lisbon
/ quite easily in three days, the distance being
/ $40 miles The other vessels Of the squadron
behaved ia the most satisfactory manner al
/ though subjected for several days to one Of the
! feTeest gales that has been known for years,
/ ind have fully established their sea going
| qualities
WORK OF THE PENSION OFFICE.
During the week ending Jan. Is. 1890, 5.e49
claims were received Of which ] 800 were origi-
| nal invalid, 537 widows, war of 1872 I2
| bounty land, SO navy, old war, 80 on ac-
/ count Of Mexican service, and 34I0 appIica-
/ tions for increase. The names and postoniee
addresses Of 57lI officers and comrades were
/ furnished for the use Of claimants. There
were G32l7 pieces Of mail matter received
/ s. 633 letters and blanks sent out
The number Of cases detailed to Special Ex-
aminers was s36; 7G9 reports and cases from
| Special Examiners; cases on hand for special
examination, II ,334.
| Report Of certificates issued during week
! ending Jan. 10, 1890: Original, 1861; in
crease, 1867 reissue. 1874; restoration, 30;
| duplicate, o.; accrued, 90; arrears o act Of
March 3. 1888, o order April 3, 1884, o; act of
! Aug. 4, 1885, o. supplemental, o; arrears June
z, 1893, o; Mexican war; 40; total. 1,G37.
s0LICITOR-GEEERAL CHAPMAN DEAD.
Hon Orlow w. Chapman, Solicitor General