Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-01-09
CAPITOL GLEANINGS.
Nominations Confirmed Apr
priation Bill--Contests, Etc.

| Nominations Observation-Disclosures Appro-
4 priation Bill--Contests. Etc.
The diplomatic and consular appropriation
bill. approved by the House committee on for
eign affairs yesterday, carries appropriations
aggregating 4l,6sB936 or sac 600 less than the
| appropriations for the same purposes for the
present fiscal year. Sixteen consuls who have
heretofore received annual fees amounting to
al; s!s are transferred by tho bill to the sala-
ried list and $4,000 is appropriated to pay
| them.
THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER rxs1ovEMrxzs
| Capt Kingman, a member Of the Mississippi
river board. addressed the House committee
on the improvement of the Mississippi yester-
day, speaking in favor of complete levce sys-
| tenn and against tho Lake Bowen outlet project.
Capt. Taylor. also u member Of the board, adj
dressed the committee today.
SAYS THE LETTER Is A FORGERY.
Representative Turner, when asked about
the published letter purporting to have been
written by him offering to give $4,000 to Mr.
! McGarth in the event of his (Turner's) election
to succeed Senator Ingalls, said: The letter re-
ferred 10 is a forgery pure and simple, I am
inclined to think written from here by a disap-
pointed Office seeker. who planned to throw
the letter into the camp of the enemy, knowing
that it would be published. He had access to
my Office in my absence as well as when present
where he did his writing. hope to be able to
trace ii down"
MEDALS FROM THE KING OF SWEDEN.
The House committee on foreign affairs has
authorized favorable report on the bill, in
troduced in the House by Mr.. Hit of Illinois,
authorizing the State Department To deliver to
tho officers and crew Of the United States
steamer Baltimore certain medals from the
King Of Sweden and Norway, designed as
presents for the purpose Of commemorating the
Tn SvvQ dnp In
ing back to his native country the remains Of
Captain John Ericsson.
| sUELErTISG OF MAIL CONTRACTS.
The Speaker laid before the House yesterday
letter from the Postmaster General replying
| to the House resolution in reference to alleged
| inefficient mail service in rural districts at
trlbuted to the subletting of mail contracts
The Postmaster General says the sublettng of
contracts is authorized by an act of Congress
The advlsability OF modifying the law 30 as to
prohibit subletting he says, has received con-
siderable attention from Congress, and two
methods have been recommended by those adj
vocating changes: First, TO prohibit subletting
altogether, and second, requiring the approval
OF bidders snreties by postmasters at post Of
hces upon or contiguous to the routes to which
the proposals relate. He says the department
prefers continuing, for time at least. to test
Its ability to advance the star branch of the
mail service by most rigid enforcement of eX-
letlIiS reg uldtlOnb rdtner tnan DIV the renewal
of a recommendation for the Enactment of new
statutes.
NOMINATIONS AND COMBINATIONS. +
The President late yesterday afternoon sent
to the Senate the nomination of Samuel C.
Mills to be justice Of the peace for the District
OF Columbia; also large number of postmas-
tiers, including the following in Virginia:
Thompson s. Brown, Waynesborough.
The Senate yesterday confirmed the following
nomination.: Matte b. Todd, postmaster at
Cynthiana, KY; First Lieuts. Henry H. Wright
ninth cavalry, John A. Baldwin ninth infantry,
Marion p Maus first infantry, Frederick A.
Smith twelfth infantry, Thos. C. Woodbury.,
reginental quartermaster, sixteenth infantry,
q. LeR. Brown, eleventh infantry, and Horace
b. Sarson, regimental quartermaster. second in
fantry, to be captains: second Lieuts. Vim. II.
Baldwin, seventh cavalry, Herbert G. Squiers,
seventh cavalry, and VIM. N. Hughes, thirteenth
infantry. to be first heutenants: Lieut. Col.
Anthony Heger, surgeon, to be surgeon and
colonel; Maj. Geo. N. Sternberg, surgeon, to
be surgeon and lieutenant colonel; J.. N. Will
liams, late captain eighth cavalry, to be cap
tain of cavalry.
The House committee on elections will en-
deavor next Tuesday TO dispose of the con-
| tested election case of Eaton against Phelan
from Tennessee. There may be some diff
Guilty in securing quorum of the committee
Before tire holidays the democratic members
Of the committee prevented action on the case
by absenting themselves, leaving the commit
tee without quorum. -Four contested cleo
ton cases are now on the House calendar
awaiting the action of the House. Two of them
have been decided by the committee in favor
OF the republican contestants and the other
two In favor of the democratic contestees.