Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1892-11-17
WASHINGTON LETTER.
MATTERS AND THINGS IN GENERAL
AT THE NATIONAL CAPITAL.

AT THE NATIONAL CAPITAL.
Senator Sherman to Resign President
Harrison Refuses to Discuss the Election
The State d part ment Betrayed in its
Work on Alaska - Admission of New
Session Of Congress probable after Cleve-
lands Inauguration.
Especial for the BELLOWS FALLS TINES.
WASHINGTON, D. c., Nov. Is, 1892 -
The discovery of false statistics fur
nshed the treasury department by Ivan
Petroff, who has had charge of the CEN
sus work in Alaska, has just been made
public. When the Bering sea case came
up for arbitration it became ne Necessary
to get the assistance of all experts on
Alaska. Petrotf had charge of the cen
sus work there in 1880 and 1890, and
wrote the monologue issued by the
treasury department on that terrific ry.
He was therefore called from the census
bureau to the state department and in
trusted with the examination into and
compilation of certain facts relating to
the sealing il dustry. Some time after,
in examining the date, an error was dis
covered, and close examination showed
that nearly the whole information fur
nished by Petroff had been falsified, but
in way that showed clearly the falsifi-
cation was intentional. The infOrma ton
had already been incorporated with the
case of this government, as sent to Lon
don. and formed part of the arch upon
which the claim Of the United States
rested. The British government was at
once notified that the United States had
been led into errors of statement and
that correction would be made when
the counter-case, as the supplementary
papers are called, was submitted. The
question has arisen, if Petroff's ork in
this connection has been falsified, are
not also his census figures unreliable?
There is no law to meet the act, and
Pttroff will simply lose his position, with
any situation under the government
again. He is Russian about 60 years
old, and lived in Alaska about 40 years.
Secretary Foster says there is no foun-
dation in the report that the adminstra-
ton has modified its policy restricting
immigration as a pre- caution against the
introduction Of cholera. He says that
sanitary experts declare that cholera " ill
undoubtedly reappear in the spring and
that it " ill be dangerous for the federal
authorities 70 relax their vigilance in
keeping out of the country all persons
or meI CT andise at all liable to carry the
of hn Nho
presidents order of September l, estab-
fishing a 20 days quarantine against all
immigrants sailing FRI m infected ports
to the United States, except in special
cases, is still in full force and effect and
S, cretary Foster says there is no
prospect for its modification or re-
peal in view Of the possible temperance
of cholera in Europe. AS an indication
that the department does not intend to
relax its vigilance. the secretary has Or
dered the detention at Cape Charles of
nearly 1000 immigrants who had come
from Bremen i" violation of the presi-
dents order. Although he regretted the
hardships imposed by his action, he felt
it necessary in order that there may be
no room for further mis apprehension as
to the policy of the government.
There are several vacancies in the
higher offices Of the executive depart
ments of the government, and the prob
lem of filling them has been considerably
complicated by the result of the election,
as they cannot be regar ded as desirable
prizes since the appointees would, no
doubt, be expected to step down and out
next March. In the postoffice depart
ment the first assistant postmaster gen.
erals office Is vacant and Mr.. Fowler,
the chief clerk of the office, is acting first
assistant. In the interior department
there is one important vacancy, that of
the commissioner of the general land Of
flee, now being temporarily filed by As
sistant Commissioner Stone. 1t has been
suggested that Mr.. Carter might be in
duced to return and serve until March 4,
but this is improbable. Several diplo-
matte places are vacant which may now
20 begging, amor g them being the Itsl
ian mission, the Rus sian mission, the
Portuguese mission, the Swiss mission,
and finally the Chinese mission.
The strong probability Of an extra
session of congress, Immediately follow
ing the Inauguration of the president
elect, is subject of general conversa-
ton in Washington. A special session
of the senate is always called at the e
ginning q new administration to confirm
the members of the cabinet and the new
diplomatic representatives of the United
States abroad. But the present election
having turned on a question of domestic