The National tribune., 1892-05-19

and not attempt to starve it to death. This
amendment was voted down, as was ono offered
by Mr. Bailey, OF Texas, to strike out the ap-
preparation altogether, the cowboy statesman
claiming that Congress had no right to tax
men and women OF the United States to feed
monkeys and bears.
The amendment to the Naval Appropriation
bill providing $4,000 for the grand review of
tho navies OF the world in Hampton Roads,
Va, and New York Harbor next April, was
adopted by the Senate last week without oppo-
stion. This is considered as simply prelimi-
nary appropriation, which will enable the
President to extend invitations to foreign Ma
tons as directed by existing law. When these
invitations shall have been accepted, as it is
expected they will be by all Nations invited
before the next session Of the SD Congress- there
will then be plenty of time to make the neces-
sary appropriation for receiving and enter
tanning our official guests who will accompany
the various fleets. The meaning of the present
small appropriation is explained by the ques-
ton of Mr.. Mcpherson, who asked, In tho
opinion of the Committee, is so, sufficient
appropriation for tho Government to conduct
that great review" and the reply of Mr..
Hale, "No, not by any means; but it Is all
that can be expended for the present. The
Secretary of the Navy thought that this would
cover NIL the purposes he wished TO accomplish
for the present. Next Winter, of course, there
| will be another appropriation needed"
sss
The attempt which has been made to smiroh
the character of the Presidents son. Russell
Harrison, by charging that he had been pur-
chased by the present Of certificates of stock
in the Yellowstone Park Association, to use his
influence with the Secretary of the Interior in
behalf of tho association. received very black
eye on Friday, May -, when President Oakes,
of the Northern Pacific Railroad, testified be-
fore the committee investigating the park con-
tracts that Russell Harrison knew nothing
whatever about the 5000 shares of stock of the
park association being set aside for his use.
Mr.. Cakes said that the certificates of stock
had been prepared to be presented to Mr. Har-
rison and were ell ready for the proper sigma
turos but that at subsequent meeting it was
agreed not to issue them.
&c
Speaker Crisp laid before the House On FRI
day, May ID, communication from Secretary
of the Interior Noble submitting an estimate
of the deficiency in the appropriation for army
and navy pensions for the current fiscal year
| of 1854 1892 and recommending that this def
cheney be supplied from the unexpended balance
of 1884, 079 which was covered back into the
Treasury from the appropriations made for the
fiscal year which ended June 30, 1891.
~#*
Representative Hoar Of Massachusetts, intro
| dnced resolution in the House On Friday,
May Is, which says that a committee of the
| 50th Congress reported that the Government
Printing Office should be conducted without
regard being paid to political considerations,
| and that it is alleged that during the present
| Administration a number Of experienced, COM
| petent men have been dismissed from the Office
for political reasons and their places filed by
| incompetent men. The resolution then calls
upon the Government Printer to furnish list
of all persons dismissed between May, 1888, and
| April, 1892, and the reasons therefor; the num-
Der reinstated, and also the number Of former
Union soldiers dismissed during the period
stated-one charge being that the law giving
ex- Union soldiers preference had been disrs-
garded.
| The Senate Committee on Civil Service and
Retrenchment last weak ordered favorable
report on Senator Gallingers BILL which re-
quires the heads of Executive Departments
to dismiss from the public service all persons
who are not citizens of the United States by
nativity or complete naturalization, and pro-
hibiting the appointment of such persons in
the future. Strange as it may seem, this bill
was required to keep aliens out of the public
service in this country, where there are thou
sands of veterans who would be grateful to the
Government they permitted to live for the
least of the places now filed by people who
are not citizens of the United States, and who
never rendered the country the least service.
The writer can name at least 20 aliens who are
now holding good Government positions with
high salaries, who do not care enough for the
country to take out naturalization papers, and
it is high time that this should be stopped.
"a.
We recently made reference in these columns
to letter written jointly to Secretary Foster
by Senator Chandler, of New Hampshire, and
representative Stump, Vi b1aTyIduu III
they scored the officials of the Treasury De-
partment for their actions in trying to shift the
responsibility for the large expenditures made
in fitting up Ellis Island for place to land
immigrants; also aying they were glad even
at this late date to know that enough regard to
law had at last been shown by the Department
to ask the opinion Of the Attorney General
upon the matter of whether the nse of the head
tax on immigrants was permissible. Secre-
tary Foster felt indignant over the tone OF this
letter, and last week wrote spicy letter to
the Joint Committee investigating the Ellis
Island expenditures, in which he says that
"whle both the substance and spirit of your
letter are occasion for profound surprise,
reasonable regard for those proprieties which
characterize correspondence on public ques-
tons between officials representing different
branches of the Government will protect me
against any temptation to adopt similar tone,
and thereby to double the occasion for aston
ishment and regret" Mr.. Foster also says that
he has not and will not communicate to the
Attorney General the facts recapitulated in the
letter OF Messrs. Chandler and Stump, conclud-
ing with the statement that he as Secretary OF
the Treasury 81 is responsible for what has been
done at Ellis Island; that in the main l be-
lieve it to have been well and wisely done, and