The National tribune., 1892-03-24

The venerable Senator from Vermont, Justin
S. Morrill,, has been quite i'll for some days with
pneumonia, and his life has been desparsd of
several times because of his great age, he being
within month OF 50 years of age. But the
aged Senator thinks he will recover, being very
hopeful, which is half the battle. The Senator
is very much interested in the Virginia bond
tax bill, and had prepared speech in oppos
ton to the measure before he was taken sick.
he being very anxious to protect the interest of
the Government in the dispute between Vir-
ginia and West Virginia. When told the other
day by his doctors that he could. see no one
outside Of IBIS own household he said he must
see Senator Frye, OF Maine He was told that
this would be impossible. To this he replied:
Gentlemen, while live / shall be the master
of my own house. l shall send for Senator
Frye. and when ho comes will see him." Sena-
tor Frye was soon at the bedside of the aged
Senator, and was given the heads of speech
he wished Senator Frye to make in opposition
to the Virginia bill. But the long Executive
sessions which took place last week put the
Virginia tax bill aside for the time being and
Senator Morrill, again sent for Senator Frye.
that he would make the speech himself some
day in he near future. Senator Frye asked
that the Virginia bill be temporarily laid aside.
giving his reasons therefor, and Senator Fauik-
ner, of West Virginia, keeps the bill on the
table in hopes that Senator Morrill, will soon
be able to speak upon the bill. Should the
Senator's illness prove fatal there would be an
important recast of the Senate committees, he
being the Chairman of the Committee on FL
nance and member Of several other impor-
tant committees. Senator Morrill, has had a
long career i'll Congress, which begun when he
was elected to the 34th Congress as member
of the House. He served in that body in the
34th, Both, Seth, 37th, 3Sth, and 39th Con-
crosses; was elected Senator and took his seat
March 4, 1867, and has served in that body
since that time. making 81 years continuous
service in Congress.
s&x
Representative Charles o WE'LL, OF the Second
District of Pennsylvania, OIL account of his q
years Of almost continuous service in Congress,
is designated the "Fathcr of the House" He
commenced with the 3Sth Congress and with
the exception of the 42d Congress has served
continuously ever since. The only exclusive
prerogative conferred upon member by being
the Father OF the House " is to administer the
oath of Office to the Speaker at the organiza-
ton of each Congress. He is also allowed to
select his seat without drawing for it. But
when the present House was organized, Speaker
Crisp ignored Mr.. ONcill's prerogatve. and in
vited Representative Holman. of Indiana, to
| administer tho oath Of Office to him. 1t is said
by friends that the little Pennsylyanian's kind
heart was almost broken at thus being sighted
by Speaker Crisp. Representative Holman has
been a member Of Congress as many times as
has Mr.. ONeill, but his service has not been
as continuous. 1t is said of Mr.. O'Neil that he
knows every man, woman and child in his dis
trict, which is composed of six wards of the
city of Philadelphia. and that he takes the ut
most pains to perform any personal service
that may be requested Of him. He personally
answers every letter addressed to him, and his
mail is ono of the heaviest that comes through
the House Postoffico.
a@e
President Harrison worships at the Church
of the Covenant. listening to the preaching of
DIR. Hamline, who is, perhaps the highest
salaried preacher in Washington, receiving
$4,000 per anuum. The church is an offshoot
from the New York Avenue Presbyterian
Church, the one in which President Lincoln
worshiped. President Harrison is always &C.
companed by his wife, and sometimes by Mrs.
Mckee and DR.. Scott. Mrs. Harrisons veneer
able father, who is himself Minister of the
Gospel The President rents pew. which he
goes to without any ceremony. His church at
ic ,nlrf roll
dark heavy overcoat silk hat, and brown gloves
When the contribution plate reaches the Ex-
ecutives pew, the President always drops into
it crisp new bill, which is carefully folded.
re
A Washington coal dealer who had the con-
tract for supplying the United States Arsenal
with fuel, was arrested last week charged with
defrauding the Government 1t was found that
the supply of coal for the Arsenal had been ex-
hausted. and as the coal is issued and record
kept of who gets the coal, it was found that the
supply was some hundreds of tons short of
what the contract called for. The matter was
placed in the hands of the detective force, and
in short time they had in custody Serg't Rapp.
of the Army, who superintendent the weighing
of the coal. The Sergeant made confession,
stating that VIM. Z. Hodge, the contractor,
gave him $50 to sign receipts for coal that was
never delivered to the Arsenal. Upon this con-
fession by Serg't Rapp, Mr.. Hodge was arrested
and locked up. 1t appears that the shortage is
nearly 1000 tons of coal.
~ sna.5.1 e
7 A bitter fight was waged nearly all of last
week in the Executive sessions of the Senate
against the confirmation of William A. Woods,
of Indiana, as Judge of the Seventh Judicial
Circuit. The opposition was led by the In
diana Senators, Voorhees, and Turpie, who used
every effort to defeat Judge Woods and COM
ing so near it that the friends of Judge Woods
were not certain OF success until the last Sena-
tor had voted. The vote stood "a against to %
for confirmation, one majority-a pretty close
shave for the Judge. Senator Hoar. Chairman
of the judiciary Committee had placed Judge
Woods's name at the head of the list of judicial
nominees, and they were obliged to wait until
Judge WOOds's case was acted upon. The Re-
publicans present recorded their votes solidly
for Judge Woods, while the Democrats voted as
solidly against him. Senator PETER, of Kansas.
the Alliance successor of John J. Ingalls,, and
Senator Kyle, the Independent from South Da-
kota, both voted with the Democrats against
Judge Woods There were three Republican
Senators absent without pairs Stewart, of Ne
vada, Wolcott, of Colorado, and Perkins of
Kansas 1t is said that both Senators Stewart