Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1894-02-02
WASHINGTON LETTER
SPECIAL CORRESPONDENCE

urea recently, mas been summoned 20
appear before the Senate COMMITTEES
appointed to investigate the Hawaiian
trouble.
Some OLD PENSIONERS. That there
are still living a number of aged per-
sons, survivors or relicts of the sur
vivors of the war of 1912, is one OF the
curious facts developed before the
House Committee on Invalid Pensions.
On six bills on which the committee
have ordered favorable reports three
were the direct result of that war.
Another was to pension an aged
daughter of a Revolutionary soldier.
WASHINGTON BLrE Book. Accord.
ing to the new Washington Blue Book,
just published, of 10, 900 persons In
the Federal service in Washington,
3,34S hail from that city, 1,576 from
New York state 1898 from Pennsyl-
vsnia, 7s8 from Maryland, 1913 from
Virginia, and only IL from Wyoming.
Maine, Connecticut, New Hampshire,
and Vermont; four New England
States have each Of them fair recogni-
tion in proportion OF population.
The BUDGET. The House Commit
tee on Appropriations have two Of their
bills completed and are ready to re-
port to the House after the Tariff bill
is out of the way. These are the Pen
The Pension bill will carry an appro-
priation of $3.50. 900, 900. the amount
of the estimate furnished by Commits
sioner Lochren. The appropriations
for the current year we're about 1885,
500, 900, but the officials of the Pen
sion Bureau, both in the last admins
tration and in this, are of opinion
that high-water mark in the expendi-
ture for pensions has been passed.
The amount of the District of Colum-
bia bill will not vary materially from
that of the bill for the current year,
about S5, 500, 900.
ARMY INSPECTORS REPORT.
are many curious and interesting fes-
lures tucked away in the generally
prosy reports Of Army Inspectors. For
instance, the average height of soldi era
reported during the last year differs
but little from that Of the preceding
year, but a decrease is noted in the
range of extremes, which is this year
from feet for the shortest to 6 feet
~ inches for the tallest man in the
army. This range is found in the
Twenty-fourth Infantry, (colored),
which also in the preceding year
claimed the tallest man in the army.
For the cavalry the figures are 76 and
81 inches, and for the artillery 76 and
Gil inches. There is falling of in
the number of married soldiers in the
army, to which condition the authori-
ties are opposed.
APPRECIATE THE DIGNITY.-It il .
curious fact that the Southerners are
more punctillious in the matter Of
attendance, as a rule, than the sem
ators from the North. Mills, Nor
gan, Coke, Butler and Harris are
seldom absent from the chamber.
One reason is that the Southron, from
early training, appreciates the dignity
of his position more than the average
Northerner, but the most potent reason
is that he is less concerned with private
business. Most of them depend entire
ly upon their salaries for their incomes.
How HoAR DOES IT.-Senator Hoar
dictates all his correspondence to his
stenographer in the Senate Chamber
while the Senate is in session. He
takes his place on one of the big leather
sofas in the rear of the chamber,
perches his private secretary beside
him on the left and big pile Of
letters on the right, and reads his cor
fespondence and dictates replies by the
half hour. Hoar is the only member
Of the Senate who indulges in this prsc-
tice regularly, and he is one OF the few
Senators who make it a point to peruss
and answer all their correspondence in
person.
LUCKY CHICAGO. - Representative
Black Of Illinois went before a sub.
committee OF the House Committee on
Public Buildings and Grounds and
made An exhaustive argument favoring
an appropriation of 81, 900, 900 ior q
new public building at Chicago. At
the conclusion of Mr.. Blacks argu-
ment, the ub-committee unanimously
agreed to report the bill favorably to
the full committee.
The NICARAGUA CANA1.-Mr. Nor
gan, chairman Senate Committee on
Foreign Affairs, introduced 3 bill in
the upper House smendatory of the
act incorporating the Maritime Canal
Company OF Nicaragua. 1t hxes the
capital stock at 1,000,0 900 shares Of
800 each, and requires that, in con-
sideration of this act, all stock hereto.
fore subscribed or issued, except as
provided in this act, shall be cancelled
and restored to the treasury of the
company, and all bonds issued and OBJ
legations to deliver bonds shall be re-
deemed and cancelled, all outstanding
liabilities satisfied, all contracts not con-
sistent with the provisionsof thisact be
cancelled, itbeing the intentand object
of this act to secure the construction of
Nicargagua Canal by the said company,
with the aid of the United States to
the extent set out in the act, upon the
basis of the concessions of Nicaragua
and Costa Rica. The company is su-
thorized to issue bonds to an amount
not exceeding $40, 100000, bearing
date of Jan. l, 1894, to be pay
able Jan. /, 1854, but redeemabls
at the pleasure of the United States
any time after Jan. /, 1904, with in
terest at three per cent provided that
prior to July /, 1897, no bonds shall
be paid from the Treasury in ex>sss OF
$50, 900, 900, and on or before that day
the President of the United States