Birmingham age-herald., 1894-09-18
WASHINGTON GOSSIP. The Dreaded Yellow Envelope
 Going the Round, AND HEADS BEING CHOPPED By the Dozen-GoId Reserve on the Upward Climb-ShipS
 for Asiatic Waters.
AND HEADS BEING CHOPPED

WAsHINGToN, Sept. 1.-The comp troller of the currency has declared third dividend of 10 per cent in favor of the cred itors of the State National bank of Knox vile, Tenn. making in all 55 per cent.
 EMPLoYEs WORKED UP.
 Employees of the treasury department are thoroughly worked up over the discharges now being made to carry into effect the re- organization provided by the Dockery com mission. So far the 'taX'' has fallen most heavily upon the women employees, and many high priced female clerks have been discharged. The scenes today and Satur- day when the dreaded yellow envelope con- taining the discharge was handed to the victims were in many cases pathetic. It was not unusual to have half dozen groups of crying clerks iu one bureau. Many of the female clerks discharged had been long in the service, and one case Is mentioned of woman who was among the first ever appointed to government ohce oy United States Treasurer Spinner over thirty five years ago. Twelve clerks were discharged today.
 GOLD RESERVE CLIMBING.
 The gold reserve increased today nearly S400, QUO, standing at the close of business in the treasury at S57 ,430, ,351.
 TO REINFORCE THE AsIATIC SQUADRON.
 The first matter that occupied the atten- tion of Secretary Herbert today, when he returned to the navy department after five weeks absence, was that of reinforcing the Asiatic squadron, and, after brief consultation with Secretary Gresham be issued preliminary orders to the com manders of the Machias and Detroit to prepare to proceed to China as soon as possible.
 The Machias is ordered to be put into commission at the New York navy yard tomorrow. She will be ready for sea in about three weeks and will sail as soon as she is joined by the Detroit, which IS now being repaired at Norfolk. The Machias will carry the Columbian relics which were exhibited at Chicago last year, leaving those belonging to Spain at Cadiz and re- turning the Vatican collection to Rome.
 These relics will be sent over to New ork in charge Of state department official and a marine guard, and they will be delivered at their dest nations with considerable cere- mony. The Detroit and Machias are ex- pecled to reach China early in Dsce mber.
 CONSUL GENERAL POLLOCK DEAD.
 Secretary Gresham this evening received a telegram from Consular Agent Albert Cooper at La Libertad announcing the death of Consul General Alexander l.. Pol lock at Salvador from yellow fever. MT. Pollock was a native of Austria, but was citiZsn of Utah when he was sent to Saiva- dor, September 2S, 1855.
 
 The sweeping general orders providing for the concentrating Of the United States army at the great railway centers was ls- sued from Headquarters this afternoon. It is in substaDce as follows:
 Ten of the twenty-five in fantry regiments are concentrate at single posts. The abandoned posts are Fort Wood, on Bed Ioe's island, New York harbor; Fort On. tario, near Oswego, N. Y.; Newport Bar racks, Ky; Mount Vernon Barracks, Ala; MiaI Butte, Wyo. Fort Bowie and Fort San Carlos, Ariz.; Fort Marcy and Fort Sup ply, I. T.
 The regiments to come east in whole or in part are the Third and Sixth cavalry, the Thirteenth and Seventeenth infantry, while the whole Twentieth infantry takes station at Fort Leavenworth.
 The department of the east will be in- creased by nineteen companies, while the Platte loses seven, Colorado four and Da- kota eight. The east will now have 119 companies and thirty-one posts, but there will still remain west of the Mississippi river forty-nine posts, garrisoned by 245 companies. Davis island, Pennsylvania, will be occu pied by the First artillery after October 1. Fort Ethan Allen, Vermont, will have four troops of the Third cavalry.
 SECRETARY CARLISLE WRITES.
 A great many letters have been received at the treasury department recently mak- ing inquiries concerning the coinage of silver dollars and the redemption and can ceiling of treasury notes, and in order to avoid the labor of repsating the informa- tion in answer to each letter Secretary Car lisle today dictated a memorandum on the subject tor publication.
 The memorandum quotes the first, second and third sections of the Sherman act, un- der which the silver now held by the treas- ury department was purchased, and says; It will be seen from the foregoing that while, the law provides that redeemed treasury notes may be reissued, it also in the same section imposes au express linn itation upon the power to reissue by de- clariug that "uo greater or less amount or such notes shal be outstanding at any time than the cost of the silver bullion ana the standard silver dollars coined there- from then held in the treasury purchased by such notes."
 When such notes are redeemed in gold there is no obstacle in the way of their re- issue, because such redemption does not affect the stock of silver held in the treas ury under the act of July IA, 1890, but when they are redeemed with silver coined from the bullion purchased under that act they must be retired and cancelled, for other wise there would be after the redemption and reissue greater amount of notes out standing than the cost of silver originally purchased and then held in the treasury, and this is expressly prohibited by the stat ute. The purpose of congress was to pre- vent the duplication of currency, which would be the case if the notes and silver purchased with the notes could be out standing at the same time. Treasury notes received in the ordinary course of business or redeemed in gold, or changed for silver I..lIf If<<sx <1t,n n rnd