The Washington times., 1895-05-29
DENIED TO ALL VISITORS.

State Department Busy in the Dis
charge of the Formalities.
Tie State Department twas technically
closed yesterday, admission being denied
to all visitors, although the entire force of
employees were kept in waiting to assist In
the discharge of the formalities attendant
upon MITIGATION to the foreign powers of
the nations loss.
Acting Secretary Uhl, hollow-eyed and
nervous as the result OF his all-nght vigil
at the door of the death chamber, was
early at his post Engaged in the preparation
Of orders TO be signed by the President, and
in frequent communication with the family
of the dead Secretary.
Within three-quarterS of an hour after
the end came he had dispatched brief
cable messages to the four ambassadors
who represent the United States abroad
To Mr.. Bayard at London, Mr.. Eustis at
Paris, Mr.. Runyon at Berlin and Mr.
Mary eagh at Rome, stating that Secretary
Gresham had expired at 1:15 O'clock. In
addition, Mr.. Eustis was directed 10 send
like announcement to all of the United
States legations.
Mr. Uhl prepared also a draft of a formal
note Intended to be sent TO the repre-
sentatives of the foreign nations accredited
to Washington, and also for transmission
TO the United States representatives abroad,
Gresham's death in more formal style than
could be attained in a brief cable message.
The President, accompanied by Mrs.
Cleveland, came to the White House about
1910, and he was Immediately waited
upon by Acting Secretary Uhl with this
notice. An official order was also pre-
pared closing the executive departments
on the day appointed for the funeral.
This was drawn up for the consideration
NJ Cabinet n
low as closely as possible the official pro-
cedure in the case OF the death of Secretary
Window, the most recent instance of
the death of Cabinet officer.
About O'Clock Baron Hengelmuller, the
minister of Austro- Hungary, called at the
State Department to personally express
his regret. His was the first visit of the
kind to the State Department, and was
made even before he had been officially
notified.
The procedure in the case of Secretary
Windom's death, above referred to- is in
dicated in the following order, dated jan
uary 81, 1891, aud issued by President
Harrison:
''AIi the departments Of the executive
branch of the government and the officers
subordinate thereto shall manifest due
respect to the memory of this eminent cit
iZen in a manner consonant with the dig
nifty of the office which he has honored by
his devotion to the public duty.
That the Treasury Department, in al Its
branches in this capital be draped in mourn
ing for the period of thirty days; that on
the day of the funeral the several executive
departments shall be closed and that on all
public buildings throughout the United
States the national flag shall be displayed
at half-mast."
While it is at present the intention to
follow the precedent setinthe Window case,
there must be one important departure, and
that Is the omission OF llsigns of mourning
with which the great executive department.
buildings were draped for thirty days. In
the legislative, executive and judicial
appropriation act approved March 8, 1898,
building, owned or used for public purposes,
by the government OF the United States
shall be draped in mourning and no part
of the public fund shall be used for such
purpose"
Two years before this, in the act ap-.
proved February 6, 1891, Congress had
also changed the law affecting the sue
cession to such an office as is now vacated
by the death of Secretary Gresham so as to
read: "a vacancy occasioned by death
or resignation must not be temporarily
filled (under the three preceding sectionsl
for longer period than thirty days"
The old law had limited the duration of O.
temporary appointment in such cases to
ten days, but the President may now
designate Mr.. Uhl to act as Secretary of
State for thirty days at most. In fact
that is just what President Harrison did
after Secretary Blaine's resignation, for
Mr.. Wharton acted under his designation
as Secretary OF State for the full legal
period, and Secretary Foster was not ap-
pointed until the last of the thirty days.