The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1895-11-08
LETTER FROM WASHINGTON.
Correspondence Democrat-star.
WAsuINGT0N Ii G. Nov. &.

Correspondence DclnOCTdl-Stur
WASHINGTON, DC, Nov. 3, 1895.
Negotiations this week begun for IA
convention between the United States
and Great Britain, to ascertain the
damage to Canadian sealers whose
vessels were seized in Boring Sea by
this government, previous to the de-
cision of the late arbitration tribunal.
Secretary Olney representing the us.
and Sir Julian Pauncc forte, the British
Ambassador, who has the advisory
assistance of the Canadian Premier,
and minister of Justice, Great Brit
ain. 1t will be remembered that
Congress refused at the last session
to appropriate the 1925, 900 which Sec
rotary Gresham had agreed to pay for
these damages, because it was clearly
shown that the amount vas absurdly
excessive.
A mild sort of sensation va started
in connection with this negotiation,
by a rumOr that it was also to include
the new dispute which the the discov-
cry of gold in Alas a has raised over
the boundary lin e between Alaska and
British Columbia. But the sensation
was confined to uniformed people.
Others knew that there could be no
ground for any negotiation on that
subject until the report of the joint
commissioners appointed under the
convention made in 1892 between the
U. S. and Great Britain, for the sur
yey of the boundary line between
Alaska and Canada, has been made,
and that will not be for several
months yet. Gen. Duffield, chief of
the Coast and Geologic survey, is the
commissioner on the part Of the U. S.
and Mr.. d. +. King the commissioner
on the part of Great Britain. This
commission has completed the field
work of the survey and is now engaged
In making the computations. AS soon
as they are finished the report will be
made. Either government may then
protest against the acceptance Of the
report as final. In that case there
would be work for negotiations, but
there is none now. Gen. Dufleld has
expressed the opinion that all of the
recently discovered gold regions of the
Yukon and Forty-mile creek are with
in the jurisdiction of the U. S., and
his opinion is doubtless based on the
survey.
According to the annual report of
Commissioner Lochren, Of the pension
Bureau, the men whom the records
show to have done the least fighting
are the ones who are the most clamor-
Gus for pensions. Probably the most
striking feature about this report is
it's charge that for fear Of decreasing
the amount Of pension money paid In
their communities, citizens have
thrown obstacles of in the way of the
special examiners who have sought
the necessary evidence to convict
fraudulent pension attorneys. That's
saving q good deal, and it will be
strange il Commissioner LOchren
doesn't hear from that charge more
than once. The total number of pen
siOucrs on June 30, 1895, was $40, 404
the new names added footed 80, 1856 ant
, old ones restored 4,205. The deaths
numbered 27,Sl6 and those dropped fol
other reasons 14,575. The net increase
in the number Of pensioners for Thu
/ year was $50. The Commissioner esti
,,nta, that 0ti1 itn 900 will ha rnnIpf
by the Pension bureau for the mex
fiscal year.
! The State department will shortl,
: determine what, If anything, can b.
5 done for Waller, the eX-U. S. COnsu
: who is now in prison in France as tn
+ result of a French cOurt-martial hcl'
. in Madagascar, as all the papers in tn
r case, including the official record o
the court-martial, are now in hand.
Notwithstanding Semi-Otlicial frOwn
t and private timidity the mass meetinI
: to express sympathy with and for tn
Cubans in their effort to secure free
s dom was held on schedule time las
r night, and it was largely attended b
t prominent citizens of Washington
C and vas both patriotic and religion
i to a certain extent. 1t opened wit
$ the singing of America and close
with the singing of Old Hundred. l
n was presided Over by Corporal Tanner
a gentleman more or less widel
known, and the speakers include,
Rev. DR.. J. E. Rankin, president Q
Howard University and Mrs. John A
e Logan. There was nothing revolt
tionary in the resolutions adopted
they being confined to an expressi0
n of sympathy and IN extension of tn
n moral support of those who voted 70
them.
/" As usual during the week befor
election, even in off years, when onl
a few States-this year there are II
teen-hold elections, politicians ar
IS scarce in Washington. Some are !
the States in which elections are b.
IS ing held and the rest are laying lO'
until they learn the results. The
they will flock to Washington cage
to make public explanations OF how
all came about.
IS Unless the telegraph has misinforn
" ed us there must be more signs OF thu
3. coming war with Great Britain, whic
% Senator Chandler, Of New Hampshire
8. and Representative GrOut, OF We
IF mont, have been predicting, in Ne
England than there are In Washing
ton. II not those two gentlemen mu'
be victims OF nightmare or indigestion
an nobody in Washington appears