The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1896-04-28
CAPITAL GOSSIP.
Washington Matters Of Interest to
Portland People.
VICTORY FOR PROTECTION AT
RECENT LOUISIANA ELECTION.

Portianders an Exciting Event of the
War-Widow of Lieutenant Davenport
of the Revenue Cutter Cushing Asks
Aid of the Government.
ESPECIAL TO THE PREss.1
Washington, April 27-The protectionist
victory in Louisiana seems assured. In
dependent business men united with the
Republicans to throw down the old
Democratic free trade machine. The work
seems to have been done very thoroughly.
The independents organized detective
system to protect their voters and make
sure that the votes We're not counted out
after they were cast Now that the vic
tory has been won, the proteotionists are
talking of making Maine man United
States Senator. This is Mr.. Pearl Wight,
formerly of Rockland. He is a brother
of the late Hezekiah Wight, one of the
| survivors of the we'll known firm Of Cobb
& Wight. Mr.. Pearl Wight has lived in
New Orleans about twenty years, where
he has been engaged in shipohandlery,
banking, etc. He is very prominent
business man, and popular. He has here
tofore refused to enter politics; but it is
thought now that he may be induced to
accept a Senatorship if it is IN the hand
rather than in the bush.
Among the Maine visitors in Washing
ton are Mrs. E. Fl. Elwell and Mr. r. H.
Elwell, Jr., of Deering; and Ex-Council-
lor Cobb, of Rockland.
The country at large does not seem TO
take to heart very seriously the condition
OF the government purse. Although
Unole Sam has run behind about twenty
five million dollars so far this year, the
demand upon Congress is said to be great
er than ever before. The members Of the
appropriation committees of the House
and Senate have to withstand unusual
pressure.
The amendments to the Legislative, ex-
ecutive and judicial appropriation bill
are gradually being disposed of in confer
ence. The Senate put up the salaries of
United States Marshals and District At.
torneys to figures much higher than those
in the House draft; but the conference
has brought them down. Under the
agreement of the conference the United
States Marshal for Maine will get $4,000
yenrly; and the District Attorney will
get also $4,000 yearly. Thissamounts to q
reduction of about $4,000 in the emolu-
ments of the marshalship, and slight
increase for the office Of DistrictA ttorney.
The portion of the bill relating to United
States Commissioners is still in confer
ence.
| This is the season when the appropria-
| tion bills are in conference between the
two Houses. The House, heing the popu-
lar branch, where the members have to
answer to their constituents once in every
two years, is careful to keep the appro-
| priations as small as possible. But the
Senate is more liberal and when the bills
come back from that body they are gener-
ally "loaded down." Then the Senate
| appoints three conferees and the House an
ual number. In the conferences that
then take place the House members en-
deavor to fight down the increases made
by the Senate.
| On last Friday night bill came up
which will recall to old Portlanders an
exciting event of the war. 1t was bill
to pension aMary F. Davenport, widow
Of Dudley Davenport who was in com.
mand of the revenue cutter Gushing, on
the night of June 26, 1868, when she was
captured by the Confederate privateer
Captain Clark, who had been in COM
mand, had died on that day in Portland,
and Lieut.. Davenport was in charge
The Cushing had been ordered by the
President to cooperate with the navy in
arresting rebel depredations on American
commerce. The report made in favor of
Mrs. Davenport's bill, says that at the
time of tine capture of the Cushing by the
rebel privateer, great cruelty was shown
Lieutenanti Davenport by his captors, it
being known to them that he was a
native of Georgia, who had remained
lOydl w uue OLlOHs Ills lIl6 was
threatened and he was placed in irons.
| That armed vessels of thesUnited States
pursued the privateer and the Cushing,
and that finally Lieutenant Davenport
| and his crew were placed in small boats
and abandoned in midocean, and the
| Gushing blown up.
| AS part of the evidence in this case ia
letter to Lieutenant Davenport from
Hon. S. P. Chase, Secretary of the
Treasury, dated July IA, 1853, which says
in part:
II am pleased to say that your conduct
while prisoner on the cutter Cushing
in refusing to furnish any information
whatever to her rebel csptors meets my
most cordial and unqualified approval. z"
The evidence presented in this claim
shows conclusively that before and up to
the capture of the Cushing by the rebel
privateer, that Lieutenant Davenport had
been an exceptionally strong and hearty
man, but that the mental strain and