The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-01-07
WASHINGTON GOSSIP.
Tribune Bureau.
5l5 Fourteenth street, y. W.

Washington. Jan. 6.
This promises to be a DO Nothing" con-
the possibilities. The house is not ex-
pected to pass any important legislation
outside of the general appropriation bills,
and they will be kept down to the lowest
lion Dollar Congress" Speaker Reed has
served notice on the Republican members
that no extravaganza will be tolerated.
He has his eye on the presidential nomi-
nation. and he is not going TO allow leg
islation to injure his chances.
The senate Is expected to follow In the
footsteps of the house on economic lines.
Record-making is TO be the watchword Of
both bodies.
1t is believed that private legislation will
get very little consideration. This will he
blow below the belt for the "paria-
mentary solicitors who make their liv-
Ing, and mighty good one at that. by
lobbying through congress legislation for
private corporations and individuals.
Some of these solicitors" or promoters
Of legislation have become Immensely
wealthy. So have many members of con-
gress as well as senators. whose con-
sciences are of the elastic kind. From my
own personal knowledge one lobbyist has
made in the neighborhood of half mil
lion dollars in the past ten years through
his ability to manipulate legislation for
various corporations.
Utah is now a state. President Cleve-
land on Saturday attached his signature
to the proclamation which elevated that
territory to statehood. The pen with which
the president signed the document was
afterward>securedb by Governor West. 1t
will be taken to Salt Lake, where it will
be placed on exhibition and then preserved
as a historical relic. The instrument used
by the president was an ordinary wooden
holder with steel stub pen.
1t is said President Cleveland while
on hunting expeditions, rarely, il ever
misses the object he shoots at. He would
rather let a dozen ducks get away from
him than to fire and miss the target. EN-
President Harrison Is q different sort of
sportsman. He blazes away at everything
in sight. and at the end of a days hunt
finds that he has used enough ammunition
to have killed five times as much game
as he has bagged. But that does not worry
Mr.. Harrison. He seems to get as much
pleasure out of shooting and missing as
Cleveland does in bringing down every
thing he shoots at.
The Venezuelan boundary commission
has organized and will get down to busi-
ness at once. Justice Brewer was chosen
chairman. The commission will have head
quarters in the building of the bureau
of American republics in this city. The
building is just across Pennsylvania ave-
nue. from the state department and white
house, and for that reason will be quite
convenient.
The police picked up man near the
Baltimore and Ohio depot in this city
few evenings ago who gave his name as
Rev. Richard j. Rooney, and who claimed
to be one of the priests in charge of St.
Patrick's church in philadelphia When
found Father Rooney was In stupefied
condition. He was locked up for the night,
and the next day was released When
searched by the police SO in cash and a
gold watch were found in his pockets
After he had recovered from his stupor
he told the police that the last time he
was in condition to think he had nearly
$500 in his possession. 1t Is believed that
Father Rooney was the victim of knock
out drops" administered by a thief. He
said he was on his way to the Gethsemane
seminary in Somervillc, Ky, but after
his experience in this city he returned to
Philadelphia.
The great clamor for popular loan of
bonds will not likely be needed by the
Hry A he OF Of the the Sew
York syndicate to take the bonds are said
to have been completed and they will
likely be disposed of in IA few days. unless
congress can convince the administration
that 1t can furnish panacea for the sick
treasury.
Alfred Henry Lewis. who has become
famous as Washington correspondent by
MS aIticieS III tiie SHicdSo HINES, NaSn-
ington Post and other metropolitan news
papers, will shortly remove to New York
to accept position on the Morning Jour
nal of that city at salary of $1,000 per
year. Mr.. Lewis Is one Of the most fOrc-
BILE as well as pleasing writers Washing
ton has had in years. The boys on News
paper Row while they regret losing the
companionship of AL" are pleased
to know that one of their number is SO
rapidly climbing the ladder of fame in
the newspaper profession.
The Pail Mall Gazette, one of the big
gest and most powerful newspapers in
England, evidently believes the Venezu-
elan boundary commission, just appoint
ance to Great Britain to keep an eye on.
1t has sent special representative to
Washington to watch the progress of the
boundary controversy from this end of the
line. His name is Thomas j. Fielders. At
one time he was the New York Herald's
London correspondent. Before that, he
was connected with the Pottsville Miners
Journal.
H \ Il
On last Friday, Saturday and Sunday
Washington experienced the coolest
weather of the season. The thermometer
fell nearly twenty degrees in a few hours
on Friday and has been hugging the zero
mark pretty close ever since. A high
wind prevailed, which added to the dis
this ordinarily mild climate. Old prob
abilities" however. predicts a softening
of the weather by the middle of this week.
Everybody hopes ne Is telling the truth.
Judging from the results of the prim-
airy elections in Scranton on Saturday
the cold wave followed Congressman
,ts~y, TO IL, how 4 I