The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-02-12
LIVE WASHINGTON TOPICS.
GREAT USH OF MEMBER tn CATCH
THE sPEAKER,s EYE.

GREAT n USH OF MEHB ERs To CATCH
n SPEAkER's EYE.
Speaker Reed Violates the Rates bv smok-
Ing In the tapitoi-Hownrd University
Students Aspire TO Government Places
ana IA Number to Professions Life.
wAsHISoToN. Feb. 1l.--As the Fifty-fourth
Congress will expire exactly three weeks from
to-day. there lie n great rush on the part of
members OF the House for recognition. Every
morning, just after the journal is read. any
where from fifty to a hundred Of the statesmen
get as near the Speakers desk as possible. yell
ing and waving their bills for recognition and
making almost as much noise as a lot OF brokers
around q grain pit on a produce exchange. When
the House adjourned to-day the record showed
that during this Congress there had been
introduced In that body 1924 bills. and
that less than 500 have been passed.
Speaker Reed. in commenting on the fact
that so many OF the members of the House want
recognition. remarked In his dry and humorous
way that It was amusing to watch the eagerness
with which they try each morning to get his
eye, TO say nothing OF the many who see him In
private and make arrangements to have IL ap-
pear they have been singled out simply because
they happened to attract his attention first.
Then Mr.. Reed confessed that no had a bill Of
his own he desired very much to have passed
this session, but he joculariy remarked that he
/ Whb hIrnlu ~ WOulu nDt We uDle 10 get u through.
Nothing easier than that" 1t was suggested.
people have said you run tho House pretty
much as you please, and 1t ought not to be q
dinioult matter for you either to recognize
yourself or some one YOU could designate to
haudle your bill. The chances arc that not even
should II become known that the bill was intro
duced by the man to whom everybody else has
rules you have been Instrumental In having
r. 4, 49, A. o---n-- .V-t-N.
find It diGcult to gain my own consent when
tho session Is so near tho Close
About ten days ago notices were put up In the
House wing Of the Capitol prohibiting smoking
in tho corridors, the public offices. statuary
hall and the elevators. Employees OF tho House
were specially prohibited from smoking. the
doorkeepers and the Capitol police were In
members OF the House. OF course. do not pay
tho slightest attention to the regulations. and
order Is not signed by any one they do not be.
lieve they could rightly arrest n man or boy
81 happened TO be standing at the end Of one
long corridor the other day" said a policeman,
same corridor aud come my way. / thought
there was a chance TO call n man down for vlo.
IN Unusually bis cigar in his mouth. and you
would have thought II was a tngboat from the
Is is0 not ppHsu au in tits S s1Hdf 80 's vine. sm TO- my
great astoni,hmentI discovered 1t was Speaker
Reed himsel;: ! felt like telling him he was
cluded he was too big and mighty for me TO Joke
with. SO l did not even pretend 1 saw him"
Count De Lichtewelde. the new Belgian Min
lister. has arrived In Washington. and was In
troduced to Secretary Olney to-day at the State
Department d%iplomatic reception BY Mr.. Mau:
rice Joostens, Iharse q nmsiresi Inc iorinni
q few days. Count DE Llchtewelde. who sue
eeeds Minister Alfred lie Chat was an s,,ashe
been attached to tho legations at stockholm and
Rome. aud his last post was that OF Counsellor
here In q few months.
Secretary Herbert has received a request from
the San Francisco Bonrd OF Trade to detail a
war vessel to carry grain to the starving people
OF India. He has written to Senator Perkins
to tho effect that IT. will DO impossible to
grant tn: Request as tho war vessels from their
cupIed Uy their machinery, guns. stores, &c.
are not fitted to carry a cargo.
Onicers OF the army, the navy, and the Marine
Corps were tho guests of honor at the reception
given tonight by the President and Mrs. Clsve-
land. the third Of the series OF Official evening
functions.
The Sundry Civil bill. which was reported to
tho House to-day. carries an appropriation OF
1900 for Howard University In this city. the
institution which Is practically maintained by
the Government for tho education OF colored
young men and women. a large proportion OF
the young men W no attend tho university have
employment enough here 10 earn a meagre liv-
Ing. many being walters In hotels or restau-
rants. or doing odd Jobs In families. Their main
aim. seems to be to get enough education TO
enable them to pass tho civil service eIamipa-
tons. and eventually procure Government
sional lite. It being a well-knowu fact that there
arc many negro lawyers and doctors who have
force OF letter carrier. in he Wilmington Post
ONCE, which on account Of the vast amount of
| Government M alter handled ranks In tbs first
class. the faces are getting darker and darker
each year. The colored fellows not only come
fresh from Howard University. but they seem
carriers. aud they appear to have no difficulty
in passing on tho average much higher examl-
nations than their white competitors. There
would be more colored men in the Post Ofice
here. but for the fact that quite. a number
Welded to temptation and rified mail packages,
which Involved them In trouble.
The Sayres bill. providing for the taking of
the twelfth census. will be favorably reported
to the House tomorrow by Congressman Bing-
ham of Philadelphia. 1t does away with the
Census by providing that tho Commissioned OF
Labor shall have charge of the work. II also
makes the salary OF the Commissioner OF Labor
5000 and gives him tho power to appoint an
Assistant Commissioners who will get 81. 900 a
year, There arc to DO Ave expert ststistlcians At
5000 per year each, and many other places
that tho Commissioners will be nj liberty
10 all without consulting the President OF
Ia intended to prevent the possible appoint
ment OF Robert T.. Porter. who has been talked
Census. Il is also said that on account Of his
protective. :arir prCcliyitios he stands pretty
well with Mckinley, and Porter's friends have
insisted that he could have his old place II he
would only signify his Willingness TO the next
President. OF course, II the sayres bill passes
Carroll ID. Wright. or whoever is Labor Com
missioner. will suporintend the taking OF the
twelfth census.