The times., 1897-03-21
SHERMAN'S SON N-LANi
The Nice "Plum'' He Will Digest
at Leisure.
HE WILL CODIFY THE LAWS
How Ex-Secretary Olney Euchred
the Republicans He Gave At
torney Phillips the Contract to
Re-Index International Laws just
Before His Term Expired.

Secretary Sherman yesterday decided to
relieve Mr.. Harry BRYAN, who was under
the past Administration compiler Of laws
under the State Department. and has desig-
the United States Supreme Court. to sue
ceed him. The change will take place at
once.
The position is one of considerable E.
sponsibility, the duties being to codify all
the acts of each session Of Congress which
apply to the State Department. The
compensation IS So, 900 per session.
There has been no little discussion of this
proposed change. The talk is that it was
the intention originally to place Mr.. Nc
Gallant charge of the work and retain Mr..
Bryan's services for the experience he has
lad. This could be easily done, since the
appropriation is for each session, and, as
there are practically two sessions this year,
the compensation would be sufficient for
both.
The position is not an appointive one,
as it is generally understood, the money
TO pay for the work being placed at the
Secretary's disposal with power given
him to employ some one to perform the
duty.
1t was stated yesterday that Mr.. Bryan's
aid will not be available he having al
ready secured another place, and it is
not now known whether Mr.. MCCallan
will undertake the work alone, or be given
authority to employ assistance.
Mr.. Bryan was private secretary to Mr..
Bayard, former Secretary of State, and
is said to have secured the position through
Mr.. Bayards influence. Mr.. McCallan
in Secretary Sherman's son-in-law.
The department chiefs are said to be in
terrible straits for the where with TO meet
the campaign promises. 1t has become
more and more apparent that there are
very many more aspirantS than there are
places to bestow; and some members of
the Cabinet are in despair. Ex-Secretary
Olney seems to have stolen march on
the present administration of the State
Department just before the Inauguration.
There are but few favors TO bestow, and
everything available is in demand, but
the eX-Secretary shut one door to some
body, by closing a $4,000 contract for
Gne WOrK OF UiSeSIlnS lHe lHteTUdIOidl
law of the United states, a work pro-
vided for by very recent enactment.
The act making appropriations for the
consular and diplomatic service contained
an item, approprating the sum Of SIC, 900
for revising, re-indexing, and otherwise
completing and perfecting the second edi-
tion of the Digest of the international
Law of the United States. This law en-
braces documents issued by Presidents and
by Secretaries of State, and from de-
cisions of the Federal courts and opinions
Of Attorneys General. The money was
made Immediately available, a nd the Sec
retary of State was authorized to have
the work done.
The act was approved February 20,
1897, and before the 1st of March Secre-
tary Olney had made the contract with
Attorney Hallet Phillips, of this city, to
discharge the function. 1t Is said tie con-
tract was at first intended to be given
to Mr.. Walter E. Farson, the solicitor
of the department, and one other expe-
rienced gentleman, but for some reason
the arrangement was not carried out, and
Mr. Phillips was selected. Secretary Olney
gave the work to him, 1t is said, for the
reason that he had been employed in con-
troverses with the department in which
Wharton's international law was called
into question, and did more than any