The Press., 1897-04-08
Washington Letter.
Washington. April 9th,

Washington Letter.
 Washington, April 5th, 1897.
 The civil service rules may be likened to punching bag in public gymnasium and the senators and representatives to the punchers. Whether they can punch the bag to peices is yet to be seen. The senate civil service committee is prepar- ing to make an exhaustive investigation of the workings of the civil service under those rules, but that isn't going fast enough for some of the opponents of MT. Clevelsnd's numerous extensions of the rule, and Representative Corliss, of Michigan, has offered a joint resolution providing for the repeal of every exten- sion made under the last administration. Mir. Corliss tried to get immediate consid- eration for the resolution, but Speaker Reed would not have 1t that way, so it has gone to join the numerous bills and resolutions which are awaiting the ap- pointment of the house committees. MT. Corliss says that President Mckinley has the authority to rescind those rules, but that he thinks it would only be right for congress to assume the responsibility of doing so.
 Members of the senate committee on finance are working night and day on the tariff bill, their intention being to go over the entire bill item by item. If they have arrived at any conclusions, they have not announced them, notwithstanding what purport to be assertions to the contrary. Few people believe that the clause making the new duties go into effect April 1, will be in the bill when it passes the senate, although it may be left in until just be- fore the final vote is taken, for the pur- pose of keeping down importations.
 The western senators who have been so vigorously protesting against the order issued by President Cleveland just before the close of his term, setting apart 21 forest reservations in the west have part ially gained their point. The national forestry commission has been summoned to Washington to talk over the matter with President Mckinley, who is already satisfied that President Cleveland's pro- clamation vas entirely too comprehensive. It is not expected that the Cleveland order will be officially rescinded, but that as each of the reservations are surveyed, the president will exempt from the provisions of the Cleveland order such lands as are of mineral or agricultural character, or where settlers rights would be trampled upon.
 It doesn't seem to occur to some of the admirers of Ex-Sec1 etary Carlisle that they are not adding anything to that gentleman's reputation by spreading the news of having been employed at liberal salary to look after the legal interests in the southern states of the great banking establishment of J. Pierpont Morgan.
 No appointment made by President Mckinley has been more generally com mended than that of Hon. Benjamin Butterworth to be commissioner of pat ents. Although MT. Butterworth is credited to Ohio, from whence he orig inally came to Washington as a member of the house, he is actually resident and property owner of Washington. Mr. Butterworth was commissioner of patents during the Arthur administration, and served when last in the house on com mittee on patents. It is understood that President Mckinley had considerably diff | fU in Hn accept the place, and that his income will be less in office than it would have been out of office. Be that as it may, it is good thing for those having business with the patent office that he accepted. The office is badly in need of his experi- ence, wide knowledge of patent law and practice, as we'll as of the prestige that a man of his influence and fame will con- mand.
 The great interest in Greece aroused by the plucky position the little country now occupies has served to call attention to the fact that Greece has no minister in Washington. There was a Greek minister in Washington few years ago, and there is little mystery connected with his early departure for home on "leave of absence" which has never expired. Some say that the Greek government concluded that it could not afford to keep minister and legation in Washington and quietly withdrew by the "leave of absence" route but the story most believed in Washing l ton ia that the noinistor who adhorad +o the Greek costume at all times, left in a dudgeon because he was followed around the streets by hoodlums and idlers and comments made upon his appearance.