The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-04-29
Gossip at
the Capital
Special to the Scranton Tribune.

Special to the Scranton Tribune.
Washington, April 2S.
The movement started by Jerry Simpson,
tho 'Sockless Socrates of Medicine
Lodge" to compel Speaker Reed to APP
point the house committees and proceed
with business, has not been abandoned,
but what it will amount to can only be
conjectured. The chances are that Speak
er Reed will remain master cf the situs-
tion, and force the house to adjourn from
day to day until the senate passes the
tariff bill. The present situation in the
house recalls an event in the life of John
Quincy Adams, which might be of value
just now. 1t seems that in the forties the
house failed to organize for week and
during that time the clerk of the house
was its presiding officer. but for some ren-
son or other he declined to recognize any
member or let any business be done. Fin
ally John Quincy Adams arose and offered
a resolution looking to organization. The
clerk refused to recognize him. "All
right" Ald Adams, 81 will offer the reso-
luton myself" AS he did so, Rhett, of
South Carolina, shouted: Here is the
Moses who will lead us out of the wilder
ness" The motion was put by Mr. Adams,
was declared carried by him, and the or
ganization of the house proceeded.
Now If Reed refuses to recognize one
of u.s." said member today, IL should be
In favor of putting the motion myself"
The action Of the president in designat-
Ing eX-Secretary of State John w. Foster
to be IAN amba ssador on a special mis-
sion" for the purpose of negotiating a
new sealing treaty with Great Britain, is
the first appointment of the kind on rec
ord. Once before General Foster was spe-
cial envoy, when he was sent to Spain to
negotiate a treaty, and ex-Congressman
Blount was sent to Hawaii by Mr. Cleve-
land as special commissioner" with
paramount authority" but General Fos-
ter is the first special ambassador to be
appointed. Tho object in designating him
as an ambassador is to place him on an
equal footing with Sir Julian Pauncefote,
the British ambassador. Sir Julian Is very
particular in all matters of etiquette and
precedence, and his desire to be treated
with all respect and dignity due to the per-
sonal representative Of the queen of Great
Britain and Ireland has led at times to
some embarrassments. If General Foster
was merely a minister or commissioner,
Sir Julian might not regard him as an
equal, but as an ambassador, General
Foster meets him on the same footing
General Fosters work is much more i'm
portant than most people imagine 1t is
the hope OF the administration that he will
be able to nesotiate a treaty or mod is
vivendi with Great Britain for the sup
preston of pelagic sealing which will be
agreed to or be jointly signed by Russia
and Japan, the only other nations having
an interest in the sealing industry. The
fact has never before been published that
during Mr. Olney's administration the
Russian government, through its minister
here, offered to negotiate a treaty with
this government for the suppression of
pelagic sealing but Mr.. Olney, who al
ways looked upon the excessive friendli-
ness of Russia with this country when
English interests were to be affected
somewhat in the light of the Greeks bear
ing gifts, refused the offer, and the mat
ter was allowed to drop.
Senator Penrose's bill granting pensions
to the daughters of the late General
George G.. Meade, the hero of Gettysburg
| recalls the story of how James q. Blaine
| when speaker of the house, got through
resolution appropriating $4,000 to the
needy widowed daughter of President
Zachary Taylor. This lady got as far
| as Washington on her way to Paris to see
a sick daughter ard being destitute OF
money. appealed to her only friend at the
| capital, General Sherman. His purse was
| always open to the distressed, but he has
no funds at all adequate to relieving hel
| necessities.
! In this emergency he thought of Blaine
| The man from Maine entered into the
| spirit of the occasion as soon as he heard
| Of General Sheman's statement He called
another to the chair. made five-minutt
speech that fairly electrified the house
which passed the resolution which Blaine
| had penned only a moment before He
/ took the resolution In person to the senate
where it was also Immediately passed, nat
the president to sign it the next day, and
on the following day the beneficiary go
| the morey.