The silver lance., 1899-10-13
WASHINGTON NEWS.

4
nenditures charged against the War
Department during September were
S1O.541, ,515, as compared with $24,643,-
374 for September last year. Against
the navy department, $4,IoI ,Soo, as
against $7,2S3,219 for September last
year.
The monthly statement of the public
debt shows that at the close OF Dusl-
ness September 30, 1899, the pubic
debt less cash in the treasury amount
cd To 81 las. .9O5. sol. a decrease for the
month Of SIS, ,4OO,775. This decrease is
accounted for by a corresponding in
crease in the cash on hand. The debt
Ia recaDitulated as follows: Interest
bearing debt, 81 ,O46, ,O4S. $50; debt on
which interest has ceased since matu-
ritv. 81, ,215, ,O3O; debt bearing no inter
est. $3.50, ,337 ,512; total, $1,436, ,6O1 1872.
This amount, however, does not In
clude $647, ,965, ,9O3 in treasury notes
outstanding, which are offset by an
equal amount of cash on hand Inc
cash in the treasury is CLASSIFIED as fol
lows: Gold, $354, ,OO2,319; silver, S499,-
62s,449; paper. $7s,67S, 14o: bonds de-
posited in, national bank repositories
disbursing officers balances, etc, SS3,-
932. .112; total, $1,O15, ,241 .0S6, against
which there are demand liabilities out
standing amounting to ST21, ,54o,4I3,
which leaves a net cash balance on
hand $2S7, ,,695,612.
Reports received by the Navy De
partment from Captain Z. L. Cooper.
commanding the Chicago, showing
that that vessel is in need of repairs.
will delay Rear Admiral Schley in the
hoisting OF his flag. The repairs to
the Chicago will require almost TWO
months, and the vessel will not De
ready to start south until the latter
part of November. Captain B. +.
Lamberton, commanding the cruiser
Olympia, received orders, after he had
landed the ammunition with the nj
val magazine in New York harbor, I"
proceed with the Olympia to the. Bos-
ton navy yard, where the vessel VIII
| be placed out of commission. Reaf
| Admiral Sampson will resume COM
mand of the squadron and proceed
with it to Hampton Roads. He viii
probobly be relieved of the command
at that point. Formal orders were is
sued to-day to, Captain A. S. Barker.
| formerly commanding the battleship
| Oregon and the Asiatic squadron, III
| recting him to assume command OF
the Norfolk navy yard. Captain Bar
| ker will be promoted to the grade of
rear admiral upon the retirement of
Rear Admiral Howison.
Brigadier General Charles +. Egan,
who was suspended from rank and du.
| ty as a result of the language employ
ed by him before the war investigation
commission. hopes to obtain vindica-
ton from Congress during the coming
session. General Egan is in Washing
ton to settle matters connected with
1f h. hon a
before his departure for Hawaii. 1t
is understood, however, that he is try
ing to enlist the sympathies of mem
bers of Congress in order to obtain a
| congressional investigation Of the beef
scandal. There is no intention on til,
part of the administration to restore
General Eagan to duty. In fact. it is
desired that he should apply for retire
ment In order that the President may
appoint Colonel Weston. now acting
commissary general, a brigader and
commissary general of subsistence
The President is anxious to do all he
can for the colonel. During General
Egan's stay here a determined effort
will be made to induce him to apply
for retirement. but many think he will
not do so, in view of the fact that he is
now drawing full pay, and would only
receive three-quarters pay on the retir
ed list.
than in the West.
The opinion of Attorney General
Griggs in the case of Captain Oberlin
NJ. Carter of the army, upon which the
President approved the finding of the
court-martial, has been made public
The opinion discusses in great detail
the evidence adduced against Captain
Carter and combats the arguments set
up In behalf of the culprt. Summing
up many of the specifications. includ-
ing Captain Carter's intimacy with
Green and with Gaynors, the method
Of advertising for the work and of let
ting the contracts. the charter of the
Atlantic Contracting Company, the
large profits made on the contracts
etc., the attorney general says that
they might justly be considered as fail.
ing to fix upon the accused knowledge
Of the purpose to defraud the govern
ment il it were shown that he had nc
corrupt personal motive, that he had
not profited by these loose methods and
irregular and questionable proceedings
He then shows that in 1891 the cap
tain's salary was only 1852 per month
and that from that time forward his
personal expenses increased very rap
idly, being $6,047 in 1891. and $29.61 |
in 1896. The fact is also pointed out
that in 1892 Captain Carter began to
make notably large deposits in the
Union Trust Company of New York
and also to buy securities. his invest.
ments increasing until 1895, when his
holdings had increased to marker
value of $463;0O0. Mr.. Griggs does NOT
accept Captain Carter's explanation
that he was dealing in securities with
the funds of his father-in-law. Mr.
Westcott, and was the recipient Of
| large presents from him. "On the
face of it, it is,'- he says, IAN imDrob
\ able story"
Admiral Dewey made an early start
"Wednesday to fill a number of engage