The Lamar register., 1901-05-29
WASHINGTON GOSSIP.

iilu minister lllenlpOtenllury 10 Ierslh.
Mr.. Bowen was minister resident and
consul general mt Teheran.
The contents of the Congressional II.
brary proper have now reached the
following figures: Printed books anc
pamphlets mot including duplicates IL
the copyright office. $4,000; manu-
scripts, 27.O0O; maps and charts, $1,000
music, 204OOO; prints, $4,000.
1t is persistently reported that
George b. Cortelyou. secretary to the
President, Is soon to receive SUD
stnntial promotion. 1t is said that the
President intends to put him into the
Cabinet, providing matters work ou'
as he now anticipates. In spite OF eN'
plict denals. the story still goes
around that Postmaster General Smith
will soon retire. and this is the place
which rumor says Cortelyou is to have
The comptroller of the currency has
decided that United States Senators
Bate and Tillman, having been sum
moned TO Washington as witnesses on
behalf of the United States in the case
of the United States VS.. Cullen, are
entitled to the usual mileage and wit
ness fees provided by law, and that
the law as to clerks and officers of the
United States. which provides that in
such cases they shall not be allowed
mileage. does not apply to United
States senators.
The present number of employees in
the Congressional library proper num-
Der 1S5 and in the copyright office
forty-tive. while the care of the build
ings and grounds requires now force
Including charwomem of IL persons.
Only statistics can make evident such
requirements. The building with Its
courts covers three and one-half acres
of ground: II includes over 10.OOO,O0O
cubic feet and eight acres of floor
space; 1t has 2,150 windows to be kept
clean; 1t is finished in costly marbles
and mosaics and decorated with costly
paintings, which must receive assidu-
Gus care and 1t employs elaborate ma
chinery-heatng and ventilating ap-
paratlIs. elevators. book railways and
pneumatic tubes-which must be
smoothly operated and kept in order.
There is no law or constitutional pro-
vision to prevent President Mckinley
from visiting Mexico or Canada, or
even Europe during his term of office
If he so desires. although the prece-
dents are against it, This is the rea-
son why he remained on his own side
of the border at FL Taso, says Will
lam Il. Curtis in the Chicago Record
Herald. 1t is customary for the SOW
ereigns of Kingdoms and empires to
visit each other at pleasure. but never
has the President of the United States
gone over the boundaries of the coun-
try except on two occasions, Andrew
johnson and Secretary Seward once
crossed the suspension bridge In car
riage and drove up to take view or
Niagara Falls from the Canadian side.
General Grant did the same several
years later.
If the plans of the construction bu
reau of the Navy Department are in
dorsed by congressional action the
United States will have the greatest
battle ship in the world. At the pres
ent time the Lepanto of the Italian
navy is said to be the largest battle
ship anOat. She registers 15.9OO tons.
1 Plans now under consideration by the
board of construction call for bat
tie ship of 10000 tons, with CORE
spending armament. 1t is also hoped
to secure for this monster engine pow
er which will give her II speed of TWEEN
ty-one knots. Such ship would cost
from SGOOO.OOO to S7.OO0.O00. and
Congress may not be willing to vote
the money. 1t is interesting TO note
that only two steamships now atloat
have tonnage exceeding that proposed
for this naval leviathan-the Oceanic
with 11,2T4 tons and the Celtic with
2O.SSn. The Great Eastern's tonnage
was 1S.015.
-Four million dollars. says the Chi
cago Record Herald correspondent, Is
the sum which the administration Is
proposing to pay as premium on n
Monroe doctrine insurance policy. The
money is to 90 for islands which it is
generally admitted the United States
Il, toll,
ed to buy in order to keep them from
falling into the hands of any of the
other powers. The dispatch from Co
penhagen which says negotiations
have been concluded between the
United States and Denmark for the
sale of the Danish West Indies to the
United States is II mistake. No con-
clusion has been reached. The matter
will be disposed of. so far as the dip
lomatic agencies of the two govern
ments are able to dispose of it. till af-
ter the return of President Mckinley
and Secretary Hay to Washington.
Even then nothing can be done till
the American Congress and the Dan
ish Parliament meet next winter and
give assent to the provisional arrange
mcnts which the foreign secretaries
may enter into.
The commissioner of the general land
office today recommended to the sec
retary of the interior that 15.522 head
of cattle and horses be allowed to
Craze within the Big Horn forest re-
serve. Wyoming. during the coming
summer. May LIST the secretary author.
lied the pasturage of but 15,OOO head
of horses and cattle in this reserve.
and prescribed that not more than 2OG
should be allowed any one applicant,
Under the commissioners aDportion.
ment 1t has been necessary to conform
TO the 200 rule So far 125 applications