The state herald., 1901-05-31
WASHINGTON GOSSIP.

and minister plenipotentiary to Persia.
Mr.. Bowen was minister resident and
consul general at Teheran.
The contents of the Congressional H.
brary proper have now reached the
following figures: Printed books and
pamphlets mot including duplicates In
the copyright office. 995,OOO: mapu-
scripts, 27,O00: maps and charts, SIS, 600;
music, $4,000; prints, $1,000. 4g
1t is persistently reported that
George B. Cortelyou, secretary to the
| President, is soon TO receive sub
stantial promotion, 1t Is said that the
President intends to put him into the
Cabinet, providing matters work out
as he now anticipates. In spite of ex-
! plicit denials, 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 10 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-
ber 1S5 and in the copyright office
forty-fve, while the care of the build
ings and grounds requires now n force
uacluding charwomen of IL persons.
Only statistics can make evident such
requirements. The building with its
courts covers three and one-half acres
of ground Il includes over 100000
cubic feet and eight acres Of floor
space; it has 2,150 windows to be kept
clean; it is finished in costly marbles
and mosaics and decorated with costly
paintings, which must receive assidu-
Gus care, and it employs elaborate ma
chinery-heating and ventilating ap-
paratus, 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
IL he so desires, although the prece-
dents are against 1t. This is the rea-
son why he remained on his own side
of the border at FL Paso, says Will
lam +. Curtis In the Chicago Record
Herald. 1t is customary for the SOW
ereigns of kingdoms and empires to
isaff a.h tb.a- ..t nj 1s,,t
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 n view Of
Niagara Falls from the Canadian side.
General Grant did the same several
years later.
II 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 afloat. She registers 1880 tons.
Plans now under consideration by the
tie ship Of 1900 tons, with corre-
spending armament. Ii Is also hoped
TO secure for this monster engine pow
er which will give her n speed OF twen-
ty-one knots. Such ship would cost
from S6,0pooO TO 100000, and
Congress may not be willing TO vote
the money. 1t is Interesting to note
that only two steamships now aHoat
have tonnage exceeding that proposed
for this naval leviathnn-ihe Oceanic
with 1i,2Ii tons and the Celtic with
aO.sso. The Great Eastern's tonnage
was ls,9l5.
-Four million dollars, SAYS the Chi
cago Record-Herald correspondent. Is
the sum which the administration is
proposing to pay as n premium on a
Monroe doctrine Insurance policy. The
money Is to 20 for Islands which II Is
generally admitted the United States
does not want. but which Il is propos-
cd TO buy In order 10 keep them from
falling into the hands OF any OF the
other powers. The dispatch from Co
penhacen 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 a mistake. No con-
clusion has been reached. The matter
Will he disposed OF. so far as the dip
lomatlc agencies OF the two govern.
ments are able to dispose OF II, IN nj.
ter the return OF President Mckinley
and Secretary Hay to Washington.
Even then nothing can be done I'LL
the American Congress and the Dan.
ish Parliament meet next winter and
give nsscn, to the provisional arrange
men's which the foreign secretaries
mny enter into.
The commissioner of the general land
Office to-day recommended 10 the sec.
retnry Of the Interior that l5.522 head
OF cattle and horses he allowed 10
grnzc within the Big Horn forest re-.
serve. Wyoming. during the coming
summer. May lst the secretary author.
lied the pastUrngc OF but 1900 head
OF horses and cattle In this reserve.
and prescribed that not more than 200
should be allowed any one applicant.
Under the commissioners npi,ortion.
fnent II has been necessary TO conform
20 the go rule go far l25 applications
formation on file In the last office II Ii
and approved. which. after n uniform
scaling down. now represent 1t,OSI
head OF cattle and 1,I60 horses. lnns.
much ns the excess Of numbers over
the limit fScd by the secretary II
smali. II being assumed that NIL nppli.
cations nrc In. the commissioner has
approved all. and recommends TINT the
permits be- approved by the depart