The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1908-01-16
WASHINGTON
From our Regular Correspondent.

Washington, d. c., Jan. ID. 1908
Democrats and Republicans alike
are up i'll arms over the treatment
by the president of Rear Admiral
Brownson concerning the resigna-
ton of the latter as Chief OF the
Bureau of Navigation. The Presi
dent is roundly censured because of
his failure to make public letter
written by Admiral Brownson in
which he gives his reasons for the
belief that the assignment of a ma
val surgeon to the command of a
hospital ship is against the law and
to the detriment of the service
Every application at the White
House for this letter is met with
the reply that the letter in question
has no bearing upon the point at
issue. Needless to say, the friends
of the Admiral are of the opinion
that this letter contains the crux of
the situation and they consider that
the President has handed out to
Brownson anything but "square
deal'' in this matter.
***
The "Bill to amend the national
banking laws" prepared by Sena-
tor Aldrich, introduced in the Sen
ate and referred to the Finance
Committee of that body, is the inn
portant topic Of discussion in politi-
cal circles. AS yet the Democrats
have not committed themselves on
this measure and the Republicans
are very sanguine of little opposi-
ton from their Democratic breth-
rem; in fact, the leaders in both
houses think there is every likeli-
hood that the bill will get through
the Senate and the House in a rea-
sonably short time.
***
Many bills were introduced in
the House on the re-convening of
Congress after the Christmas holl-
days, about one hundred and sixty
in all, and of this large number one
of the most important was a bill by
Representative John Sharp Will
liams, repeating the law directing
that three-hfths of the fifteen per
cent. reserve of national banks may
consist of balances due a bank
available for the redemption of its
circulating notes from banks ap-
proved by the Comptroller of the
Currency. Mr.. Williams bill, also,
repeals all laws permitting national
banks to keep three-ffths of their
reserves in national banks in re
serve cities.
Mr.. Williams, also, introduced a
bill reducing the regular army, at
ter the first day of December, 1908,
10 $4,000 men, 10000 of whom
shall constitute an artillery force
:or coast defense. The standing
srmy, as now composed, embraces
10000 odd officers and men. And
third bill was introduced by Mr..
Williams repeating all laws by
which national bank examiners are
compensated by fees, and placing
chem on regular salary of $1,000
per annum.
~a*
During the last few weeks there
has been in Washington almost an
\. epidemic of pedestrians, the latest
victim of this ailment Frenchman
having called at the White House
the first of this week to obtain from
the Presidents secretary a card
certifying that he called at the
White House. He expects to cir
Gle the globe, ending in Paris, his
starting point.
*4*
A bill has been introduced by
Representative Gaines of Tennes-
zee, to appropriate annually, for
;hree years, $1,000, and thereafter
$1,000 annually to be paid to the
Ladies' Hermitage Association for
he preservation and maintenance
OF the old home of Andrew Jack
son, The Hermitage. President
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