Evening star., 1916-08-13
FIFTY YEARS AGO
In THE STAR

In lUE OlAN
occurred in the latter part of July.
1866. was the subject
New Orleans of an official report by
p;o+ p.rr+ the authorities OF
Alot neport' Louisiana to the Presi-
dent, which was printed in The Star of
August 9, 1866. The Star commenting:
1T goes to show not only that the
President did all in his power to pre-
vent this disturbance. but that the press
radical proclivities. exhorted the people
previous to the riots to maintain good
order and refrain from any interfer-
ence with the convention whatever; ;
that the civil authorities sought to
take measures beforehand to prevent
difficulty and were willing to co-ope
rate with Gen. Baird, and in conse-
Gusnce of an agreement with that Off
GER but a small police force was sent
to the vicinity of the hall in which the
indicated that he would have a mill
tary force present, and that there was
no intention to prevent the conven-
tion from holding their meeting. and
any warrant from the judiciary for the
arrest of the members was to be sub
mitted to the military, who had been
ordered by the President not to thwart
the convention. Some parties, however,
to carry out their political program,
were determined to thwart these ef-
forts to keep the peace, with what
result has been seen. In spite of all at
tempts to shift the responsibility for
this sad affair, it will be fastened on
those, but for whose incendiary har-
angues it would have been prevented.
Of course, when the disturbance was
commenced, bad passions were un.
loosed on both sides. Attorney General
Heron, who signs this statement. was
a major general in the federal army
during the last war"
Fifty years ago Hawaii was a king
dom, and Washington was interested
during the summer of
uouoiion 1856 in a prospective visit
from Hawaiian royalty. A
Royalty. paragraph in The star of
August 9, 1866. is as follows:
Emma, the queen dowager of the
Sandwich Islands, who has recently
been to Europe and visited England es-
pecially to ask the aid of the church
there for the extension Of religion
among the people of her country. ar
rived in New York yesterday morning
on board the Cunard steamer Java, on
her way home. She is described as OF
about thirty years of age, of medium
size, of prepossessing appearance Win
black eyes. black. straight hair and
olive complexion. She dresses in the
latest style and in manner and in con-
versation is every INCH queen. Her
majesty is escorted by Maj. Hopkins.
an officer of the English army. A young
English lady, Miss 1ness Spurgen,
travels with her in the capacity OF a
lady friend. These. with a manservant
and maidservant, comprise the suite A
special messenger was sent 10 Ne"
York from this city to give proper re-
ception to the illustrious guest and TO
tender her the hospitalities of our gov
ernment. She has accepted an invita-
ton to visit Washington and is expect
ed here in a few days
1t has been fifty years since there has
been any general increase in the pay OF
government clerks. Half a
Aoo;darto1 century ago a horizontal
increase of 20 per cent
law, and, as the following para
graph in The Star of August 10, 1855,
indicates, actually by inadvertence:
Numerous inquiries are being made
by persons interested in that clause OF
the miscellaneous appropriation bill
which provides for the payment or ~
per cent additional pay to the em-
ployes of the government here, whlcn
was generally understood to nave oeen
stricken out by the committee OF con-
ference on the appropriation Dill. Re-
cent developments, however, have re-
awakened the interest felt in this just
and equitable measure II is very gen
erally rumored now that through
clerical error the clause in question mas
become a law. Those who have had
good opportunity to learn the truth
state that very few, if any, of the mem
bers of Congress, in the excitement at
rendant on a speedy adjournment, knew
that the paragraph was stricken out;
that the committee of conference made
the erasure with a lead pencil, and
when the bill came to be COPIED the
clerk not perceiving the faint pencil
marks. the banished clause was insert
ed in the copy which was signed by
the presiding officers of both houses
and subsequently by the President.
1T has been telegraphed from TINS
city that the subject was under dis
CuSS1on at lHe Sdpiioe Se-'9
Tuesday, when the Attorney General
gave it as his opinion that the law
was valid The question was not dis
cussed, as stated, nor has the Attor-
ney General given any ofhclal opinion
on the subject, but many enjoying high
regulations for legal ability have no
doubt that the section of the act
authorizing the payment of the 'addi-
tiopal 20 per cent is unmistakable
law.
The submarine cable was expected to
bring a flood of current news to Amer
lean journals, but for
c,h1.d some time after its in
stallation it was rather
News' disappointing. In The
Star of August IL. 1866, is the fol-
lowing regarding the latest budget.
coupled with an expression of disap-
pointment regarding the paucity of the
news supply:
THE Atlantic telegraph, through
which we were promised two dis
matches every day-one for the morn
ing and one for the evening papers
has been treating the afternoon jour-
mails. including The Star. rather shah
billy for some days. by not furnishing
anything in time for them. We held
our peace, knowing the difficulties of
inaugurating the new method of COM
munication. and hoping the difficulty,
whatever it was. would be overcome.