Democratic Sentinel, Volume 8, Number 52, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 January 1885 — WASHINGTON. [ARTICLE]

WASHINGTON.

The committee on Inauguration, says a Washington dispatch, expect 100,000 people in the city March 4. Col. L. P. Wright of Chicago is Chairman of the Committee on Public Comfort. He has already oeen compelled to visit Alexandria in search of quarters. Arrangements are to be made for reduced fare with the railroads.

Secretary McCulloch believes the business depression has touched bottom. A special dispatch from Washington to the Chicago Tribune say si “Secretary McCulloch states that he has been misrepresented in reference to the business depression. The Secretary says he has not expressed the opinion that greater depression is to be expected. On the contrary, he thinks that every indication points to better times unless Congress is guilty of some grave error. In reference to the revenues, he does not think that the increase of the debt in November and December can be repeated. The revenues for January will be greater thifn for either of the preceding months, and February will donbtless show a more pronounced improvement. The change for the better in the revenues, as in the business of the country, will be very gradual, and will probably date from the Ist of January, when the depression reached its worst. The agitation of the silver question, and long delay and uncertainty as to the course to be pursued, would lead to a hoarding of gold that would soon make its ill effects very apparent.”

Statistics o£ the year confirm the expectation of the Postoffice Department concerning the effect of the reduction in letter postage and indicate that the service will soon be on a paying basis. One result of the reduction has been a large decrease in the use of postal-cards. But little progress seems to bane been made by the Senate committee in its investigation of the leases of Indian lands. Senators Vest and Ingalls appear to have lost interest in tbe matter.

Congressmen manifest a disposition to settle the Oklahoma question finally, either by opening the country or by adopting some effective measures to keep people from going there. A party of Senators called upon President Arthur the other day to obtain his views upon the subject. Mr. Arthur said that, in his opinion, it was right that intruders should be kept our of the Indian country by force of arms if necessary. Oklahoma was a small tract of a few hundred thousand acres, surrounded on all sides by Indian reservations. There was no civil law there, and collisions would almost inevitably occur between the Indians and whites. If the tract was to be opened to settlement the way should be prepared by the enactment of proper laws.

The Secretary of War will not order a court-martial for the trial of Lieut. Garlington on the charges preferred by GenHazen The Texas Congressional delegation are asking for an appropriation of $7,000,000 for tho Galveston harbor, which they propose to Improve under the plan submitted by Capt. Bads. According to the annual estimate made by Director Burchard of the United States Mint the total amount of gold coin in circulation In the United States is $563,213,578. Tho total amount of silver coin is $261,100,099. The total net increase of silver and gold coin is estimated at $18,290,764. The amount of gold used in tho arts is placed at $4,875,000. An effort will be made by the Executive Committee on Improvement of Western Waters to induce Congress to appropriate $5,000,000 for the Mississippi River instead of the less than $3,000,000 proposed. The committee consists of representatives of various commercial organizations Interested in tho improvement of Western wnterways.