Democratic Sentinel, Volume 9, Number 8, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 20 March 1885 — WASHINGTON. [ARTICLE]

WASHINGTON.

Ex-Secretary Teller succeeded in having patents issued for about two-thirds of the lands comprised in the Backbone Railroad grant, but (Secretary Lamar has suspended action in regard to the residue. The Democratic Senators have completed their arrangements of the committees. Senators Vest, Coke and Harris are to succeed Garland, Bayard and Lamar on the Judiciary Committee. Senator Vance will go on the Finance Committee in place of Bayard. Senator Ransom will succeed Bayard as Chairman of the Committee on Private Land Claims, and Senator Gorman will take Ransom’s old place as Chairman of the Committee on the Potomac River Front. Senator Kenna will go on the Commerce Committee. Gon. Hancock presides at the courtmart’al convened in Washington to try Chief Signal Officer Hazen. Gen. Hazen, when the court came together, demurred to the specification of the charge against him which alleged that he criticised the action of the Secretary of War in refusing to send a sealing steamer to the relief of the Greoiy party after the failure of the Proteus expedition in 1888. The demurrer was overruled, and the accused made a formal plea of not guilty. The Catholic Church of St. Dominick, in Washington, was damaged by fire to the amount of $75,000. In the Hazen court-martial at Washington the accused admitted that ho had criticised the action of the Secretary of War regarding the Greely expedition, and that he had said that if a sailing vessel had been sent to their rescue the party might have been saved. He disclaimed, however, any intentional disrespect to his superior officer, Mr. James G. Blaine called upon Mr. Cleveland at the White House, last week. In the Hazen court-martial counsel for the accused offered to prove that Secretary Lincoln inspired certain articles published in Washington and Chicago, assailing Gen. Hazen, and that they could be traced to his clerk. Secretary of the Treasury Manning has decided to reduce the force in the Special Agent's Division of his department by dispensing with the services of forty persons. The list includes six special agents, twentysix special inspectors of customs, and ten “grand roll” employes. The changes are made, it is said, solely in the interest of economy, and no appointments will b? made to fill the places of those discharged. Orders have been given by Secretary Lamar and Attorney General Garland to sell at auction the horses and carriages belonging to their departments, and cover the proceeds into the Treasury. It appears that seven clerks in the Interior Department have heretofore been used as drivers.