Rensselaer Republican, Volume 18, Number 23, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 11 February 1886 — WASHINGTON. [ARTICLE]

WASHINGTON.

General David Hunter, U. S. A. (retired), died suddenly in Washington last week- He was a veteran, of the Mexican war, served with distinction in the war of the rebellion, and was president of the military court that tried Mrs. Surratt. The venerable John D. Philbrick, LL. D., the most widely known educator in Massachusetts, died at Danvers, in his 68th year. He was a member of the educational jury at the Vienna Exposition. A dispatch from Rochester announces the death of Thomas Leighton, well known as a bridge-builder, aged 68 yean. The Hon. David T. Linegar,

I of Cairo, 111., died at his home in that city : after an illness of some months. He was a prominent member of the last Illinois Legislature. j Solicitor General Goode, who Ms j been specially designated to conduct’ the ; suit against the Bell Telephone Company to test the validity of their patent, has secured the services of the following-named gentlemen as special counsel to assist in the prosecution of the suit: The Hon. A. G. Thurman of Ohio, Grosvenor Lowery of New York, who is - a specialist in electrical matters; Messrs. Eppa Hunton and Jeff Chandler of Washington, and Mr. C. S Whitman, a patent attorney of. Washington. The suit j will be filed ns soon as the Solicitor Genj eral shall have had an opportunity to consult with his assistants in regard to the bill which is now-in course of preparation at the Department of Justice. The place where the suit shall be instituted will not be decided upon until all the papers in the case are ready. The Attorney 1 General has positively declined to have anything whatever to do with the case. Judge Goode says the -’ case will be promptly and vigorously prosecuted, and with fnimesß to all parties concerned... .To dispose of the matter of private claims before Congress, a bill was agreed to giving the United States Circuit and District Courts jurisdiction in claims under SIO,OOO, and to the Court of Claims -’jurisdiction in claims over that amount... .The counsel for the Government insists that the Union and ’Central Pacific Roads' should pay the Government r 25 per cent, of the anrount paid the Pacific Mail Steamship Company, which would amount to about $828,000....