Rensselaer Republican, Volume 27, Number 48, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 1 August 1895 — WASHINGTON. [ARTICLE]

WASHINGTON.

The Secretary of the Interior has requested the Secretary of War to semi troops to the scene of the Indian disturbance, Wyoming, and it is understood that troops will be ordered instantly to the vicinity of the trouble. At Washington Attorney General Harmon announced that he had decided to appoint ns warden of the United States penitentiary at Fort Leavenworth, Kan., James W. French, of Indiana. Mr. French was for five years warden of the Michigan City, Ind., penitentiary, but was recently legislated out qf office. He is said to be efficient and progressive, and is well known as a prison reformer. Mr. Harmon has had an extensive correspondence with the best known prison officials throughout the country with a view to getting suggestions as to administrative reforms, and it is his purpose to make the first United States penitentiary, if possible, the model of all other penal institutions of the country. Public men in Washington are already beginning to discuss the probabilities us to the length Of the next session of Congress. Opinion is generally favorable to a short session, and is based largely on the belief that both parties will be desirous of getting away for the campaign at as early a date as possible. It is now believed by sortie that Mr. Reed, feeling practically certain that he will be elected to the Speakership, has already virtually completed the House committee list, and that at any rate he will be able to announce his appointments very soon after the convening of the two houses on Dec. 2. Should the House committees be announced soon after the beginning of the session and that body gets its work well under way before the Christmas holidays it would be a decided innoration. Few Congresses in recent years have begun

the session without this plan as a part of their program, and few hsve succeeded in putting it into execution.