Rensselaer Republican, Volume 27, Number 36, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 May 1896 — WASHINGTON. [ARTICLE]

WASHINGTON.

The Federal Supreme Court has decided that teiegraph companies are liable to damages for delayed messages. The House Committee on Pensions ordered a fuvorable report on the bill introduced by Representative- Stallings to increase the pensions of veterans of the Mexican and Indian wars and their widows from $8 to sl2 a month. Almost 30,(100 Government employes were brought with one" rgweep under The protection of the civil service Wednesday by the issuance of an order by President Olerehttnl making a generei 'revision 'of civil service rules. The order is the most important since the inauguration of the system more tkaq a decade ago. It takes effect immediately. Its practical extent is the classification of all Government employes below the rank of those subject to nomination by tile President apd confirmation by the Senate and above the grades of laborers or workmen,, with a few exceptions. The new rules add 29,399 positiops to the classified Bat, increasing the number of classified positions from 55,736 to 85,135. The number of classified places which are excepted from examination has been reduced from 2,099 to 755, being malifly positions as cashiers In the customs, postal snd internal revenue services. The only classified posi-

tions in Washington which will be excepted from examination under the new rules will be private secretaries pr confidential clerks (npt exceeding two) to the •president and to the head of each of the eight executive departments. No positions will hereafter be subject to noncompetitive examination, except in the cases of Indians employe# in a teaching capacity in the Indian service.