The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1838-01-03
Correspondence Of the ~. Y. Egg. Post.
WASHINGTON, Dec. %, 1887.

a new uct III TIE bcTio ComiCo WOis oTn-
ma, was opened to-day in the Senate.
There was an amusing exhibition of the po-
litical Jim Crowisn,, which "turns about,
and wheels about" with bewiIdering celeril
~. You perhaps recollecf, that certain
whig leaders in the Senate have thrown ev-
cry obstacle in the way Of the passage Of
the bill to prevent the circulation Of small
notes in the District Of Columbia. The
Committee OH Finance has been denounced
in bitter terms for having reported it to the
Senate, albeit that Committee reported it
in pursuance of the instructions of the SEN
ate, to that effect. II has been reprobated
as novel and unparalleled, Notwithstanding
a bill to the same effect passed the Senate,
at the special session, without dissenting
voice. Ii has been condemned as oppress:
i've to the poor, whereas that class will not
only be most protected by its provisions,
but the honest part of them-and that is
nearly all, ardently desire its passage. Mr..
Clay bas characterized it MS bill especially
directed against those industrious, respoU-
sible and esteemed citizens Of the district
the slaves and beggars-and he has indul-
ged in most laclryinose eloqueEce about its
inconveniences to the " little boys and
girls" who are to be made the special and
selected victims of its odous and tyrannical
enactments.
During every part Of ITS progress, every
obstacle that political ingenuity could sng-
gest, has been placed in The way of its pas
To oppose it, had become so far as could
be judged from the course of senators, part
and parcel of that strange medley of incon-
sistencies, to which the opposition have
given the nick name of "whig principles"
After several postponements, much desul-
tory discussion, and every obstacle thrown
in its way, by the wings, The question came
up during the latter part Of the past week +,
on its being ordered to third readng-it
so ordered, Ivy an unanimous vote. How,
you will nsk, after all this opposition Sim
ply because every man who had opposed il
in its previous stages found it convenient TO
be absent just about the time of taking the
question. Whether this occurred by pre-
concert, or each and every member opposed
to it happened TO have some peculiarly
pressing engagement just at that moment
is not for me to say-that n whole party
should happen to be absent just at such a
moment, was certainly one of the most cur
ious condolences" I doubt whether the
remembrance Of any man living can find n
parallel to such chance retreat of every
member of political party. If it was by
preconcert, ns l assuredly believe, what
can be said Of party that seeks by indirec-
tion to sustain system on which it dare
not record vote2 If it wns not by gene
raj arrangement, j, happened in tins wise.
The leaders, after making their speeches
against the bill, prudentfy avoided the re-
sponsibility of vote, and retired. The
lesser lights, not caring to shine, except in
company with luminaries of more magni-
tude, " went out" also. They had ro idea
oGsuch small illumination as their own
farthing rushlights would afford.
So much for the opposition to the bill by
these retiring Senators. There was u
pleasant and edifying discussion, in the
Senate to-day, touching this measure, in
which this same display of a beggarIy ac-
court of empty whig seats, on a previous
occasion was alluded to--especially by
Messrs. Buchanan and Wright. TWAS ev-
idcnt, that it was impossible to postpone the
passage Of the bill. For its opponents TO
go again into what "A western orator once
called 81 state of splendid retiring" would
be trfing rather too much with the digni-
ty ofhhe Senate and the patience of the
people. They were compelled-to use the
slang phrase" to come up tn the scratch" I"
aud come up they did, somewhat sheepish-
Iy indeed, and with rather crab-like
movement. The question was taken, and
the bill passed with a solitary negative.
Mr.. Swift, who gave that negative, did
not seem to understand the game that
was playing among his brother wings. He
was indiscreet enough to make a very lit
tie speech against the measure, and to be
CONSTANT, he had to vote in cousonance
with that little speech. He was probably
in brown study about the resolutions of
the Vermont legislature, of which he is the
lord kceker. But the rest, one and all,
voted for the bill.
Mr. Buchanan had taken occasion to
allude, in his mild and pleasant way, to
the strange temporary abdcation Of their
seats, of all the members who had exhibited
opposition to this bill. He said that in his
state, it had not been easy to find out what
was the +" shin plaster" party-but that he
thought that matter had been sufficiently
proved, by the course of senators on that
occnsion.-This remark told--,he shin
plaster men, who have done all in their
power to perpetuate tha, system. did not
dare avow themselves as its advocates, and
when they were compelled to come to the
point, they retreated.
Important TO Opposition Orators.--Mr'
Fletcher, Of the Massachusetts delegation,
has completely destroyed himself as pol
i,ician. Not, however, by being guilty Of
ut,ering base ISLANDERS against the admins
....iu, acl ~, fr;c,ds-tbat il "a v;rtue In