Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1839-02-21
Domestic News.
CONGRESSIONAL.

| CONG hES SlO4SiL.
From the Correspondence Of the Charleston Cour.
WASHINGTON. Feb. Z.
Both Houses are engaged, 10 day, upon
private bills. The House of Representa-
lives has cleared off every un,lispuled pri-
vate bill from the calendar-a thing which
has not occurred here for years before
This week has, upon the whole, been one
of business. The Senate have passed the
bill. allowing drawback upon foreign
hemp, manufactured into cortiase, by a
large majority. This measure has been
pending for seventeen years and, at last,
has received the sanction of one body
1t was formerly opposed by agricultural
interests, but that opposition has been
Withdrawn. MIR. Clay, himself an exteu-
si7e helnpgrower, advocated the bill, aud
argued that, while it benefited our uaviga-
ton, it would be of no disservice 10 our
aericulture--for American hemp would
not make good cordage. Mr.. Calhoun
expressed his satisfaction at finding these
protection principles giving way before
experience. They were all burdensome
upon some branch Of home industry or
other, and the cOtton-growers had 10 bear
the brunt Of the whole. All the loss, he
said, fell on them.
In The House, to-day, there was de-
bate, during The morning hour, upon the
subject Of the late report of the Committee
OF Ways and Means on the estate of the
finances and the expenditures of the gov
ernmeu,.' SUIne strong interests nave
become combined in opposition to The
principles and recommendations Of this
report. On the other hand, the report is
warmly supported by those who are in
favor OF carrying out the principle laid
down in the 4th clause of the ID section OF
the compromise act, viz:-lhat, after the
3Olh June, 1912, "duties shall be laid for
the purpose of raising such revenue as may
be necessary to an economical administra-
tion Of the government" The reduction
of expenditures must begin somewhere,
and begin soon, or some means must be
resorted TO for supplying The Treasury.
MIR. Rhett spoke, to-day, in support Of
the views of the report. and, in the course
of his remarks, touched upon the now
much 'nooeri topic Of the obligation ol the
compromise act. He avo we'd his own de-
termination aud that Of his constituents
10 adhere to the provisions OF that act, in
good faI;h; but, If the opponents of the
act intended 10 annul it. the sooner they
did II the better. Col Benton had declared
an uncompromising war upon the conipro-
mise. In every debate he gives it HIT
More than once he has made coulcmptuous
allusions TO the ''dumvirate or lrumvirale"
by which it was framed; and declared that
it was Of no force or obligation.
February. 5.
In the Senate, to-day, Mr. Pierce, of N.
H., presented memorial from number
of officers Of the line Of the army on tue
subject of the invidous and unjust distiuc-
lion made by existing laws in favor of the
officers of the staff, as to the rate of pay,
&c. The memorialists complain, aud
with much reason, that, under the present
arrangement, officers Of the staff, stationed
at this city, receive more pay than officers
Of the same grade in the line, who are ex-
posed l6s all the dangers and hardships Of
actual service, and TO the great expenses
incident to frequent changes ofstation and
service. A Captain in the STAFF receives
four hundred aud twenty dollars a year
more than Captain in the line; and yet
we have among the Captains Of the line
some veterans who have served as officers,
even since the year 1908. One of these
gentlemen was said. in the debate on the
army bill last year, to be the oldest Captain
in auy military service in the world
There is no doubt that promotion is more
rapid in the staff than inthe line. while, at
the same time, the rate Of pay is higher,
which is altogether wrong.
= The Senate spent some time in the con-
sideration of Mr.. Benion's bill for the arm.
ed occupation of Florida. Mr.. Preston
made a speech in opposition to the BILL
Some time was spent in executive busi-
ness.
In the House, the discussion of the m,er-
its Of the late report from the Committee
OH Finance. as to the state of the Treasury,
was resumed for short time during The
morning hour. The House went into