Daily evening star. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1852-1854, 1853-12-24
WASHINGTON NEWS AND GOSSIP.

prOpriety of dispensing with four of the navy
yards of the government, introduced into the
House by Mr. Houston, few days since, has
created much excitement in Washington.
more expressly among the Congressional
friends of the Portsmouth, n H., Sackett
Harbor N. Y, Philadelphia and Memphis
yards, which, it is presumed by many, could
not be dispensed with. if any However we
have little idea that any such measure can
become law, though perseverance ght SUI
perinduce Congress, we imagine, to dispense
with the Memphis, and probably the Sacketts
1iarbor yards. The fact that such PROPOSE
ton has been stated. bids fair to bring con-
siderable increase of the lobby upon US these
interested i'll the location of, and work in the
navy yards of the country, being proverbial
~ very active on occasions before Congress.
touching their interests The same gentle
man CHR. IIoustOn,l also made another move
on the same day, which will doubtless give
the officers of the marine corps the tidgets for
some time to come, in proposing to reduce
their extra allowances to those of officers of
the navy. At present they receive, according
to rank, such allowances as are paid to officers
of the army. We shall by no means be sur
prised to find that measure meeting with
great favor in both branches of Congress Mr..
Houston also introduced a third such propo
sition, viz to hereafter pay the army officers
| all their emoluments in money. That is. to
| pay them in round sums, according to grade,
| striking from the nomenclature Of the service
! the allowances for servants, ratiOny. fmore
than one,> hOrscs &c Ii we understand this
last proposition correctly, MIR. Houston docs
not prop0:e 10 decrease the actual emolu-
ments Of officers Of the army but rather, to
state them in simple way, so that any one
| at glance may know precisely how much
in money-they receive for their services.
No gentlemen take more lively interest in
the dUingS of Congress, wherein the latter are
likely to affect their own interests than do
the officers Of the army and navy Of the Uni
ted States. Under these circumstances, they
will doubtless take due care to let Congress
know their views upon all three OF these Ito
them SO especially Interesting topics.
EXTRA PAY GRANTED TO A DEsEKTER.-In
a not long since ad judicatcd at the Trea-
sury Department, it was decided that an in
fantry soldier. serving marine, who par
ticipaied in the action on Lake Erie between
American and British squadrons, on the llth
Of September, 1914 was held to- he entitled to
| the three months extr: pay granted By the
/
standing he subsequently deserted. The reso-
luton gives to all who, the OCCASION OF
| McDonogh's victory. 80 glorinuSly supported
the honor OF the American flag on that mem
| orable day. and entirely Omits the condition
Of an honorable discharge" prescribed by
all other acts granting extra pay, dis 4 pre-
requisite to the allowance.
The COLLINS STEAMEEs LiNE.-Thcrc cx-
lists very strong disposition among members
OF both houses to carry out the very recent
determination of the co,smttce IF Nays
| and Means Gn reporting the annual mail
steamer appropriation blD to report a pro-
position to give the required six months
notice for the discon,inuance of the Govern
ments additional compensation 70 the Collins
line. 1t i. understood that no opposition was
| manifested to this proposition in the Commit
tee of Ways and MEANS, though some of il
!. embcrs, at least, are believed not to s4ue-
ton it with tncir judgment. The knowledge
that the majority were against them. probably
alone induced them to dccllrc wasting time in
frultleSs opposition TO il there If the direc-
tors OF the Collins line can siiow that the same
necessity FOR this additional compensation cX-
lsts ut this time IL existed when the allowance
was made. which appears to tc doubted by
many, they may possibly make successful
fight against the commit ee recommendation:
a. great sympathy for their enterprise man
lfostly pervadcs the c3niiuerca! comI.urity in
al directions, that interest have icscrveLiy
great weight with Congress We may not in
appropriately add that the = Shanghai and
:, Ebony lines have apparently poor prosi.cc:
for this winter.
MEMBERS GoNE OFF.-Accor'!in2 10 the
ANNUAL custom, at least a fourth of the Mem
bcrs of both Houses have taken their dcpal-
ture from Washington. 10 spend the holidays
by their respective tirc-Si .es. or within day,
ride Of u. There will he nothin. done IN
Congress Of general interest or inheritance
until after the i<t lroyimr. as il will be rare
to lind quorum of either House present I'LL
til then. Though Washington is apparently
Sfa3ei with the presence OF an unusual
thronS oil strangers, even nOw.we a destined
after that time I" have twice us many among
us; Or the sign IRE deceptive. Congress can
not approach any question Of public interest
IN these days, without touching chords H. il
were. which Nitrate upon the nerves Of tb,
capitalists "f tho ccuntry. from Maine 10 Cal
lfornia. bringing them or their agents here
IN crowds OF course.
Collision BETWEEN UNITED STATES Avn
STATES AurHOEITIEs.-In the course If the |
lat month or two, we have had Ion to
notice collision between the authorities of !
the United States and those of the State of
F." seonsin: relative to depredations on their
public lands. Another in Ohio. in relation 10 |.
public defaulter still another in Pcnnsyl |
vHnla, with reference TO fugitive slave And |
now, We learn, OF fourth, in New York. in |
connection with an cxtradition case the case
Of tersOn claimed by a foreign -:9ycrnmen,
under ali extraditlUn clause of Il treaty.
ouch Il question has arisen there and it j.
understood in Washington, that the Attorney
General at this time has the Government duty
iii The premises under alvsemcnt
There is evidently screw loose somewhere
1t strikes US that it is in the abuse Of the
privilege or right Of hqde1S co,pus which
was designed merely to protect the citizen
against tyranny or persecution-not to mani
testify aDase the law and defeat the ends of
justice. In fact, these collisions arising out
of the abuse of the h4be0s rorp~s, are legiti-
mate fruit of the higher law doctrines W hie h
have been so industriously promulged by pub
lie Inen of late. by way of excusing their
otherwise indetensible efforts to obtain motto
riety- and the favor Of the mob 1t this in
lection continues to spread for a few year.. at
the rate ii seems Of late to have Travelled in