Daily evening star. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1852-1854, 1853-12-27
WASHINGTON NEWS AND GOSSIP

Executive branch Of the Government TO set
their faces against any and all claims on the
National Treasury, are inducing their readers
to take trouble on Interest The idea is the
creation of what is technically known here as
the Lobby" In Washington the :" Lobby"
is not understood to mean private claimants
or their bona fde professional agents or attor-
MES: but rather, the class who seek to get
special favors-not rights-through Congress,
by resort to improper means To social
Establishments, and to n system of c!ectioneer-
ing as reprehensible and injurious in its
effects, rs open bribery. We question whether
there were ever before in the Government,
men more willing to aid in securing for hon
est private claims upon the National Trca-
sury, speedy and full liquidation. This very
disposition on the part of the President and
Cabinet, as much as aught else, induces them
to set their faces against the squandering of
means required to pay honest Government
debts. 1t is the game Of those interested in
schemes on Congress aHtagonistic to the use
OF the public money, first for the payment
Of legitimate claims on the Treasury, to,
it possible. discredit the Government with
the people; as their Oaly expectation of ear
rying what Lhfg arc after, lies in their hope
of being able to cverawe the President
We may assure hon0 Gfc claimants on the
Government ut 4 distance, that in the course
of the last ten years we have seen no other
! session of Congress open with as fair a pros
pect of rendition of justice to hiem as the
present The Committees of the House as
now organized, will probably scrutinize claims
more closely than heretofore. Yet whom they
do report in favor of n claim, their action
will be practically taken final. Or, in
other words, as it is known that they lock
! more closely than heretofore into the real
facts involved in the cases coming before
them, and will report under deeper sense Of
their obligation to render strict Justice to the
Government than has heretofore seemed to
impress the committees. their recommended
tions will have far greater weight, we think
than ever before, in the course of many year.
Those who have claims which will bear the
nest of proper scrutiny, therefore. may not
only dismiss their fears, but can rejoice Mt
the prospect before them, Notwithstanding
the efforts of those who seek special favorS for
the Government wholly disconnected from the
payment of honest claims, to generate the
belief that the President Cabinet. Speaker
&c, are ogres bent on annihila ting all who
ask their rights from the United States.
The STATE OF THINGS IN NEBRASKA.-WC
have seen letter from an intelligent govern
ment agent in Nebraska, containing much in
formation, which can hardly fail to be yalua-
BILE to Congress in view of their approaching
legislation with reference to the proposed
new territory, the Indians there. &c. We ex.
tract from it as follows:
GREAT NEMAHAw AGENCY,
December 6, 1853
The attention or the curiosity
of the public has been excited and attracted
to the country west Of the Missouri, and many
have visited it. Most of those who came in
my district were easily convinced that it was
not open for settlement Some had penetra-
ted to the Agency, laboring under the delu
sion that the country had been purchased
| from the indians; naming it the New Pur
chase And yet these persons were not des-
titute of intelligence or shrewdness in ordi
nary business. There were but two instance.
where / found it necessary to use other means
than reason to cause them to leave the coun-
Try. The Nebraska meetings and convention:
now going on, will, doubtless. increase the
annoyance, and their effect will be to excite
the fears OF the Indians, who now to some
extent, labor under the belief that the white,
are preparing to drive them again from the
graves Of their fathers, kindred and children
Yet do not believe that any serious attempt
will be made to settle within the limits of the
agency. until permission is granted by the
action of the government Of the United
States ....
THE PoroMAo BRIDGE From present ap
pearances, We are satisfied that the subject o
| permanent bridge over the Potomac at thi
point, will be urged on Congress at yer,
early day, and with success. if the movements
of the citizens of the District Of Columbia arc
ed in no tfar Nv =.
Congress are well aware of the obligations o,
the General Government to construct thi:
| work, arising not only from the relation which
! the District bears to the Government but a ;,
from;the pledge to keep up the Long Bridge
under which the United States obtained thai
work from its former proprietors. All mem
bers of Congress familiar with the history ot
the legislation for the District of Columbia
and more especially with reference to the
| District bridges, are perfectly aware that some
sort OF bridge will always. hereafter, be kept
up, over the Potomac, by appropriations from
| The Federal Treasury, and, further thai fnI
| the last ten or twelve years, the appropria-
tons for repairs, &c, for the existing apology
for Potomac bridge, have, necessarily, quad
| rnpied the aggregate sum and interest on the
hrst expense OF a permanent structure, and
tl,e slight annual repairs which such work
would have cost the Treasury The appru.
priation last made for the repair of the .tIong
Bridge has been well expended. more having
been accomplished with it, than was though,
possible by ninety-n nine in hundred crs0n:
in Washington. Yet, in liz present state, i,
| makes no pretensions to perInanency; it not
| being dreamed that the work can stand hal
| 80 violent Il frcshct as that which swept j,
away last Spring In this matter, the only
real question ut issue is whether Congress
will take the bull by the horns at once. or. b,
hesitating so to do, will make this work cos,
| the Government, in the end. twice Rs much n.
it should.
AN INTERESTING STRANGER-Mr. Aleyau
der Culbertson. for twenty years a trappel
and trader among the Blackfeet Indians. who
| recently piloted Governor Stevens and hi:
command through the Blackfeet's country
came to Washington n few days since at the
request of Governor s to accord information
to the Government in relation to that tribe
We hear tina he is a man Of fine intelligence
though much aborigihized by his so-lonc res
idence beyond the usual range of the whit,
man. He is said already to have commnnica
! ted to the Indian bureau many interesting
| and important facts bearing on the reIa
| tons of the Government to the Blackfcet Mr.
| c: has gone to Chambersburg. Pa, to spenC
| Christmas with his father and family. for IN.
first time In twenty nine years, reyisitns the
! bone of his youth.
DUTIES on RaIJRotn IR6y The ;,,,r.,