Daily evening star. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1852-1854, 1853-11-17
WASHINGTON NEWS AND GOSSIP.

to the knowledge OF who is to be the Speaker
Indeed, so far. any expression of opinion here
or elsewhere on the subject, would be the
merest guess work. We doubt whether any
one aspirant for the position will poll more
than twenty-five votes in the caucus on the
first ballot, and shall by no means be sur
prised to find three, four or Ave gentlemen
running, at first, about even. The unusually
large proportion of new members, and the fact
that the Administration will leave the matter
wholly in the hands of the House themselves,
together, give rise TO much Of this uncertainty.
The lizard" and Soft question is destined
to have very little weight, indeed, in shaping
the result Thus, outside of the New Nork
delegation, there are not twenty representa-
tives earnestly sympathizing with the Hards,
ION the slavery matter) and more than half
of them are very soft indeed, upon all
questions except that of the propriety Of the
Administration treating all alike who pledge
themselves TO the Baltimore platform. That
is, they are for rigid economy, and no special
fayors. Perhaps ten of the New York Hards,
and Us many others, may be willing to strive
to reopen the slavery question by taking an
anti Administrator stand upon 1t at the start;
and it may be that ten others will consent to
act with them from personal disappointment
about Office for friends, or in order to check
mate the well known determination of the
President with reference to expenditures from
the National Treasury, accountability Of those
entrusted with public funds &c. Were it GER
tain that all the Wings would act together,
and with these gentlemen, the combination
would be threatening But that is impossibe
fire and water being not more clearly antago-
nistic than such anti-Democrats az Mr.. Gid
dings, on the one hand, and Mr.. Stephens, Of
Georgia, on the other. There will be at least
half dozen members of Mr.. Giddings' stripe
on the slavery question, who will probably
| form no combination likely to end in opening
the Treasury doors very wide; and, least of
| all, for the ingress and egress, without ques-
ton, of the lobby members from New York,
who have regularly attended here for many
years past, all of whom are ''1lard' Demo-
cratic leaders at home, with the exception of
the handful who held federal Office not long
! since. The question of the future manage
mcnt of the public lands must exercise pow
erful influence in determining the choice of
the Speaker; some fifty members, in all, COM
ing from public lands districts and States,
wherein n politicians position and labors in
that connection determine his future fortune
as public man. The tariff or protection
question is stone dead, SO far as weight in the
choice Of the Speaker is concerned, as, what
ever tho Pennsylvania Democratic members
may say at home about it, here, not more than
l two or three of then. will vote on all important
| Though remote) questions, for "protection, y
and against their party's Legislative policy.
On all great issues such as that, the contest is
usually decided, by-the-by, before the House
| get to the main question: Or, in other
| words, before it is voted on in q shape in which
all the world can understand clearly where
the member stands upon it. Indeed, the game
of voting in the House hall is like the game of
chess the fate of the contest being decided
long before either side is so defeated rs to be
rendered unable to make 4 move. This is we'll
understood here, where the lodging and doub-
ling of politicians anxious to stand we'll both
at homo and Sin Washington, so often indu.
ces honorable gentlemen to do one thing
while seeming to be doing just the reverse
However, this lodging and doubling practice
is not INDUCED in on the tariff question alone,
but really ON almost every issue over which
parties are divided But, as before remarked
the tariff question will not influence the speak.
ership as, outside of the Very Hards of New
York. not more than three or four Democratic
members are sufficiently ardent protectionists
to stand out against the party sentiment on
the subject, and among the New York Hards
probably not more than four.are protectionists
at heart, though all of them profess to be op-
posed to the doctrine. On the whole, tn c con
test is defined to turn much on the personal
popularity and standing of the candidates, the
new members relying greatly on advice from
their more experienced colleagues as to the
| person whom they shall support, The great
est danger to the Administration in the prem
ises is from the activity and influence of the
lobby, in early discoverin: who among the
| iS" dlc ulSlOStt ~ play 1dSl anu
loose on money bills, and in drilling them in
a trice to act together in the organization of
the House. We need hardly add that this in
tercst in the Democratic party in Congress is
! destined to be very Hard" to man; for it
has always been so, VIGOROUSLY.
The SECRETARY OF THE TREAsURY's FORTH
COMING REPoRT.-In view Of the fact that
| correspondents of the New York Herald are
absurdly pretending to give foreshadowings
Of what articles the Secretary will probably
recommend to be made duty free, by way of
| decreasing tho revenue from customs, we may
| write that we ars satisfied that up to this time
! the Secretary has come to no conclusion on the
subject; and, further, that the public NAV rest
| satisfied that no revelations on the subject of
| his recommendations will be permitted to get
| out, or to be known to any one outside of his
| Office, until the due publication of his report.
This is due to the commercial community.
whose interest might be greatly affected by a
| want of proper care in the Department in this
matter.
ANCIENT LAND TITLES IN MKsoURI.-The
General Land Office. by waytf securing land
holders in and around ST. Louis, in time 70
come from the annoyance of baseless suits
far haip