Daily evening star. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1852-1854, 1854-03-18
WASHINGTON NEWS AND GOSSIP.

the old foxes (politicaD of 10th political par
ties to guard, least the other side might obtain
advantages before the people, out of unguard-
ed action on the part of 4" the party Wing or
Democratic, as the case might be- The dread
on the part Of these leaders, was the fear that
in voting on the bill by yeas and nays, plaus-
ible grounds for the charge of extravaganza
might lie. The Democrats were decidedly in
fix. Their leaders felt that the appropria-
tons recommended by the Committee of Ways
and Means we're all called for by the exigen-
cies OF the public service, and yet dreaded to
vote for them after having preached them
selves hoarse as it were, over the extravaganza
of the Wings. When the first deficiency bill
was before the House, we took occasion to say
that the appropriations which had been voted
into it for extras on new houses would
probably prove its death. The result bore out
the prediction In committee upon it on this
occasion, to ensure its eventual passage, it was
found necessary to vote no more for the i'm
provement OF completion of the new custom
houses Gin the aggregate in each case) than
the Wings were willing to spend for such pur.
Cincinnati had no little to do with the
defeat of the really wise proposition to puI-
chase the property on Government account,
known as the New York Assay office. There
| is a delegation from the Ohio Board of Public
Works in Washington at this time who labored
to defeat it. Their hope is eventually to have
| "A branch mint, or at least an assay Office estab-
| lished in Cincinnati, where it will be of as
little real service to the public, or the Govern
mcnt as fifth wheel to..a coach. One has to
watch affairs in Washington closely, to apprc-
ciate the hollowness of the professions of poll
ticians generally. They are all for cconomis-
ing the public money, theoretically. Yet VIC
would like much to find the first half dozen
Of them who do not 60 in for any and every
possible scheme for the expenditure of the
means of the people, where it promises imme-
diately or remotely to benefit the particular
region, in the prosperity of which, either of
them may be directly interested
| We are reminded of this fact by the labors
of these Ohio gentlemen mentioned above
They are dead against all extravaganza, of
course. Yet they will be sure at the right
moment to move heaven and earth, if possible,
to get branch mint at Cincinnati, where its
location would be quite as inconvenient for
those having gold or silver to be converted
into United States coin, as at any other point
in the United States that can be named As
for the proposition to purchase the New York
assay Office, we have to say that it struck Us
as eminently wise and proper 1t would have
saved some two hundred thousand dollars on
the Government lease upon the property, alone
That is, bypaying the amount proposed in the
bill down on the nail, the Government would
have acquired fee simple title to the prop
erty for two hundred thousand dollars less
| than they are to pay on the lease upon it, in
| the fifteen years that lease has to run The
lease ITSELF the wisdom of which is questioned,
was negotiated by no less distinguished gen.
tleman than Mr. Robert J. Walker, on the
part of the Government; he having been en-
pleyed by the Treasury Department to obtain
a proper site for the New York assay office
However, there appears to be sort of fatality
connected with most of Mr.. Walkers special
contracts on the part of the Government; the
contractors rarely, indeed, failing to get mush
the best of his bargains of that sort on Govern
ment account.
| The passage Of the deficiency bill, however,
will give relief to many very needy persons
here, among them being hosts who have not
yet been paid for actual labor performed for
the United States; payment for which is to be
made under the provisions of this act, when it
becomes law.
The Rev Hampshire Election.-The un-
certainty as to the result of this election con-
| tinued to exist in political circles here last
night, causing both Wings and Democrats,
active as politicians, to look blue Short faces
were not in fashion among those of either side
| for the nonce. We never knew the telegraph
to be more generally discredited than on this
OCCASION its reports being voted exceedingly
unsatisfactory to either side. 1t was the gem
eral impression all the evening that the chance
for the triumph Of neither was hardly worth
D,ore than the toss Of acoppcr. That is, was
not that much better than the chance for the
triumph of the other side
| We, however, have ut length despatch
from Concord, dated to-day, on which we rely.
1t gives the Wings and Abolitionists combined
li6 members chosen to the Lower House-thc
Democrats, l54 and leaves towns electing
five members, yet to be heard from; all Of which
sent Democrats to the last Legislature
So the Democratic majority in the House
may be written down "a from ten to thirteen
positireiy. The Senate stands, all heard
frem, Democrats, eight; opposition, four.
| 1t is worthy of remark, that the average
Democratic majority in New Hampshire is
2,5O0-not 5000. The latter figure expresses
the majority of Franklin Pierce, rather than
Of the party. State pride, P.'s remarkable
popularity, &C., contributed to give him SO
much greater strength at home than his party
| has, These facts should be considered, by men
scanning the returns with the view to come to
a sound judgment relative to the condition OF
| political affairs in that quarter.
Tbs Cuba Question. distant readers may
rest assured that there is nothing in the Black
Warrior case likely to bring about immediate
hostilities with Spair-nothing in the world.
It can hardly be brought to fighting point
under four months, even if our Government
| wara dispoSed m /. N the end of Oetfi