Daily evening star. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1852-1854, 1854-02-22

WASHINGTON NEWS AND GOSSIP.
Business before the House. the
hour speeches on the Homestead bill ceased in
the House at 3 p. m, according to order, under
the resolution closing the debate some time
since adopted. 1t was made special order
for SO many days, most Of which were devoted,
according to the vicious custom prevailing to
the real consideration of matters with which
the Homestead question has as little connection
as with the man in the moon. With the ex-
ception Of perhaps half q dozen, all the twenty
or thirty hour speeches delivered in the past
week, have been upon the Nebraska and Ton
mage duties question This day being the 22d
of February, of course neither House meet.
On Thursday the Homestead bill will be up
lin Committee of the Whole on the state of the
Union) for amendment, when the members
will proceed to its legitimate discussion on
various amendments, to each of which one
speech of five minutes duration may be made
in its favor, and another, as short, against it.
Such is the rule When such speeches are
being made, the business nominally before the
committee is actually being earnestly consid-
cred. We make these notes for the informa-
ton of the uninitiated in the ins and outs #
the rules and practices governing Congress.
As it is very probable that quite number
of members may be ambitious of making lit
tie private capital on this bill, it is not unlike
Iy that many members will offer amendments
to it, and speak, each his FIVE minutes, by way
Of recording his position and views upon it, for
the benefit of the 'dear people" at home So
the Congressional world wags. Whatever its
that it can become the law of the land at this
time The representatives from many por-
tions of the older States oppose it, because they
claim that their own people have legal right
to share in other benefits from the public do.
main, besides the right (Which this bill, if
enacted, will give them) Of moving out West,
and taking up farms, for the asking. Many
representatives from new States oppose it, be-
cause they are anxious to have the public
lands otherwise appropriated for the benefit of
their constituents. But, as heretofore init
mated, the bill can hardly pass the present
Congress, if but on account of its unpopularity
in the Senate, where its strength is far less in
proportion to numbers, than in the House.
1t will be considered in committee in five
minutes speeches until the adjournment on
Thursday, at least-Friday being objection
day." will be devoted to the consideration of
private bills only. The House in all proba-
bility will not sit on Saturday; and Monday
being resolution day, of course nothing ofpublic
Importance will be consummated. Indeed, a
resolution day." of late years has always been
regarded by the knowing ones as emphatically
a lost legislative day. We think that Tuesday
next will also probably be devoted to the con-
sideration of this Homestead measure, though
it may not be. However, when that may be
concluded, the Committee of Ways and Means,
we apprehend, design moving at once to take
up the new deficiency bill. Other gentlemen
arc very anxious to get up the Nebraska-Kan-
sas bill formally, and will probably succeed.
end will be made. 1t does not at present seem
likely that more than a week will be devoted
to its consideration in hour speeches in COM
mittee, or that an effort will be made to take
it out of committee ere the debate upon il
can be concluded, by resolution. The Senate
bill will come down, and will be put through
without commitment to the Committee of the
Whole. Such is the programme of what is
likely to be the particular occupation Of the
House for como time to come
Naval Officers serving on American Ocean
Nail Steamers.-It is high time that Congress
| repealed their former legislation, assigning
naval officers for service on ocean mail steam
ers, the property of independent companies
| However valuable school of instruction in the
management of such ships such service may
| have proved, it has turned out that the navy OF
| the United States has lost far more than it has
gained by it. Time and again, heads of the
Navy Department have expressed this opinion
to the National Legislature, if we are no,
| greatly mistaken. As paddy's horses were
sure to die just as soon as he had learned them
| to do without eating, so Uncle Sans navy
officers seem sure to resign so soon as, having
| learned how to manage steamships in the ser.
| vice Of these companies, they are ordered
again to legitimate naval duties The worst
of the trouble is, too, that the officers assigned
under the bidding of Congress to such quasi.
naval service, were in all cases among the mos
useful and promising of all in the American
navy. Gentlemen who can ill be spar cd, indeed
from the navy Of the United States The lis,
of such Of them as have already resigned on
being recalled to do strictly naval duty is
large, and tells in unmistakeable language,
that the grand result of assigning United States
officers to such duty, has been, not to make ac-
complished steamship officers for the future of
the American navy, but to withdraw from the
Governments service many Of those from whom
the country had most to hope in naval way.
A Captains Pay while doing duty as an
notwithstanding to what we learn in the
Department by the decision of Attorneys
General. and long continued practice, the
pay follows the rank of an officer when he
is promoted to take rank from an antecedent
date. So, when a lieutenant in the limo of the
army was appointed Adjutant, with the staff
allowances, and while in the performance of
his duties as such was promoted to a cap
taincy, to take rank from a date which inclu-
ded a portion of the time during which he per-