Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1855-02-24
WASHINGTON NEWS AND GOSSIP,

An Exciting Day .-Yesterday's session of
the House was one Of perhaps more excite.
ment, while they were in Committee of tho
Whole on tho state Of the Union, than had
occurred in their hall previously during the
present sess on. The occasion of the hubbub.
boo was Mr.. Edgerton's amendment TO admit
very coarse and very fine wools-such as are
not grown in this country to any e1tent-and
railroad iron imported in the next sixteen
months, and such as has been imported in the
last twenty months, drty free. Pennsylvania
set her face against is, and succeeded in SUBJ
shutting for it the original bill for the &c eral
reduction Of the tariff, reported by Mr.. Houf-
ton, from the Committee of Ways and Means
30 far as Pennsylvania is concerned, her dele.
CATION universally conspired, as it were, it
ssems to US, "to bite of her nose to spite her
face" She produces some forty five or fifty
millions worth Of iron annually, about two
hundred thousand dollars worth of which is in
the shape ofrsilroad iron. Her delegation voted
unanimously to decrease the duty from thirty
to twenty four per centum, for all time, on the
whole quantity and every description of iron
she produces, to prevent railroad iron, of which
she makes but two hundred thousand dollars
worth per annum from coming in duty free for
sixteen months. Our opinion was expr essed
at the opening of the session-indeed, before
the session opened-as to the better policy of
admitting railroad iron duty free until after
the end Of the present disastrous season for
railroads under construction and about to be
undertaken The defeat of the proposition, it
strikes rs, must be the signal for the stoppage
OF nins-tenths Of the current work on progress
ING railroads, and the prevention of the com.
mencement of nine-tenIhs Of the railroads
which otherwise would speedily be put under
contract. As for the contemplated Mis- issippi
railroads, the man is hardly alive who will see
them fairly under way without some such law
~ that proposed by Mr.. Edgerton Pennsy1
vsnia, BY her movement, has simply iabored
to shut Of all demand for her railroad iron
TO cripple her customers for that article. Had
she voted on the other side of the question,
she would, on the other hand, have 30 strength.
ensd them and stimulated their operations AZ
that their demands for turn outs, cidslipcs. and
other railroad psraphernalia, which she man
oiactuIes, would aave required far moro than
two hundred thousand dollars Der aunum for
Its supply, and at her own prices. We think,
therefore, that In 'going in" in a body to de.
crease the duty from thirty to twenty -four Der
centum, for all time, on all the forty-fve or
nifty millions of dollars worth Of iron Penn
sylvania produces annually, in preference to
the proposition of Mr.. Edgertou, they have
made grave mistake, indeed.
Ahead OF Time There can be doubt Of
The entire illegality of the election of new
board OF managers for the Washington Monu.
msnt Association on the day before yesterday.
The first board was chosen in 1885 under
constitution requiring new board to be chosen
every three years thereafter, until the com
pletion Of the noble work This brings the
proper time for the election to February 1855,
Instead Of February, 1855. The constitution
provides also, that the existing board shall
oifee' each succeeding election to be held at
Inc proper time. The constitutional time not
having arrived, the board issued no call far
Inc election. That was tn. vo,k a, n,
EekiCn, the boards clerk, who had no more
authority 30 To do, than the man in IN. uoo,
Indeed, no member the board Of m.n...,.
vs learn, knew aught of the call mt, D..
saw it in the newspapers over the siep.,u,. e
the individual named above.
Under these circumstances, the action of IN,
ovsr-Isalous fellow citizens who, on the d.v
yesterday, fancied they were tur ming General
Winfield Scott, General Archibald Henderson.
Col. VIM w. seaton, Mr.. Petsr Force, Mr.
Eisna "hittlesey, Mr. J. b. II. Smith, their
30 deeply respected fellow citizen, and Mr..
r b. Fsndsll, neck and heels out Of the board,