Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1855-03-07
From, our washington Correspondent.
WAsnINoros, March 8, 1866.


Gen. Jacksons ssoord-Nail Steam Approprid-
ton Bitk-SinguIar charge in Congress Abuses-
Increase Of the Army- Candidates dbout-Mr.
Ru6tn on Knoao Nothingism- Veto Of the Col
Tariff not be reduced.
At IL o'clock tomorrow this Congress will close
its labors To give You the exact condition Of bus
mess at this writing would be impossibity, and
no one can foresee what measures may be passed or
what defeated before its dissolution 1t may be
said with truth that all the important business of
the session has been pressed into the present week.
and much OF it is unfinished at this moment. Many
OF the working men of Congress have not ceased to
make efforts to advance the business of the session.
but in some way or other procrastnation has car
ried the day, and large number of the appropria-
ton bills are yet to receive final action 1t is a
torious fact that many amendments for special OBJ
Jects designed to promote private interests creep
into the appropriation bills during the last hours of
session. while din and confusion prevails and it is
hard to believe that final action these bills is not
postponed until the last moment through the man.
agement of the designing corrupt for the express
purpose of afording opportunity for the accom-
plshment oil their schemes. 1t is fault in legsla-
ton which is growing yearly into of greater
magnitude. The country should know how these
things are managed and place the responsibility on
those who are guilty Of retarding legislation.
The bill to reorganze the Diplomatic and Consul
lar system has passed both Houses. 1t abolishes
outfits and intts fixes the salaries of the several Di
plomatc posts and provides that these salaries shall
not commence until the appontee arrives at his post
III receive SaaTcS, The ices corrected
by them go into the Treasury, and those at the
important points are forbidden to engage in private
business. A reform in this branch of the Govern
ment has been long needed, and it is believed that
the interests of the country will be greatly subserv
ed by this change of the system.
The presentation of Gen. Jackson's sword by Mr.
Cass, Monday last, attracted large and brilliant
audience to the Senate This interesting relic was
bequcathed to his friend Gen. Armstrong. Since
the death of the latter. his heirs determined to pre-
sent 1t to the Government. 1t will be placed in the
with the sword of the Father of his Country
and the cane of the departed sage Franklin. These,
with various relics of the Father This Country
deposited in the Patent Office where they are visit
ed by thousands annually Of his grateful country
men,
a bill to promote the efficiency of the Navy, and
the cid soldiers bill, it is called, have passed.
and the former received the signature of the Prcsi
dent. 1t will require, it is said, at least two hun
dred millions of acres of land to execute the latter
but one thing is certain, it is much better to gre
them away to the old soldiers than to squander
them on specializing companies, the tendency has
been heretofore The bill making appropriations for
the mail steam service, to which ] referred in my
last as having passed the House. has passed the Sen
ate without amendment and is now in the hands of
the President 1t is singular fact that NJ the LIST
session of this Congress a large majority OF the
House voted to give the notice to the Collins Com
pany of the diScontinuance of the extra compensa-
tion and insisted upon the notice against the oppo-
siton of the Senate thereto. At this session the
House not onl declined to give the notice but actu-
ally repealed the right of Congress to discontinue
the extra compensation at all Such is the influence
of this gigantic monopoly in the Halls of Congress.
The bill has not yet been approved by the President,
and although nothing is known of his determination
it is contrary to the recommendations of the Post
Office Department, and am inclined to think that
this binding of the Government steam ship COM
pany is Objectionable, both in principle and poll
cy, that he will return it to Congress with his objec
tons. 1t requires decisive Measures to put end
to abuses that have fastened themselves upon the
Government
The Naval efficiency bill provides for retired list
in the officers Of the Navy, and will doubtless work
great reform in that branch of the service. An
amendment to the army Bill has passed, adding four
regiments thereto, for the purpose Of quelling Indi
hostities the frontier. 1t also authorizes the
appointment of an additional Brigadier General and
says that the gallant Gen. Shields, recently
defeated for the Senate by the nti-Nebraska and
Know Nothing Legislature Of Illinois, will receive
the appointment. 1t is received with unmingled sat
iSfacon by all parties Applicants for commissions
these regiments here in sufficient numbers to
form a regiment two of themselves, the hotels
being crowded to suffocation. AS various appoint
mcnts to be made in the Diplomatic service un
der the new law, the Ju ges of the Board of Claims
to be appointed, and the officers attached TO the
Board, together with the officers of the four
Regiments, think it probable that extra session
Of the Senate will be called to act upon these Exec
utive appointments.
Mr. Ruffin member from the I'd District of your
State, one night during the past week, made most
able speech on the kindred subjects Of Aboiitiohsm
and Know Nothingsm. lie was listened to by
large and attentive audience. and have reason to
believe that he made very good impression. The
speech will be published and l need not therefore
give outline of his remarks. Know-Nothingsm
handled without gloves.
Since the above written the President has
sent in message to Congress with his objections to
the mail steam appropriation bill Great abuses re-
quire severe for their correction ami re-
inice that the President has had the firmncss and
decision apply the knife at the root of of the
most gigantic proportions and influence Of course
New York will denounce him. for a million of dol
lars year is not to be disregarded even by New
York. But the country should know that the pres
ent largess is excessive. | presume however that
the Presidents objections based upon the pro-
visions of the act repeating the right of Congress
to withdraw the extra compensation and which looks
towards this largess to New York capitalists aper.
manent arrangement
Tn the case of the veto of the French Spoation
BILL but little has been urged against the argument
of the veto ITSELF but much against the of the
veto at all. So it will be in the present The
enemies of the Democratic party and its principles
will renew the attack upon the Constitution, and
cry out that the will of the people has been over
ruled by the one-man power. Yet the President is
the Representative of the people at large and he is
clothed with the power not to defeat measure, but
to demand its mature consideration. And believe
there has been but instance and that of no i'm
portance in which the decision of the President has
not been sustained by the people. United States
Bank, with all its corruptons, would exist at this
time, if a President had not exercised its rights
der the Constitution to defeat it. Who can say that
this power is not conservative element of our form