Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1856-05-07

Finished, or at least Ecaved in-The
Washington Monument has been covered over
for the season, by order Of those who have
usurped the management of that work. Thus
their enterprise is completed; or their work
ing season is much shorter than any other
ever heard of in this section Of the country.
No great work was ever undertaken with
such flourish of trumpets as that with which
the Know Nothings accompanied their sue
sessful fraud in seiIing the management of the
Washington Monument, because, as they al
legged, its erection had tagged in the hands
auspices it had risen to within three and
feet Of its present height. They were to send
1t mp into the clouds with jerk. Alas, alas,
what q monument of the false pretsnces of
Know Nothingism, 1t stands before the eyes
Of our fellow citizens of Washington But
wonderful exploits are always the basis of
Know Nothing promises and if the party
anywhere has ever yet come nearer the con-
summation of any one Of its pledges than in
this case of the Washington Monument, we
cannot imagine where that has been done
1t obtained the control Of the municipal af-
fairs Of Philadelphia and Baltimore under
pledges of working immense pecuniary re-
forms, and the result has been that already it
has utterly bankrupted both. Such has also
been the case in New Orleans; and in this city,
as the affairs of the Corporation now stand,
it is utterly impossible to ascertain in how
much they have mulct the holders of property
for future payment. Those among us of the
Know Nothing party who have anything to
lose by such municipal management as theirs,
are beginning to comprehend that they must
pay for their whistle of last year, dearly
enough. By the by, We have heard complaint
on complaint from persons who have receipts
for the payment of their taxes, that the Corpo.
ration functionsries have taken the liberty to
advertise their real estate for sale as though
they are delinquent Of course those who
buy such property at the approaching tax sale
will be paying their money only for the plea
sure Of law suit in which they must 90 to
the wall, and it may be, fail to get back their
costs from the Corporation, except through the
expenditure of as much as they pay, in
time, money, and ve1atiOn. We advise all
who own foot Of real estate in Washington
to hunt up a copy of the tax sale advertise
ment, If it takes them a week to succeed in
finding one, and see whether or no their proper
ty lie advertised; as the fact of having a re-
cefpt for the taxes due upon il in their posses
sion turns out, as m alters are now managed at
the City Hail. to be anything but security
against Offering their lots to the highest bid
der, without SO much from the Corporation
omcials as-By your leave, sirs
The National Water Works-A gentle
man on whose representations we can rely,
tells rs that the writer of the sprivate letter.
in the New York Mirror, on which we COM
msnted yesterday, is not one of the band of
spsculstors who are warning on the Water
Works appropriation in the deficiency bill for
their own emolument, but person who is op-
posed to the military superintendency of civil
works, originally brought up for an engineer.
His professional judgment is evidently what
might be expected from one of no experience
in the business which he proposed himself to
pursue. His hostility to the prosecution of an
enterprise Of so great Importance proved by
Congressional committee upon committee to
have been ably and honestly conducted) be-
cause conducted by Al officer of the army,
satisfies our mind, at least, that he cannot see
an inch beyond his nose or, in other words,
that ne is one who permits his prejudices to
strip him, on occasions, Of the mother wit with
winch he was born; and is therefore a very un-
safe Mentor in public affairs, and also given to
dealing more blows at his friends than bis
enemies, in his esgerness to be ALWAYS in the
Fray.
lite Court Of Claims.-We have been re
quested, by q distinguished member of the
bar Of the Court Of Claims, to gay that the
call, published, at the request of another Of
smother member of the same bar, yesterday,
In the Intsittseneer. for q meeting of the bar
OF said court last evening at the City Hall,
Tor the purpose Of taking proper steps Of
protest sgainst the right of Congress in any
way 70 review the decisions of said court when
rendered in favor Of the citizens, or to adopt
suen or any other course as NAV be deemsd
more preferable, with a view to the legal and
constitutional rights of the people" did not
meet the appreciation of that ba, ,sna,.uu
or Of the court itself
French Discourtesy.-We regret to learn
that when recently in Paris, on their way
home, the commission CT United States army
ofheers who were sent to the Crimea for pro-
iessionai observation, were subjected to rude
treatment by officials u the French Govern
ment. Copies of certain drawings, &c had
been promised to them when in paris On tbe;,
way 70 the crimsa' which were subsequently
harshly refused as explained above, because,
as the French officials declared, when thew
next met the American officers Il Womb nroh.