Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1858-12-29
WASHINGTON NEWS AND GOSSIP.

TIE 1sT or JANUARY AT THE EXECUTIVE
MANsIoN.-We are authorized to state that
the public reception by the President of the
United States on New Years day, will COM
mence at IL o'clock, at which hour, in conform |
ity with police arrangements, the gates of the |
enclosure will be opened. The reception will |
terminate at o'clock precisely. Carriages |
will approach the Presidents house by the
east gate.
TIE "AvENUE RAILROAD IN THE ALDER
MEMS CHANBER.-The style of the debate on
the night before last-see the Stars report of
yesterday afternoon-in the chamber of the
Board of Aldermen, upon the proposed Penn
sylvania avenue railroad question, reminds US
forcibly that Washington is fast becoming
considerable city; insomuch as it is thus made
evident that there are any quantity of "axes'
sought to be ground in its municipal council
chambers in connection with such propositions.
The remarkable variety Of opinions on the
subject manifested in the debate is probably
in no little degree attributable to the ambition
of different parties to be concerned in the en-
terprise. While all have an equal right to
strive to profit themselves individually by the
construction Of such work, efforts On the part
Of persons in the Councils to bend the legisa-
ton of the bodies on such subjects to subserve
tho interests of ono set of applicants over those
OF other such sets, are as reprehensible in prin-
ciple, quite, as the notorious corruption exist
ing in the New York City Councils where city
railroad questions are concerned. In this con-
nection we cannot commend too highly the
drift OF the remarks of the member Of the
Board who virtually commended that it was the
duty OF the Councils only to take due care that
Congress, in granting the right to construct
and operate the proposed railroad, should
simply vest in our local government the right
| to tax the work for municipal purposes and to
regulate its rates of fare. The manifestations
have already been such as to make it plain
that if Congress desires to initiate in the Wash
ington Councils as corrupt system and prac-
| tees as exist in the New York City Councils,
| they have but to delegate to our municipal
authorities the right to dispose of such grants.
Another point of Importance in this matter,
is the fact, that if Congress essay to compel
those to whom they make the grant to extend
their road in any direction where the latter
may regard it as not likely to prove profitable il
built aud worked, they will necessitate the
imposition of higher rates of fare on the por-
ton Of the road that may be probably built
and operated, than would otherwise be ample;
and thus they will surely tax the community
Tor the use OF the road, from first to last, far
more money than its use would otherwise cost
the public. Such matters should be left as
far as possible, we hold, to private Judgment
and individual enterprise, under the restric-
tons of ample power delegated to the NUM-
clpal government to tax the privileges for mu,
niciPal. purposes, and to prevent the grantees
from charging excessive rates of fare
HE JOURNAL OF COMMERCE ON THE IL.
BRoGLIOs OF SENATOR DoUGLAs.-The Journal
Of Commerce protests against what it processes
to regard as efforts on the part of Senators
Slidell and Jones to force Senator Douglas into
duels. If the Journal will wipe its spec tacles
and look little more carefully over the facts
OF the existing difficulties between those Sena.
tors and Mr.. D., it will hardly fail to perceive
that neither Of those gentlemen have done
aught with reference to him (Mr. D. that lie
has not absolutely compelled them to do The
necessities or excitement of his recent canvass
Induced him to grievOusy injure them in their
reputation; and they have simply taken occa-
sion to exonerate themselves from the odium Of
his charges, by branding them as untrue and
proving to the satisfaction Of all that they are
utterly without foundation. We are very sure
That no one here dreams that either Mr. Slidell
or Mr. Jones entertans an idea of challenging
MIR Douglas, or that there rests on either of
them the least inferential obligation so to do.
Ii any such obligation is supposed by any to
rest on Senator Douglas, it is regarded by such
persons as the natural result, not IL Messrs.
,. and j 8 defence Of themselves, but of tbs
means with reference to them resorted 10 by
Mr. Douglas to compass his own reelection to
the Senate Of the United States. The efforts.
therefore, to get up the duels, which the Jony.
nal reprobates (Which, by-the-by, exist only in
It's own imagination, we fancy are the work not
OF those who have simply defended themselves
against the aspersions of Senator Douglas
but OF that gentleman himself, in casting as
PERSONS upon them, Of such a character a. to
force them In self-defence to expose and de-
nounce them in the plainest conceivable terms
The idea Of censuring men for defending
themselves against injurious and unfounded
personal aspersions, on the ground that SO to do
involves efforts to draw challenges from the
dient oy way OF generating personal sympathy
for an over ambitious public man.
lHE SUSAN AGAIN.-The very last rumor in
connection with the schooner Susan and her
cargo OF emigrants," is that she landed them
In Texas-not in Nicaragua. 1t is telegraphed
from this city to New York city paper. We
doubt its truth. Indeed, we doubt the truth
OF the dispatch alleged to have been received by
the government on Monday afternoon, announc-
Ing the return oil the Susan to Pensacola, after
having landed the . emigrants" safely in Mic
aragua The fact, if true, would by this time
have surely been verified by dispatches TO the
same effect received from the Southern aoents
OF the Associated Press" Apropos-Tbe
" thousand ilibusters' said to be coperepated
on the banks of the Colorado, in Texas, arc
doubtless men collected through the agency of
the Mexican Col. Seguin, (well known from