Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1858-12-31
FROM WASHINGTON CITY.
I Correspondence Of the Richmond En7"'rer'l
WAsHrNarcS, Dec. %. 1898.


WASHINGTON Dec. 90. 1898
Messrs. Editors One Of the most curious
features in the legislation d the present Con'
;, gress is the passage by the house OF %I m.n
popularity known as the "oio Soialers Dii.
The amount that will DC required u satisi! III.
claimants under this bill, Is variouSiy estimated
~ from fiffeen to twenty millions Il year.
/, Viewed in connection with the existing state
IF our finances. and the obvious necessity Of
rr,rcuchncnt in our national expenses, or a re.
sort 10 intcrminablc loans TO satisfy the de.
mands of the legitimate object Of public tx.
pcnditureS, ii is positively alarming
Il is but poor argument to say that, if these
claims are just, they should be paid at once.
, Ii the government has no money, ii can't pay
unless, indeed, it choose to borrow and subject
itself to the embarrassment and loss OF credit,
necessarily attaching TO being continually IN
the market seeking loans. Such course. 1t
will ut once he conceded, would be suicidal In
the extreme i seems to U.s. on the other
hand that, granting the justice Of these claims,
the same patriotism, which defended the honor
+ of the country in the past should not seek TO
wound it in the present, by causing its bonds
/ 10 be hawkcd about on the streets at a discount.
! BIT, are these claims Just? The old soldiers.
undertake to say. have been rs we'll remune.
rated, and their services have been as repeat
! edly acknowledged As those Of any other
class of the public employees. Few Of them,
indeed, who are needy and whose wants are re-
terable 10 disabilities acquired in the public
service, aud who, for that reason, are proper
subjects of governmental care. remain, while
by far the majority Of claimants under the pre-
sent bill arc either in the enjoyment of places
Of high trust and cmolument, or Of ample COM
pctcnces otherwise acquired Are such men
to bc pcn>ioncd: No consideration of public
Justice requires it. Cndcr these circumstances.
we cannot but regard this effort on the part OF
the opposition nor the hill was passed by op.
position votes rs designed either to create Il
new issue upon which by appealing 10 the
: preiudiccs Of the old soldiers and of their pc.
GUITAR friends, thev will ne sustained and can
ride into power. or - neccSSltate return 10
the protective system rs the only way OF car
: ryinr on the government The former IS the
more likely view Of the case. as some Of the
honorable gentlemen who voted for this inca
sure, have confessed that they did 30 under the
contidcn, expectation that the Senate would re-
fuse To sanction IT, The Senate will not pass
/ H. Won NAV rest assured. and il Is we'll, there
fore. that the public should become acquainted
with the designs al set OF corrupt politicians.
Workmcn are hlSily engaged. both night
and day. in the completion and preparation for
The reception oi the Senate OF their new hail.
Though much after the same style, It's tart t"-
semitic presents an airiei and neatcr-hecallSe
less gaudy--appearance than that Of the new
House Neither will compare, however, Tor
elegant simplicity and solemn grandeur. with
the rcspcctivc chambers that have been dis
carded. The reception and antc-roomS attach
ed TO the new Senate hall, especially the room
appropriated to the use Of the Vice President
arc fitted NJ in style Of sorgeousness and
splendor that almost detes description. The
walls of the room. to which we have particular
" referred. are OF varicgated Tennessee mar
bic. inlaid with splendid French plate glass
mirrors reaching from the ceiling almost to the
floor. The ceiling is frcScoed in the most beau.
tiful and costly style while the floor is tesscla-
ted in handsome shapes. The length OF the
present Capitol is seven hundred aud fifty feet
with a width Of two hundred and thirty feet
While upon visit TO it this morning, | was
led to stroll into the studio Of Mr. Barbee, stu
atcd in the basement Of this noble pile. |
found this talented Virginan in true artist dress
surrounded 10y his household gods, prominent
among which is his famous Fisher Girl, that has
been so much admired He is at present
employed in executing bust Of Speaker Orr,
having just completed a beautiful female figure
in marble. representing Gratitude, ordered by
Mr. Bruce oil the Senate OF Virginia. \ propo.
stion was made in the Legislature Of Mary
land, last winter. which was not. however,
acted upon. owing to the lateness Of its intro
duction. to cause statue representing Wash
incton in the act Of surrendering his commits
=: -. al 4 norhla ht-
an American sculptor. and placed upon the
verv spot where the scene to which have re.
fcrrcd was enacted. This proposition, it IS sup
posed will he acccdcd 10. and the parties har-
ING it IN charge have already consulted Mr..
Barbcc. who agrees to fulfil their wishes at n
cost of $1,000. lie has. however. intimated
his preference of the Italian marble for the
Z purpose Our American marbles being opaque,
! nave less transluccncy. and are not, for that
reason, so well adapted to the objects Of the
sculptor. This defect, it is thought, will dis
appear when our quarries shall have been more
! deeply probed Then. Mr. Barbee thinks We
shall have the finest marble in the world
The Court Of Claims will, on Monday, re-
sumo its sessions, which have been interrupted
during the past two weeks, By the absence Of
Judge Scarburgh, on private business. Its
|
an interesting character, and involving large
| amounts
Upwards of four million two hundred and
/ City thousand acres Of the public lands have
| been proclaimed by the President to be offered
at public sale in the State Of Wisconsin, during
| April and May next. Many Of these lands are
valuable and advantageously located, so that
upon the opening of spring. we may expect a
renewal of the fever OF Speculation.
DIR. Green lectured here, on Monday night, to
a large crowd, on the life and character Of the
lamented Crawford lie traced the events Of
his history from the time when. as the humble
apprentice OF a marble cutter in New York, ne
learned the practical duties Of his profession, to
| the period when. as his poetic Imagination
bodied forth the form of things unknown, he
turned them into shapes" that have rendered
his name immortal Each succeeding reference
to the facts of his life hailed with the live
liest enthusiasm. thus proclaiming the interest
that attaches TO the memory Of this truly great
man. OBSERVER.
NEW YORK COMMERCIAL LETTER
Correspondence ci he Richmond Enquirer
NV YORK, TUESDAY, Dec. 2s-6 7. 81.
The stock ularke. yesterday and to-day have I'M