The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1858-12-30
TFRoM OUR OWN CORREsP oNDENT.

WASHINGTON, Dec. 20, 1885,
An effort is soon to be made to secure important
notifications in the Rules of the House of Repre-
sentatives, with view to facilitating action upon
public business and especially upon the bills of pr
vate claimants upon the Government. Some reform
of this sort has long been needed The calendars
are loaded down with private bills which have been
pending year after year, and upon the success of
which many a widow and orphan is depending for
the means of support; yet it seems almost imposs-
Bile to get them taken up for consideration, while
Congress finds abundant time for ten day holiday
recess.
Our Government policy and practice constitute
strange anomaly. Following the maxim that ''the
King can do no wrong" we deny the citizen the
privilege of bringing suit against the Government,
compelling him to seek justice by petition to Con-
gress, and then when he comes here he is subjected
general rule, to vexations, expensive and ruin
Gus delays, scarcely equaed in Court of Chance
ry. Nor has he any certainty that his case will be
decided upon its merits; for it is no uncommon
event that claim having little basis in justice is
taken up promptly and favorably decided, through
the efforts of some influential parties or other
while another about which there should be no hes
itation is made the victim of secret malevolence
and either defeated delayed until the claimant
sinks under the weight of long deferred hope. Any
man who has spent few years in Washington can
look back upon many case sadly illustrating this
declaration.
We need the adoption of some system which shall
be uniform in its operation and always just-some
National Court of Equity, to which every man may
come with equal confidence that he will succeed if
right, and without any hope of success unless his
case has true merit. This is what the Court of
Claims is theoretically, but practically as not, for
after sutton therein has gone through the Court
and won his with ever much labor and ex-
pense he is again compelled to go into the halls of
Congress and fight his way against as many obsta-
ces as though he had never moved in the matter
before. Thus, instead of facilitating the DISPOSE
ton of private claims, the Court simply interposes
another barrier between the citizen and govern
mental Justice. The Court of Claims in short, has
been apty described as sort of breaker which the
claimant is ordered to pass; if he gets through its
perils safely he is then accorded the privilege of
deep sea-swim for life. Public sentiment should
demand and enforce a remedy for all this
The Mexican news seems to be little muddy
The agents at New Orleans of the Mexican Lega-
ton in this city telegraph the receipt of news
announcing the decisive rOut of DEGoLLADo and the
capture of Guadaaxara; while the general despatch
containing the Tcnpessee'S news from Vera Cruz
contains not the least allusion to any such facts
nor has the State Department to this hour any
intelligence of the sort except that derived through
Mexican sources But the fact as telegrapbed to
the Mexican Legation is of less Importance than
the conclusions accompanying it, which anticipated
the immediate overthrow of the Liberals and the
complete triumph of the Zuloaga or Church party
1t is safe to say that specific facts, jusfyiug any
such conclusions could have been brought to New
Orleans by the Tennessee, without being generally
known-for, while it is well known that the rumor of
an important battle always comes in advance of the
details, when the Tennessee left Vera Cruz there
does not appear have been the least