Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1859-01-08
WAsHINGToNNEws AND GOSSIP.


since charged with the duty Of reporting . Dill
to regulate as far a. it may be the province Oh
Congress SO to do, the distribution and use OF
the Aqueduct water by our fellow -citisens Of
the District of Columbia, will soon report
well-guarded bill to that end There their
authority will stop, and it will remain with
the Congress at largo to determine what the
final phase of their legislation on the subject
shall be. As no other is Of more Importance at
this time to Washington and Georgetown, we
respectfully suggest to all surrounding US the
necessity for jealous care on their part that no
private speculations may be involved in the
nnal shape the bill takes. There are doubtless
not few sharp men bent on procuring amend
ments to the bill granting them some monopoly
or other advantage in connection with it,
under the pretence of con6ding powers con-
oerning the laying of the pipes, or other work
in connection with the enterprise, upon some
power or other of the city government.
We have seen hanging around the lobbies Of
the Senate chamber of late, parties, who assume
that they have I" claims" upon portions of the
city government who would like nothing better
than to have the thing fixed" so as that for
fee of-say S500-they may set the principle of
letting out the work to the lowest responsible
bidders, and vigorously exacting the penalties
of the contracts in case of failure of entire
compliance, at naught. This is a subject of
great interest to hundreds of our fellow citi-
zens engaged as master workmen and en-
ployees in the plumbing business, as we'll as to
all liable to be taxed for the use of the water,
whose interest it is that no one shall be paid n
penny more than the actual value of what they
may do upon the work and it therefore be-
hooves all to keep bright look out upon the
lobbying which bids fair to be done among the
Senators and members of the House in connec-
tion with the bill in question.
STILL ANOTHER FizzLE.-It appears that
the departure demonstration in honor of Sem
ator Douglas, in Baltimore, was in reality as
lamentable fzzle as the effort to make a hero
of him on Thursday night here-notwithstand-
ing the glowing accounts from that city in
newspapers supporting his idiosyncracies. A
gentleman who witnessed it, tells u. that when
he first saw the vast thropg" of little street
boys and usual grown street corner idlers com.
posing the escort Of the distinguished Senator
and his fankiDg Baltimore committee OF recep-
ton, be was impressed with the idea that some
body had fallen in the gutter in fit, or been
thrown down by a big dog running between
his legs, or had fallen owing to the weight of a
brick in his hat, or something of the sort The
number, appearance, and action of tho crowd
being just such as the number, appearance,
and action of the usual crowd collecting around
any such unfortunate person in any American
city.
1t seems further that the political character
OF his tail in Philadelphia was about on a par
with his Baltimore tail, with few exceptions
According to the Pennsylranian and A,gus
every distinguished" gentleman who followed
MIN In that city was either very new convert
to the doctrines of the Democracy, or a bafled
ofice-seeker, or an elected former ofice-holder,
with very sore place on his head Both the
Pennsyframian and Argus discuss the politi-
cal antecedents of each man on the list e.
planning why he happens to have a crow to
pick with the Democratic party; and, as a
consequence, why he now shouts for Douglas
and the right of squatters sent into United
States Territories by the abolition emigrant
aid societies to exclude from them by positive
legislation to that end, all who own slaves.
FACTS AND SPECULATIoNs.-We notice that
the inhabitants of Mound City, Pulaski county,
Illinois, have petitioned Congress for the Ioca
ton Of the National Foundry at that point.
They probably design, should their application
prove successful, to raft the great guns for the
Navy down the Mississippi to New Orleans.
where they can be placed on board of vessels
of war.
Lawrence Myers, the Philadelphia contrao-
tor to furnish Iron Pipes for the Washington
Aqueduct, who, it was said, proposed to import
the pipes from Scotland; and who, failing TO
comply with the terms of his contract, had the
same forfeited, has petitioned Congress for
relief; on the ground that his non-compliance
was occasioned by delinquencics on the part OF
Government agent.
In the Senate yesterday, Mr.. MALLORY p,y.
notice that he would, at an early day, ask to
take up the bill for carrying into effect the 9th
article Of the treaty with Spain for the pur
chase Of Florida. He desired Senators to cad
the report accompanying the bill, which as it
contained all the evidence, would obviate the
necessity for protracted discussion.
The object had in view by Mr.. Seward. in
calling on the President for correspondence be-
tween Mr.. Dallas and the British Government.
Is said to be to exhibit the fact that the CORES
pondence shows that the United States flag is
extensively used on the coast of Africa to pro-
tect the slave trade. 1t is thought that it will
also be made to appear that the yacht Wan
derer, which recently landed a cargo of slaves
in Georgia, instead of being mere decoy,"
as was supposed, has played conspicuous part
in tha e Al
coast.
PRISONS FOR THE TERRIroRIEs-We no
ticed some days ago, that Edward Clark, ESQ.,,
the efbcient architect for the Interior Depart
ment, had prepared plan and estimates for
State Houses for the Territories, to be sub
mitted to Congress in compliance with the
provisions of a resolution passed at the last
session. The resolution also called for a plan
and estimates Of Prison Houses for the Terri.
tories and Mr. C. ia now about oo,,nIat;n, IL.