Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1859-01-12
eoRREsrorpEsoE d rHE|srAspaKp,

ssS. W ARLINGTON, J2A y 1903 Fl i
The great christmas carnival has lived Its brief
day, and the peoples servants have resumed then
legislative duties better prepared after this slprtre
Taxation nom seryice 70 labor with renewed zeal and
industry in the prosecution Of business The recent
recess however seems TO have excited the indignar
ton of certain class Of scrbblers, Who can see no
difference between educated Intelligent legislator
and beast Of burden They make g Rome howl
with dismal walls Of complaint if either house sees
fit to adjourn over from Friday to Monday; and the
bare mention Of recess for few days on an occar
sion recognized by the civilized world as universal
holidays ID regarded as wrong done to the country,
for which there can be no palliation.d There are
drones-iazy useless men in Congress who perform
no labor and whose constituents would be as well
represented by block Of wood yet there are 9TH
ers--many, who labor night and day, in the COM
mittee room, in the House hail. at their lodgings-
constantly engaged in the discharge Of some public
duty. The position Of a Representative is not ga
bed of roses" The I. model Representative is ex-
pected to be always in his seat yet he must be at
the service OF every constituent who visits the me
tropolis, dance attendance to them in visiting the
various places of public interest and amusement in
troduce them to the lions" Of the place, entertain
them at his lodgings and them after their departure
wearied and sick, there may be some lengthy report
to prepare or some important bill to be examined
upon which he will be called to vote on the morrow
He is expected to send every old lady in his district
variety of seeds from the Patent Office with long
letter giving minute directions as to time and man
ner of planting; he must purchase with money
from his private purse, books and documents and
mail them to men who will never read them, but
who would be mortally offended at the absence of
such attention he must procure, instanter, bounty
land warrants for old soldiers, sometimes when
the claimant fails to send the necessary papers to
establish his clam; he must get this gentleman's
| son appointed midshipman, or that gentleman's
son designated as cadet at West Point and often
amid an avalanche of aspants and their host of beg
cling friends he suffers cruel torture he must also
obtain Offices for everybody who apples to him,
failing to do so he is roundly abused and declared
"untit for the place-no influence at all )" he must
get post-ofces established, and postofices dscon-
| tinued-hc must get mail routes by every mans
door, or he is at once set down "partia cnss !"
he must be scrupuousy careful to answer in detail
all the written enquiries of every fool whose leisure
and the temptation of the devil induces to favor hin,
| with specimen of his chirography; in short, he
must DO a living, breathing Encyclopedia to meet,
even partially, the exactions made uponhim. While
it is all right and proper that public servants
Should be closely watched and held to rigid search
ing examination to the manner in which they dis
charge their public trust yet it is VIGOROUSLY true,
that of late years portions of the press exhibit
more zeal than good taste sound sense in their
silly efforts to lesson the respect of the people for
our representative body, and bring into disrepute
| tne pOSltOn OF q national legislator
venture to say that the present session Of Con-
gress has been characterized by the despatch Of
larger amount of public business than that Of any
previous one for years past Nor has the legislation
been hasty or illy-considered. Even the Pension
Bill, that levathan humbug, was thoroughly can
vassed and discussed Itpassed the House i. is true
and that effected, the object of its supporters was
through solely for effect at home its friends beley-
ing that the talismanic shout of said to the war
worn veteran" of fifty days service, would rally to
their support countless host of grateful voters
But alas! ~
"Tbe best laid schemes of men and mice
| Aft gang gee," ..#
and the carefully conceived scheme proved wretch
ed abortion. Instead of being received with loud
shouts Of appreciation it was indignantly repudiated
and its friends became the victims of unsparng,
merciless ridcule As stated in previous letter,
the Senate VIII certainly give this legislative nqui-
ty its death blow, and if it were before the House
tomorrow, l am confident it could not command
fifty votes.
Your readers have, doubtless, seen an account of
the interesting proceedings which took place va
eating the old Senate chamber. The addresses of
Mr. Crittenden and the Vice President on the occa-
sion, are the subjects of unstinted praise. shall
not permit myself to speak of Mr.. Breckinridges
brilliant effort lest should be carried away into
"hifalutn" regions like the :. Unioa," who gives
|
"As traveller upon the arid wastes of Sahara rev.
els with delight upon the green sward, under the
kindly shade, and at the refreshing fountain of an
oasis unexpectedly encountered in the desert will
our readers delight in the perusa of the address of
the Vice President &c, &c" The new Senate cham
Der is about one third smaller than the House hall,
and is not lisigureG with so much Neutrality-suspicious.
ornamentation its acoustic qualities are unsurpasS-
ed and all its appointments and furnishing in good
taste.
Mr.. Mallory, chairman of the Senate committee
on Naval Affairs, has introduced two bills of some
interest. One for an increase in the pay of naval
officers and the other for the building of ten pro-
pelor sloops-ofwar. l doubt very much whether
Congress will adopt the recommendations of the
committee at present, although impressed with the
need of some action. The pay Of our navy officers
is a beggarly pittance, when the unavoidable de-
mands upon their purse is considered This is par
tculary true of the lower grades, lieutenants and
midshipmen. It will be remembered that our gov
eminent ordered the Merrimac her trial trip, to
visit England and while there the officers were the
recipients of courtesies which they were compelled
to reciprocate; but it may not be known that the
hospitality extended by our officers to those Of the
English navy we've met by contributions from their
private resources and that few of them were pc
cuniarily, nearly ruined The English government
have separate fund, designated believe, table
money" from which all expense incurred in this
way is liquidated without trenching upon her Off
GERS private means. have not space to notice as
desire, this bill, and must glance but briefly at
that for the construction of ten sloops The neces
sty for this is apparent and needs no argument
only desire, in this connection, to correct state
ment made by several members of Congress, on the
House floor in regard to our naval expenses One
or two gentlemen whose knowledge Of their own or
English naval affairs must be very limited have as
serted that naval establishments exceed those of
England, while our Nary is far far below it This
is great error. We have eight Navy Yards, inclu-
ding that of California yet in its infancy, and Eng
land seven JfrH-class yards constructing yards !;
dozen Others with facilities similar to those Of North
feet whh Is equal in oil ste arrangements toour lar
| gest Navy Yard We have seuea DOCKS while Eng
I land can number some J0ty or more. 1t is proba-
BILE that the victualling establishments Of either