Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1860-03-09
FROM WASHINGTON.
THURSDAY, March /. 1850.
That horrible Elephant agaip.

That horrible Elephant again.
The House congratulated itself that it had
Gagged the elephant the printer on Monday /;
but alas on Tuesday he was very uneasy,
and on Wednesday the "crittur" was at large
again. On Monday, Mr. Ford of Ohio
,Repub) appeared to have been elected by
one majority on Tuesday, Mr.. Ruffin Of n.
G.. dem entered a motion to correct the
journal Of the House; and on Wednesday,
on a statement of Mr. Ruffin that he had
voted against Ford and that his vote had not
been recorded the House unanimously voted
TO correct the journal and annul the election
of Ford. A ballot was then taken, and Ford
wanted four votes more to elect him. To-day,
there is to be another trial. This is very yex-
atious, but apparently unavoidable. In the
mean time, however, the House is at work to
reform the printing, and with prospect Of
good success. Already great reduction has
been made in the largest job of the session
reduction in the number of volumes and
the committee which has the subject in
charge, will reduce the price of all the work
think largely reduce it.
Congressional Mileage.
On Tuesday, the Committee Of Ways and
Means reported to the House a bill reducing
the mileage Of Members of Congress to
twenty cents per mile on "a straight geo
graphical line" from Washington to each
State Capital. The present rate is forty
cents per mile, and on very crooked lines.
This bin viii save 5000, 600 year to the
Treasury. The proposed rate will pay much
more than the expenses of single man.
and equal TO the expenses u family, If it be
not too large family. To Nermonter. the
reduction is equal to ten per cent. OF the an
nua salary. Every body agrees that the
system Of mileage is wrong, and three quar-
tors of the House supported this bill on yeas
and nays 1t will be passed, whenever it can
be reached but it will not be satisfactory to
all who vote for it. Many members. whose
mileage is now small compared with that of
members from distant States, certainly feel
that their own pay is either too small in the
aggregate, or at least not too large; and
while they confess it is their duty to cut off
the enormous amount for mileage allowed to
the Pacific and other distant States they are
not entirely pacific under the reflection that
they are unjust to themselves.
Douglas doomed By the Democrats of the
Senate
Senator Davis has procured an endorse
mont of his pro-slavery platform in the Dem
ocratic caucus of the Senate. Douglas and
Pugh opposed it, and three or four Senators
were in doubt Davis carried all the rest
This is regarded as decision, by the De-
mocracy of the Senate, that Douglas shall
not receive the Charleston nomination. He
cannot deceutly take the platform; and it has
probably been arranged with special disre-
gard of his purposes and wishes.
~ B.-The democrats of the Senate have
assumed the dictatorship of the democratic
party
4 "fe'd-dny" IN The Senate.
Yesterday Mr. Seward addressed the Sen
ate on the Slavery question. 1t is unuecos-
sary to say that the speech was philosophical,
statosmaulikc, truthful tina, the Senator was
as cool and calm in manner as he was strong
in matter. His speech was carefully consid-
cred, and submitted to the criticism Of some
Of his Senatorial associates before delivery.
Douglas followed in a diatribe on popular
sovereignty and negro equality, which was
positively disgusting and disgraceful in CON
trast with Stewards speech. 1t was the cs-
sonce OF stump VS.. the "oil of the lamp
But you will see it all in the newspapers.
Sgualiy in Merico
The new treaty with Mexico is in debate
in the Senate. Objections are usuperable.
There was no government in Mexico to make
tho treaty; there is and will be no govern
ment in Mexico to execute it. BY one of its
conditions, we can execute it ourselves, NTH
the army. Consequently it amounts to armed
possession, by the United States, of Mexico ;
it amounts to war it amounts to possible
annexation. For this chance for war, and
annexation, and Slavery extension and uli-
mately Southern Coniederacy, we are to pay
four millions of dolars-balf in American
leo which is not the Government of Mexico.
There are other objections, but these are
enough, The treaty win be rejected Never
theless there is smart chance that President
Buchanan will get war with Mexico on our
hands without the treaty. The signs are I'M
favorable.
4 Vermontcr true to his principles under di6i-
cvities.
/ have had a call from Nermonter who is
a citizen Of slave State. lie is Repubi-
can; he wants speeches and documents upon
the politics Of the country, so that he can use
his political privileges ntolligentlyi and yet
if such be seat to him through the mails
under the frank Of Northern man, every
package will be destroyed as "incendary
matter" All he asks is to be supplied as
often as can find some neighbor who is COM
ing to Washington and will undertake to
receive and deliver the documents. How
glorious, how great, are the privileges OF
American citizenship in - well, no mat
ter where ] will only say that it is one OF
the States of the Federal Union,