Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1862-01-24
FROM WASHINGTON.

but with some gain. In the House the
Thanking privilege has been utterly abolished
and the prospect is that the bill will pass the
Senate without material Notwithstanding
more, probably, than retaining the privilege
to the post office department, and to few
persons specially privileged by act Of Con
gress heretofore. Amy amendment will bring
the bill back to the House, where | think it
will he concurred in, if so be the bill as
"Priviege" to buy big books. and buy
speeches and frank them, and offend ten good
men, whom you do not happen to know, by
attempting to crafty one other good man,
whom you do know, by sending book or
speech Those who do not understand the
drudgcry Of the work, may think Thanking a
great privilege. but / do not know a member
Of Congress who is Of that opinion. Some
Of them do regard it as an advantage to the
people by way Of disseminating information,
and for that reason they are willing to incur
the labor and expense which the ranking
privilege entails upon members Of Congress
| have not yet seen one Of them who regards
it as a privilege to himself | think the
sweeping away OF the free transmission Of
public documents will add something to the
receipts Of the post Office department and
perhaps save more to the treasury in the way
OF reducing the amount Of public printing
If the government cannot transport public
documents at its own expenses much less
can it afford to print them What the effect
is to be on the people, upon the amount, &C
curacy, and value Of their intelligence Of po-
litcal matters, is to be tested Il the tele-
graphic reports to the city presses are to be
the only means Of giving intelligence Of pub
lie matters, the people will be sadly misin-
formed.
observe that the Watchman omitted a
very important words in my statement Of the
law on congressional mileage The act Of
1856 prohibited extra mileage, limiting mem
bcrs to two mileages for Congress--that is
one for each Of the two ordinary sessions
The act Of 1857 left this prohibition I'M
touched and fixed the time Of payment, as
follows;
On ihe ar.t day ~ the first session. soon there
after he mas bo u attendance and apply each repre-
sentative and delegate shtU receive hs mileage a ''N
pr0todcf By i1c. aud 400 his compensation. from The be-
ginning % bis term 20 be computed al ihe rate OF two
hundred aud fifty dollars per month. and daring the
compensation 90 The same rate Aud uu Sac hfa
day ot the second any su5ieqost session be shtN re-
ceise his mileage uoio ai9ced By iair, and all com
peuslon which has accrued durag the adjournment a
the rate Aforesaid aud during said session compensation
at thc same rate
If you print this correctly you will have
the law as it is now, but as il will not be
long, think. A bill has been reported
greatly reducing the mileage Of members and
the salaries of officers The reduction will
fall the heaviest on the members, aud most
justly, to those living in the remotest States.
1t is a difficult thing to settle, however, as
the Legislature of Vermont has found, after
many unsuccessful trials. Whether salaries
here ought to be cut down is not a clear
question:. rs~ s.~>.~-y says yes. and she
board-bills contradict the treasury. That Is
the talk
The debate Of this week on the slavery
question. as connected with the war, is some
what indicative Of divided councils, and per
haps Of greater difficulties than have antic-
pated. have hoped for pretty general
~ Of all rebels, slaves inclusive and SO il
may happen. There are some, however, who
are suspicious that the vote fastening Lehman
(dcmocrat) in his seat and rejecting Batter
republican, is sign Of what is called a
conservative House"
Here. there is little to be said OF war mat
tiers On Monday the War Department will
have a new head, and hope the rule that "a
new broom sweeps clean will be verified.
Rumors of preparations Of an early advance,
over the river, still prevail but were every
thing ready, do not think it would be pos
sble to move artillery aud baggage Wagons
safely, for at least week to come Mud,
mud, mud,-the stickiest. the meanest, and
the deepest-mud everywhere: that is Wash
ington. Every body is in it, and the army
especially. If everybody is not soon mud
died, and the country itself badly muddled,
] shall rejoice. However, the rebels cannot
advance any better than we can, and for the
present l think both armies are safe from
everything but mud, and the discomforts, not
to say diseases of it.
he Rouse mas UNANIMOUSLY passed bill
TO abolish the coole tried in American yes
sells, The coolic trade is the name of a thing
equalling the slave-trade 1t is copper
cclored, but in iuiquity quite black as the
African slave-tradss The late y w Lincoln.
'ormerly of Norihheids~.ss aet me with
valuable intormotion on This subject, which
had its use in this act Of the House.
"The statement was printed eraotly as il
was written. We thought, at the time, that
it was rather blind, but had no alternative
but to "follow copy"
NO WAR WITH ENGLAND.
From the tenor of advices received BIZ the