Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1864-08-06
Letter from Washington.
From an Occasional Correspondent.

WASHINGTON, ID. C., June 27, 1864.
Ed. STANDARD: Presuming that your read
ers will be pleased to know what is being done
in Congress of special interest to them, i'm
prove leisure moment to write you.
You are aware that the treaty with Great
Britain, recently ratified, required the appoint
ment of commissioner 20 settle and pay the
claims of the old Agricultural Company against
the United States. Mr. Seward asked for an
appropriation OF $4,000, which was made by
tho house to-day, (having passed the Senate
several months ago,) through the active and
untiring agency of Mcbride. Of Oregon. AZ
ter repeated efforts he got the bill taken from
the table and referred to the committee of
Foreign Affairs. The difficulty then was, to
get it reported without amendment, the COM
mittee being in favor of reducing the salary
to 5000. Mcbride succeeded in inducing
Winter Davis, the chairman, to confer with
Mr.. Seward in relation to it, and the commit
tee agreed to report it without amendment.
The difficulty now was to obtain leave to re-
port. The attempt WAS made. day after day.
at the earnest solicitation of Mcbride, but Oh.
iections were always made by those who
wanted to reduce the salary, or who had some
bill of their own they wanted to get up. A;
last, two days ago, our standing otjector.
Holman, of Indiana, Copperhead,) whom
your delegate ought to have controlled, want
cd to introduce bill which an objection would
kill. Judge Crth, of the committee. who had
the bill in charge, made bargain With Hol-
man that if he would allow the bill to b" re-.
ported, no objection would be made to his bill.
In this way it was got up and passed. men,
tion these facts to show bnt that for the act
i've interest taken in the affairs of Washing
ton Territory by the Oregon member, this
very important bill would have been laid over
and the settlement of these claims, in which
your people have go large an interest.
would have been indefinitely postponed. 1t
is extremely difficult to secure attention to
matters of local character. Your delegate,
associated as he is with Copperheads. is ell
tirely powerlcss for good to the Territory.
Senator Doolittle, of Wisconsin, has at last
found Wisconsin man for Superintendent of
Indian Affairs in your Territory. Bancroft.
of Simcoe, was removed the other day, and
Mr.. Wilbur appointed in his place. The
reason given BY Commissioner Dole for this
is, that Bancroft was very old and inefficient
man. Wilbur is a good man, and as the
change is made, he pe it will give satisfac-
tuOU. Vuiuk ~ WdS WIOuS " ICu'O"o utuI'
It was effected at the instigation Of Cole. op-
Grating through his Democratic friend. Mix,
chief clerk in the Indian Department.
The Smith. Mcrryman matter is settled at
last. by the promotion of Merryman to cap
taincy and his assignment to the command of
ship. Lieut. White has command Of one Of
the finest steamers in the service. The cloud
under which they 80 long labored at the Trea-
curry Department is at last dispelled.
The Northern Pacific Railroad bill passed
the Senate this morning. with some slight
amendments which will send it back to the
House. II will certainly pass. as the amend
ments do not affect it materially.
The contract for the new mail rcnte has
been let from Walla Walla to the Dalles for
e3O. 1000. making the route one from Salt Lake
to the Dallas. at a compensation Of $lS6. 900
. year. Never before has delegation sue
ceeded in obtaining such . contract from the
Department without special Law for it. A
bin has been passed for route from the
Dalles. RIA Canyon City. Independence and
Old Fort Boisc TO Idaho City, in Idado. and
the contract will soon be let.
Mcbride il one Of the most untiring and in.
Auential members in tho House. II the peo-
PIE of O~gon consult their true interests they
vii retain his services in Congress BY eleciing
him to the Senate, should they determine not
to re-el~es Senator Harding.
Yours, etc; h.
- Nearly fifty thousand scres Of land in