The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1865-12-18
8ithntoad 4ispatth.
MONDAY ...............D DECEMBER Is, 1885.


Washington AaAirr.
WASHINGTON, Dec. l6, 1855.
The people of this city and District are to
have the opportunity next Thursday OF ex.
pressing their views as to the propriety Of Civ.
Ing the right Of suffrage to negroes. II has
already been announced that a bill for this
purpose has passed both branches Of the City
Council. 1t has since received the approval of
Mayor Wallack. OF course there il not the
least probability that the vote will be in favor
of any such privilege to the Africans; and
there is IS little that the Radicals In Congress
will pay any respect whatever to the voice OF
I he lawful white voters of the District.
Ii Is understood that bill IL to be intro
duced into Congress to repeal the charter Of
the city of Washington, and to confide it's adj
ministra,ion and police affairs to two Com
missioners, 70 be appointed by the National
Executive. The object Of this is to deprive
the people Of the District Of all suffrage, and
thus to get rid of the vcxed question Of Negro
Suffrage. A very happy radiance. 1t will
much promote the quiet and order of the good
people Of Washington. Politics and elections
are . great trouble to communities!
Apropos of the "dark man'-as Yarmouth
era call him-and OF Massachusetts,; the Intel
recent reveal tons in regard to negro impress
ments for the army during the recent war,
Mr.. Lloyd, President Of the Board of Alder
men, stated that most Of the negroes who went
from the District into the army ''were taken
possession of by men Of their own color, and
sold into the service Of the United States"
and it was added by Mr.. Gulick that "many
of them were credited to MtssdchaSetts,' that
ever cunning, ever selfish State! The h3eligen-
Ger bears testimony to the truth of these states
ments 1t says further, F." that many Of the
aoldiers (black) were enrolled in the spring of
1854 for the Massachusetts, colored cavalry.
For each Of these recruits that State paid
bounty Of three hunded and twenty five dol
lars, and the towns and cities paid an addi-
tional bounty of one hundred and fifty to two
hundred dollars for each recruit" That
truthful journal adds: 1T is a fact, sus-
ceptible Of the clearest proof, that mono Of
these recruits ever received over three hun
dred dollars. OF the residue Of this bounty
they We're robbed by Government officials
and Massachusetts, agents. Could
the facts connected with these wicked trans
actions be fully spread to the country, it would
awaken a tempest of just indignation, and
cause all good men to blush for the he0rtless de-
prarity II their species" No doubt oft
influential citizens to purchase the ground on
the north side Of the city known as the
Washington j. Berry property, for the pur.
pose Of erecting thereupon mansion for the
President, with a magnificent park attached.
The ground has an area of between three and
four hundred acres. The property is adyer-
tised for sale on the 2lst instant, and hence
the spur Is used to hasten up Congress to the
rescue. It is very plain that the tolerably
spacious and moderately presen table mansion
of the National Executive is much below the
grandeur of the Federal Government in its
enlarged and overshadOwing sphere and
whether the Washington J. Berry property
DO purchased or not, a more gorgeous palace
will have to be awarded to the Chief Magis
trate. What would answer for other days
" i'll not do for these. The Department at the
western end of Pennsylvania avenue must
have equal consideration with that at the
eastern end. If Congress celebrates in super.
splendid marble halls, the high officer who
holds the veto power over it's acts, and is chief
of a coordinate branch of the Government,
must have the equal honors of lavish expend.
iturce upon the finest edifices that the genius
OF architecture can conceive. This is but
right. Congress has no right to appropriate
all the money for building purposes to its ele-
CANT ease and convenience.
Washington is full Of beggars. Richmond
can hardly be fuller. The recent war may
have thrown upon her more in proportion to
her population but it also threw upon Wash
ington a vast number. 1t is supposed that
forty thousand blacks are now within her linn
lite, three fOurths of whom were slaves at the
beginning Of the war. There will be immense
suffering among them this winter.