The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1865-12-01
Letter from the Federal Capital.

QfumDeaG or sunrise gun HAS iuaiiOu io' hioAAs
ly repose or scared away its morning dreams.
However much other parts of the country may
have rejoiced in the return OF the piping
times of peace" the Capitol, SO far from join
ing in the music and the dancing, has been a
triHe dull and mopish. With the near ap-
proach of the coming session, however, it re-
wives apace. Scrubbing,-a deed abhorred by
all true Washingtonians,- painting, fitting and
refitting are the order of the day. aRoonas to
let greets your eye on every street, and upon
almost every square. Numerous advertise
ments admonish the homeless stranger where
luxurious apartments, sumptuous fare, ana
beds of down, all to be had for little or noun
ing, await the happy man who snah Apply
first. If said happy man shoula, upon 'f.a,'
find his luxurious apartments ntteo up WIN
articles bid off at some auction sale OF second
hand furniture, his sumptuous fare to consist
largely of ham and cabbage, with some poul-
trv of the "scalwag" persuasion, and his
roseate slumbers to be little harrassed by
causes not necessary to mention, he must
comfort himself with the thought that he is
but repeating the sad experience of Rasselas
and his companions, and so acquiesce grace
fully in his disappointment as part of the
common lot of man. ..=..., ~, ..'..-.
The preparations at the Capitol for the re-
ception of our public servants are nearly COM
pleted. The Hall of Representatives and the
Senate Chamber celebrate the return of better
days with new carpets of many and brilliant
hues, which, considering that the old ones had
endured four years wear, to say nothing of
various deposits precipitated upon them, both
solid and fluid, of sort not to be mentioned
in fastidious ears, cannot be considered an ex-
travagance. For weeks past upholsterers,
painters and gilders have been employed in
the two Halls, and wherever else their servi-
ces were needed, and the Capitol now presents
clean, fresh and inviting appearance. Z Z
The organization of the House is not suffi-
GENTLY in doubt to excite very deep interest.
The rebel Congressman, so far from being adj
mitted at the organization, will be very fortu-
nate if they get in for months to come. Mr..
Colfax seems to be about the only candidate
for the Speakership, nor does any opposition
to his election worth mentioning seem likely
to be organized Mr.. Mcpherson is also ex-
pected to be reelected Clerk of the House by
a large majority. No general change in the
lesser Offices is anticipated
Although the Committee on Ways and
Means docs not retain all its ancient impor-
lance, two new committees, that upon Gap
preparations" and that upon "Banking and
Currency" having been created last session
for the purpose of sharing and tightening its
very onerous and responsible duties, it, is still
the leading committee in the House, and its
Craftsmanship the post of honor This will
probably be given, as it has been for several
sessions past, to Hon. Thaddeus Stevens, Of
Penn, otherwise known by the soubriquet Of
"Old Thadi Gen. Schenck of Ohio will prob
ably remain at the head of the Committee on
Military affairs. In general, however, SO great
are the changes in the House at each success.
sive Congress, that little can be OWNED be-
forehand as to the construction of its Commit
tees. E0it falrL4 fa. sa;a0 setI
The Senate, as will be recoIected, organized
at its special session in March last. Senator
Foster of Conn. was elected President pro
tempore on the seventh of that month, and
though it is competent for the Senate to dis
place him, and elect another in his stead at
any time it may deem proper, yet, if he choos-
es to do so, he will probably continue to hold
his position until his term expires in 1857. 1t
is not improbable however, as his election may
I,avn hao,, N, 10 ;+ ,,,t NO M ~ AZ = -.
sible occurrence of events which have actual
ly transpired, that he may resign, and so al
low the Senate to act with perfect freedom in
the matter. Even in this event he will be pref
ty surely reelected. 81 =e.le
Senator Foster is good presiding officer, q
little formal perhaps, and somewhat less ex
peditious in the dispatch of business than
Senator Clark of New Hampshire, who lately
presided for time. He is a sound Republi-
can, and though he may be considered moder-
ately conservative, he is free from that mawk-
ish subserviency to pro slavery prejudices, and
that time-serying devotion to doctrines of mere
policy, and expediency, which are sometimes
dignified with the name of conservatism.
There was general expectation earlier in
the season that Col. Forney would relinquish
his position as Secretary of the Senate for
some executive appointment have little
doubt, however, that he will continue to hold
his present Office, unless, which does not seem
likely, the Senate should order new election.
In that contingency he would probably be a
candidate for reelection. The relations which
he officially sustains to the leading statesmen
of the government are of no mean importance
to him as Journalists vocation in which
he has been very successful and useful to the
country. The nett income of his papers, the
Washington Chronicle, and the Philadelphia
Press, is variously estimated at from thirty
to seventy thousand dollars per annum.
Senator Fessenden occupies his old place at
the head of the Finance Committee, and in
that position exercises dictatorship in the Sen :
ate similar to that of the Ways and Means
Committee in the House. Senator Sumner is
chairman of the Committee on Foreign Rela-
tons, Wilson of that upon Military Affairs,
Grimes of the Naval Committee, and Trum-
bull OF that upon the Judiciary.
Congressman are beginning to arrive. Ex-
Speaker Colfax, Messrs. Garsfeld, Schenck,
Lawrence and Hubbel of Ohio; Ingersoll,
Kuykendale, and Farnsworth of ILL.,, and per-
haps a few other members of the House are
here. Senators Sprague of r. l., Williams and
Nesmith Of Oregon. Dixon of Conn.,, Pomer-
oy of Kansas, Sherman of Ohio, and Ramsey
OF Minnesota have also arrived. T. S. P
Letter from Portsmouth.
HEAVY FIRE-Loss 100000.
PORTSMOUTH, Nov. 80, 1865.