Lewistown gazette. [volume] (Lewistown, Pa.) 1843-1944, 1866-08-01
MISCELLANY
Correspondence OF the Gazette.
WASHINGTON, D. c., July, '66.

Mr.. EDITOR After viewing the
capitol building and admiring the wis |
dom Of its architect, we are ready to |
listen to the delbera tions Of Congress, |
but are informed the session for the |
day will not open for several hours,
atfording us the opportunity OF visit !
ing the Botanical Gardens on the south |
Of the Capitol. These gardens contain
many acres, are well laid out, and to
the lover of the beautiful in nature, as
we'll as to the botanical student. afford
great pleasure. Turning to the left as
we enter, we notice 4 large plot OF
ground devoted to the cultivation of
evergreens Of every variety; next we
behold other kinds Of ornamental trees,
native and foreign, all kinds Of vines
and all manner Of hedges arranged in
logical order. Then there are the flow
ers, various, numerous and beautiful,
arranged around the outside and along
the walks in the most tasteful manner.
In the centre OF the garden are a mum
ber OF greenhouses filled with exotic
plants and flowers collected from al
most every country on the globe. Here
we meet the tan-palm with its broad
leaves the date-palm with its delicious
fruit, the baobab, bending its branches
to the ground, forming wide spread
ing forest, together with every variety
Of cycas, cactus and ferns In another
apartment all around the sides Of the
walls, arranged on shelves, are flowers
Of every hue and variety, enchanting
like fairy's bower. We pause as we
enter, not knowing but that we are
treading upon enchanted ground or en-
tering the palace Of some fairy queen.
We visited several others Of a similar
character, passing by the gardeners
cottage which sits among the flowers
like hummingbird among the honey
suckies. A few minutes walk brings
US to the Senate chamber We as
cend to the galleries, place ourselves
in a finely cushioned seat feeling like
Republican in the Capitol of the Re
public, which means quite at home. \
glance around us satisfies US there are
similar seats for one thousand more,
with reserved seats for the diplomatic
corps. The chamber is lighted entire
ly by windows above We east look
beneath, and what scene. The ses
sion has Just opened, and one half of
the members are reading the morning
papers, while the other half, except
two or three, are writing letters, frank
ing pamphlets and speeches, sending
them home. Whenever one is sealed
the Senator claps his hands, when a
boy comes and carries it to Il side
chamber This clapping of hands is
so constant that, should member rise
and speak, he would seem to be ap-
plauded all the time While all this
Is going on bills are passing with the
greatest dispatch. The process is
something like this: The bill is read
by the clerk, the chairman addresses
the Senate, and calls for the yeas. No
one responds. He then calls for the
nays; still no response, and the bill is
pronounced passed, apparently by the
chairman alone, as no one else seemed
to notice it at all. This procedure.
however, is only adopted when the bill
is an unimportant one.
The most important man in this
chamber is Of course Mr.. Foster, who
presides with becoming dignity, and
does his business with dispatch. He
is u fine intellectual man, and would
grace any position.
First among the Senators we notice
Mr.. DoolittIe, Of Wisconsin, a man
who has done too much to aid the cop
perheads and support "my policy."-
! Little he dreams how his constituents
hate him. Beside him is Mr. Cowan
ofPenna., whose name should be Cow.
ard for the treacherous part he is now
| taking. Before him sits Mr.. Fessen