The Portland daily press., 1866-06-04
Letter from the National Capital TES4
WASHINGTON. Nav 81, 1866.

WASHINGTON, May ii, 1000.
To the Editor of the Press:
The Union majority in the Senate have has
tened slowly this week, short sessions and
long caucuses being the order. 1t Is Already
certain, however, that this course has promo'-
ed harmony of views, and consolidated the
Union strength, and may in the end be shown
to have saved not little time. Strong hopes
have been entertained that the pending Con-
stitutional Amendment might be passed the
present week, and possibly it might have been
brought to vote but for the adjournment
from this afternoon till Monday. The war;
GUS amendments proposed by Mr. Howard
from the COMMITTEES of Fifteen have all been
considered by the Senate as in committee of
the whole and adopted, except an immaterial
amendment to the fifth section. Instead of
the third section DISTINGUISHING rebels, has
been substituted another embodying the idea
first brought forward in the House by MIR.
Trumbull of Illinois, March 10, rendering Ger
tain of the most guilty rebels incapable OF hole
ing Office, either state or national. Perhaps
the debate upon the proposed measure has
brought out nothing more noticeable than the
passage at arms between Senators Doolittle
and Trumbull over this same third section
on Wednesday. Mr.. ID. strenuously protested
in the name of true craftsmanship and even
of christianity against rendering these most
p,liltv criminals incapable of holding office
He would punish-hang, l suppose-enongh
rebels to make treason odious, but this debar-
ring them from Office was "te,o bad" The
Senatar evidently understands the 18th, ong
acaEeness" of the reconstructed for Uncle
Sans fat places. Mr.. Trumbulps reply,
though not at all INDIGENOUS, was very sharp
and effective. To ride two horses at once may
be an easy feat for 1.-THE and antic circus per-
former, but for heavy armed knight in the
lists the feat is neither easy nor safe, as Mr..
Doolitte has several times found to his cost.
The record of the House shows an excellent
weeks work. Among the various important
measures which have passed that. body the
present week, the Freedman's Bureau bill is
prominent. That it passed by vote of three
to one is sufficient indication that the
House intends to abide by its principles. In
fact it is clear that the Union majorities in
both branches of Congress stand more firmly
and resolutely together than on the 22d Of
February. Whatever else ''my policy" may
have accomplished, and certainly do not light
lyestimate its achievements, it has not succeed
ed in demoralizing and breaking down Con-
gress-'not much! / do not believe Con-
gress will adjourn without making provision
for the continuance of the Bureau, Presiden-
tial vetoes, and peripatetic generals sent out
to pick up rebel complaints against it to the
contrary notwithstanding. The investigation
into the affairs of the Bureau ordered by the
House on the 21st inst, will doubtless give us
valuable information on this subject, nor will
the report to be made be liable to such ca
tastrophe as overlook at least one report
guilty of containing unpalatable truth.
The Pension bill, originally reported in the
House by Mr.. Perham on the 7th OF March, is
an important measure, and one much needed.
The pension laws hitherto have provided only
a totally inadequate and insufficient allowance
in cases of extreme disability, while large
class of meritorious cases were entirely ex-
cluded from relief under them. The rules and
regulations respecting the granting of pensions
were of such sort that any sticking pettifog-
ging or incompetent examiner might under
them arrive at great proficiency in the art of
how not to do it. The bill above referred tc,
which has now nearly matured into law,
will do much to remedy the existing statutes
upon the subject of pensions wherein they are
found inadequate or i'll adapted to the pres
ent state of things.
For the part which Mr.. Pe-ham has taken
in the work of relieving our disabled heroes,
and still keeping the expenditures Of the pen
sion bureau within practicable and reasonable
limits, he has certainly deserved well of his
constituents and OF the country. The matter
throughout has been one of much delicacy
and difficulty. Those Democrats who during
the war denounced both it and those who
fought in it, who were never tired of malign-
ing and insulting our soldiers as "hirelingss
and "myrmidons," are now ready, in the vain
hope ofpropitiating their favor and securing
their votes, to squander upon them the pub
Lie money with the most reckless extraya-
gance. Honorable men feel profoundly the
debt of gratitude we owe to our MANNED he
roes, and feel natural reluctance to voting
down almost any measure for their benefit
Thus very strong pressure is brought to
bear upon the "Committes >on Invalid Pen
sions," of which Mr.. Perham is chairman,-a
pressure which moderately yielded to would
have carried the expenses of the pension bu-
reau from sixteen up to fifty millions per an
mum. The present bill will require yearly
appropriation of about twenty millions.
The death of Lieut.. Gen. Scott was official
" announced to Congress in message of the
Presidents on Wednesday the 30th inst, and
tomorrow ali the Departments are closed
Flags have been flying yesterday and to-day at
half mast all over the city. Though the wars
and victories of the dead chief have been
eclipsed by greater struggles and more mag
nifcent triumphs, yet he will be long remem-
bered by his countrymen with martial pride
and affectionate admiration. t. S. p.
Hard Questions for the Mahoney Fenians.
James Stephens addressed an audience OF
about 800 persons in Philadelphia, Thursday
night. After his speech he requested that
questions might be asked him, whereupon
gentleman upon the platform asked the follow
ing:
First, Whether the Fenian Brotherhood, Or
ganized as it was for the liberation of ireland,
had not been used by bad men, perjurers, ana