The Portland daily press., 1867-12-23
Letter from WashingtOn.
WASHINGTON. d. c., Dec. 10, 1867.

To theEditor of the Press:
Yesterday was an exciting day IN tne HOUSE
After very spirited discussion Oh oeoio'aiy
Stewards land speculations and real-estate
agency on amendment to the Reconstruction
acts was introduced by Mr.. Stevens, and
"a ~ was understood that he would speak
in support of the bill large crowd was in at
tendance Mr.. Brooks of New York opened
the fire for the Democracy in a speech of near
ly an hour, the main purpose of which was to
prove that the negro was phrenologically,
physiologically and anatomically inferior to
the "proud Caucashen"-t arguments he ad-
duced being Enthusiastically borrowed from the
writings of Petroleum v. Nasty. Mr.. Stevens
then obtained the floor, and the esteem in
which he is held by the House as well as the
Importance OF whatever might tall from his
lips was clearly manifest by the manner IN
which the members from boih sues cro"oeu
around him. Ordinarily when member gets
the floor for n speech there Is the most CON-
nlete confusion in the House-the other mem
hers moving about on business, or engaging in
conversation, waiting for the "hour to be up"
hut the moment Mr.. Stevens arose it was as
quiet as a country church. His voice was SO
feeble that it was scarcely audible in the gal
leries, and the Congressional reporter was
obliged to take seat quite near him to take
down his remarks. He spoke with great diff
Guilty and at the conclusion of his speech was
evidently much exhausted. That, in all prob
ability, is the last time that the voice of the
old champion of human rights will ever be
heard in the halls of the American Congress,
and the scene yesterday borrowed interest and
inspiration as it called up to mind the last
effort of the elder Pitt in the British Parla-
ment. '-
EULoaY ON HANCOCK.
The reading of the Presidents eulogy on
the life and merits of General Hancock, which
for some unaccountable reason, and in VIOLA
ton of the laws and usages Of literature, got
embodied in the form of a message to Con-
gress, was received with boisterous merriment
by the House, not out of any disrespect to the
gallant soldier whose praises are therein sung,
but from the ludicrous oddly of the thing
itself and the purpose of the little trick, whicz
was made so apparent by the clumsy and I'M
calmly manner in which it was attempted. Mr..
Eldridge of Wisconsin, who tries to be the
leader of the Democratic side of the House,
was on hand to move the resolution of
to "reduce it to writing" he failed in his pat
riotic purpose-and lost the floor. If General
Hancock has any ambition for the presidency,
he ought, like Job, to pray to be Sawed from
his friends" for few more plumbers of this
sort will consign him to the same sweet obliv-
ion now enjoyed by the last Democratic aspir-
ant for the position-whose name, if 1 mis-
take not. was Mcclellan. iii3 noet l3l
PORTLAND CUSTOM HOUSE.
AS the commission of the present Collector
will expire sometime about the middle of JAN
uary, there is already considerable futtering
among the Dem Ccratic politicians of the first
District in regard to the place. 1t is given out
here in ''office-seeking circles" that hereafter
the President will not appoint to Office any
person who is not known to be sound on the
policy" goose, and the "feast of fat things"
pertaining to the Portland Custom House will
accordingly be claimed by the Democrats.
Hon. L. De NJ. Sweat, as stated in previous
letter, was in town last week in conference
with His High Mightiness, A. j., and it is now
understood that among other subjects discuss
ed was that of Gov. Washburn's successor.
The programme then adopted, as learn from
reliable source, contemplates the nomination
of Hon. Bion Bradbury at the expiration of
Gov. Washburn's term, with the expectation
that in view of his qualifications for the place
derived from an experience of three terms in
the Passamaquoddy District, his name will be
acceptable to the Senate. In case however of
his rejection, then the name of Mr.. Sweat will
be sent in and bis record as a War Democrat
relied on to secure his confirmation. This is
pretty little arrangement on paper, and it is
to be hoped that the Senate will not be so cru
ell as to put its foot the tail of the enterprise
and disappoint SO many golden expectations.
Mr.. johnson has once before been bamboozled
by specious promises of Democratic aid and
sympathy by certain willy politicians, and if
the setting aside of Gov. Washburn with the
hope of beMfting his party costs him as
many supporters as the attempted decapita-
ton of postmasters did prior to the fall cleo
ton of 1885, he will soon be candidate for
political bankruptcy. CAsCo.