Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1867-01-17
Washington Items.

Tuesday last,-favored by the U. S. ship
Swatara. He is expected here in about
a fortnight, and will have an appropriate
reception.
The New York Herald's Washing
ton special says there is good authority
for stating that the judiciary committee
have concluded that there are not sufic-
lent grounds for the Impeachment of
the President.
"A convention of freedmen was held
in Washington Saturday night and was
addressed by Ex-Governor Hamilton. A
letter from Senator Sumner was read
urging the freedmen to insist upon their
rights.
1t is reported that Senator Foster
will receive the appointment of Minister
to Italy in place of the Hon. George P.
Marsh, resigning his Presidency pro
tenn, of the Senate just before the close
of the present Congress.
Strong efforts are being made to Sc
cure aid from Congress for the construc-
tion of an air line railroad to the Pacific
from point on the Gulf of Mexico. A
number of capitalists have organized
with Gov. Hamilton and other Southern
loyalists to carry out their scheme.
An amendment to the tenure of office
bill, now before the U. S. Senate, makes
it high misdemeanor to re-appoint any
officer rejected by the Senate, or to pay
any money out Of the Treasury to such
parties, and makes the offense punishable
by fine Of not more than $4,000 and
imprisonment not more than gve years.
-Washington's population is l02 900,
being an increase of $4,000 in six years.
The war did not stop the capitals
| growth, though it would have ruined it
had the rebels triumphed, as most Wash
| iDgtOnians desired they should. There
! is a great lack of accommodations for
the population, and demand for houses
exists, which will not be met so long as
| the financial condition of the country
remains unchanged.
The last winters Mexican loan lobby
has made its appearance again, and
is pressing the fifty million bill. The
| gentlemen do not talk very confidentially
| of success In the business. 1t is not
true, as has been stated in some news
! papers, that the Senate finance commit
tee lavors the repeal of the law creating
the Office Of Special Commissioner Of In
! tcrnai Revenue. The Senate judiciary
committee will ask action on the bank
| rupt bill tomorrow, but it is by no
means certain that they can get it up.
Some inquiry having been made
about the amount Of money to be paid
for the arrest OF John H. Surratt, it is
worth while to call attention to the
fact that the order Offering reward for
his capture was revoked by the Presi-
dent some time late in the fall of 1865,
two months at least after the State De-
| partment knew he had gone to Liver
| pool, and some weeks after instructions
were sent to our Consul at that point to
do nothing towards efftcting his arrest.
1t may be mentioned in this connection
that the CoDsul-General of Canada was
here last week to consult with the gov
ernment about bringing evidence from
| there against Surratt when his trial
takes place.
There was bitter debate in the U.
S. House of Representatives last Satur
day, in which Mr.. Stevens and Mr..
Spaulding had the principal parts. The
two old boys made each others hair fIy.
Or they would have done 80 had they
had any hair, for they are old enough to
be bald as coots, Mr.. Stevens being in
his 74th year, and Mr.. Spaulding In his
69th. They ought to kaow better than
to set so bad an example to the Sin
genuous youth" of forty and fifty who
form the majority Of their associates. If
Mr. Stevens can be depended upon, he
was duped by Mr.. Spauldiag. Spauld-
ing must be amazingly clever if he is
capable of humbugging old Thad., the
innocent creature
Gen. Beauregard denies having made
a speech to the Congressional excursion
lists. He says,
Il coDversed with them freely, and
openly told them, that the South had
fought the North 80 desperately because
it was defending what it conceived to be
its Constitutional rights; that l be
believed the people Of the South were
wiling TO accept the Constitution as
made by the war and understood by the
Supreme Court OF the United States :