The national Republican., 1869-02-10
RECE EPTIONs.


every Friday evening during the session,
iron 80 10 II p. n
mRs. PosruAsrxR uRrnRAL RANDALL Will
receive her friends on Wednesday Of each
week, nom TO Z p. N, at the residence, cor
aer OF Twelfth and X streets.
MRa. SECRETARY MoCuLLocH receives on
"Wednesday Of each week 81 the residenes,
No. aoe n street, from u to 4, and on Friday
from 70 II D. m. Cards to be issued for the
evening receptions
Mns. sEonrrAnr BRowstSe receives on
Wednesday OF sseh week at her residence, No.
$50 street, from II N. TOD p. IN.
MRS. SECRETARY SoHopIHLp will reoeiye
her friends each wednesday from II m. to p.
m, at her residence, on II street, between
sevcnteenth and Eishtsenth.
Our w~shingte. Cerrespesdssee.
YrBrrArr .. Iss.
AN INVESTIGATION NEEDED.
It is said that previous TO the Presidential
election, sundry atiidayits charging palpable
and gross frauds In the use Of the senste's
contingent fund were placed in the hands Of
Senator Sumner, to be brought to the atten-
ton Of the Senate. II this be true, the
quicker these charges can be thoroughly von-
tilated the better, as these are times when
no public functionary can afford to rest under
such suspicious as the public knowledge ofthe
tendency Of such accusations, without due
investigation, inevitably generate.
Tho Republican party owe 1t to themselves
TO Vlndlcate those they place In important
trusts BY making the integrity Of their on
cial acts-assailcd by affidavit-manifest to
all. No innocent man can suffer by prompt
and thorough investigation of such charges,
which, If proved untrue, must rebound to
the disgrace Of those who bring forward the
false accusations.
THE RULES or CoSGRBss.
The necessity for sweeping changes In the
methods aud NOTES.-The rulcs-by which
Congress transacts the legislative business
OF the country becomes daily more manifest.
hazard nothing in asserting that 1t will be
utterly impossible for both Houses 10 dis
pose, intelligently, of one-fftieth of the bills,
resolutions, &C., now before them (and be-
fore their several committees) ere March
4th next. The present rules were made for
a very different condition Of their business
from that which now necessarily exists.
When made there was not 1.-THE Of the
present current business brought before Con
gress, II so much. All are entitled alike {,
bo heard by Congress, aud to have thel
several cases fully and fairly adjudicated
Congress and Its committees, If sitting nigh
and day continuously year after year, coult
not accomplish that SO desirable end withou
making sweeping changes In Its rules.
THE CHANGES NECESSARY.
The reforms most needed are 10 forbid al,
member from occupying the time Of tn
House or Senate in the delivery OF speeche
not germane to the subject matter actual,
''up for consideration" Next, to make de
cisions Of committees on all but great publ,
questions practically final by refusing to gt
behind such committee action, In open Hous,
or Senate. Third, some specific limit shoul,
be placed on the right of Senators to talk, a,
i'Vinitum, upon any question before the Sen
ate. Mr.. Garrett Davis, for instance, unde
existing rules, may discourse for twelv,
month on the difference between tweedl,
dun and tweedle-dee, II so minded, and po.
sessed OF physical strength to talk, while
majority of the Senators present may be abl
to sit in their seats. / recollect speec
made by Henry A. Wise, In Virginia Stat
convention, in the delivery of which he oc
cupied the body for seven mortal days
There Is nothing In the Senatc's currep
rules to prevent a modern Henry A. Wis
from doing the same thing In the senat
chamber, If he has but physical strength ant
political animosity against the measures o
policy Of his opponents sufficient to enabl
him SO to do.
THE STATIONERY CONTRACTS QUESTION.
The bill Of Mr.. Ella, of n. H., to regulat
giving out contracts for supplying the el
ecutive departments in this city with ST.
tionery, &C., that passed the House so unan
mously few days since, has created lntens
excitement among those heretofore accui
toned to bid for furnishing such supplies
More or less of them inveigh against It ys
hemently as being likely only to afford OF
portunities to the heavy stationery men G
New York to cheat the Government. fail t
'seo 1t In that light" 1t Is undeniably tru
that, for many years past, the Treasury In
been literally robbed enormously by the fai
ure Of those charged with the duty Of maxim
these contracts to stipulate in making ther
for given quantity Of more or less Of tn
articles to be contracted for.
HOW THEY WORK 1T.
1t is in requisitlons for theF" particula
articles that the frauds are perpetrated. Tn
bidder not in the secret Is led to believe thu
the quantities of such articles required vii
be very inconsiderable, and lie is therefor
not particular in bidding for them. Tn
man with whom the Government ofiicis
may be In collusion estimates that YER
small quantities of them will be called 70
In computing the aggregate of the severn
bids. But immensely large quantities az
ordered and nominally furnished; but, as i
the case giving rise to the passage of MI
Elias bill by the House, are not accounted for
Somebody robs the Treasury by such trans
actions; contractors In the excessive price
they obtain for them, If not officials In call
ing for such articles not needed, and then Il
falling to be able TO account for them Il
really delivered. The idea that what hal
become of these articles Tin the case inves
ugated) cannot be ascertain0d, Is on q pa
with the idea that there is no way of ascer
tanning how many of them may be required
that being plea for the continuance of tn,
current system of procuring such supplies
urged by those interested in bidding for
them.
THE REMEDY.
The bill of Mr.. Ella is simply transcript
OF that of Mr.. Latin, passed years ago, Il
the end Of reducing the plan Of obtaining
supplies of paper for the Government print
Ing Office to honest principles. Previous t.
its enactment the public were annual,
startled with accounts of dishonest practice,