Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1869-01-13
Our Washington Correspondence.
CONGRESS BUsILY At WORK

WASHINGTON. d. c., Jan. Sth. 1869.
Mr.. EDITOR Congress has again met and
gone earnestly to work. The committee
prepared a good quantity of work during the
holidays, and there will be little time TO
make long speeches. Besides. they have no
Presidents message to speak on this year,
on account Of their disposition Of it, SO that
there is no theme left for those few poor
mortals who have yet to be reelected but
Mr.. Johnson's " natural cussedness, AS
Mr.. Fessenden calls it,-and the gl1ries Of
the coming administration The former sub
lect has had a fair ampllication rs well as
exempliication during the past " hr-,
and the lattor has not boon 1y-~- ~
the late campaign. Buncombe spSecheN this
year, then, may be expected to be very tame
and fiat.
THE APPROPRIATION BILLs-RETRENCHNENT.
Two of the appropriation bills have been
reported, one of which, the naval, shows a
decrease of over two millions. We are
promised a much larger decrease in the other
bills, and several millions will thus be saved
As the law formerly stood. it was very com
mon for the heads Of departments to run over
these appropriations, and then call for more
to supply the deficiency. As the law is now
that practice is forbidden, and a heavy pen
atty attached to it. 30 one step j. taken
towards a reduction Of expenses. and a con-
tinued reduction rendered easy. Many items
of expense are being struck off. many clerks
are being discharged, and nothing but neccs-
saries are now allowed in any place. Thus
you see an attempt is TO be made to place
our finances in a better condition and to keep
our expenditures within our revenues.
NATIONAL RAILROADS.
One Of the standing subjects Of legislation n.
is a new railroad between this city and New
York. This has been proposed for at least
four years, and each session a bill has been
prepared. Last session a great step was
made in deciding that Congress had the con-
stitutional right to charter such a road des-
spite the wishes Of states, and now the bill is
likely to become a law. There would have
been some sense in this action in former
years, when a railroad was actually needed
Now, however, the only faults that can be
found, are in regard to the fare and the
length of the trip. The fare for a frst-class
car is really higher than it las ever been.
and is exorbitant though they have superior
cars, and the time has been shortened about
two hours. Improvements are continually
being made, and all the arrangements are
very good. The new bill proposes to avoid
Baltimore and Philadelphia entirely, to make
the trip in six hours and to reduce the fare
greatly. While very few will be wiling TO
Pay the tax, which they now must nav. of
SLIGO for the sake of passing through the
states of New Jersey, Delaware and MARYLAND.
8 till fewer will be willing to lose a visit to
Philadelphia or Baltimore, or be hurled along
to destruction at the rate of fifty miles an
hour. True they need another road hotxrecn
here and Baltimore, as in any case If acct
dent we are entirely shut off from all COM
munication with the North, and the Balti-
more and Ohio R.. r. Co. are very moan in
their accommodations, refusing to CONNECT
with western roads, and rendering all their
passengers uncomfortable. Beyond this no
line is needed, and the attempt to charter
one must be set down as another corrunt rob.
People say that such respectable names as
are given to this scheme belle such an intent
but it has come to such a pass that no
name is respectable enough to rebut the idea
of plumber, but that is always to be sunnosed
till the contrary is proved.
Railroad jobs are the order of the dav.
Emboldened by the success of the Central
Pacific line and DESTROYS of sharing the n-osts.
not content with the lands Congress oivss q
score or more of local and bankrupt concerns
are here trying to get aid in the shape Of a
direct loan. Among these, stands prominently
the so-called Union Pacific Railway Eastern
DicrsiOn, and to our shame be it said many