Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1869-12-25
From Our Own Correspondent.
WASHINGTON, D. c., Dec. 81, 1866

WASHINGTON, d. c., Dec. 81 1860.
The announcement of the COngressiona
session has filled Washington to overflowing
Our hotels and boarding houses have been re
paired, and the accumulated dust and dirt @
the summer and fall carefully swept INTO tn
corners and behind the doors. 1t is never re
moved into the open air, probably because ii
amount would impede locomotion. Ever,
house is filled TO repleton, and again th,
chronic cry comes for more tenements ant
cheaper ones.
The city has outgrown itself In 1851 il hat
a population of 6l 900; to-day it has l40 900
and the population has increased faster thar
the buildings. And as those who reside here
must have residences, they are willing to pay
any price rather than sleep out doors. In 1866
the prices in Washington were higher than in
any part of the civilized world. | inquired
the price of IA single bedroom, and was told
could have II, without board, for 5000 year
but If ] cat in the house. the price was double
that Since that day large number of tene.
menis have been erected, and prices have some.
what fallen. Bat the whole population OF
Washington is transtory-fioaling. Every
four years it changes in winter it is double
that of summer. But few, if any, of the fouI
thousand clerks here can afford to keep house
they, therefore, board. The members of Con
gress are here only for the winter; they, there
fore, board. But this winter, am happy to
say, more members keep house than ! have
ever known beiore and member, living in
his own house aud surrounded by his own
family, Is fur more likely to be morally and
politically vitu0us, than when he is in city
lull of vice, boarding at large hotel, and
having nowhere TO spend his evenings.
The House of Representatives has been en-
gagged during the past week In discussion of
the Census Bill. This bill, carefully prepared
by Mr.. Garfield, has been engineered by him
through the House, although Mr., Stokes Is
Chairman OF the Census Committee. But Mr..
Garfield Is so far the superior of the chaiman
0f his Committee, and has the ear of the
House 10 such degree that by the common
consent of the whole committee, he tool,
charge of the Bill in all its discussions. lie
succeeded, after much labor In passing II thro'
the House ana II has now gone to the Senate
where 1t has been deferred 10 the committee on
the Revision of the LAWS Unless II passes
the Senate before January i, the power to make
1t expires by Limitation, and th?n the census
must he taken by the old and imperfect law o
1850 But there are only two Congressional
days between the 2ist of December and The
hrst oI january, for Congress adloums to.mor.
row over the holidays. greatly fear, there
fore, that the bill, Notwithstanding Gen. Gar
fields excellent management, Is hardly des
tined Ia become law.
On Fridny Of las, week we had an amusing
instance of a democratic engineer hoist will
his own petard, The House was In the Com
mlttee of the Whole on the Presidents Mes
sage, Mr.. Mungen, of Ohio, rose and made
set speech In favor Of population. The Re
! publicans paid no special attention to II, bu
his democratic allies were greatly troubled
They improvised a caucus in the cloak room
and decided that populations must not q,
forth 10 The country as Democratic measure
Accordingly as sooh as Mr. Mungen i0ok hi
seat, his political nelghbors rose one afleT an
other, demolished his argument, aud declare,
that he did not represent democratic ideas.-
Brooks, slocum and s, $, Cox, of New York
Randall and Woodward of Pa, and Kerr, O
Ind, all good Democrats, and threw Mr. Nun
gen oyerboard Meanwhile the Republican
gathered round and witnessed the party nigh
with great interest Gen, Garfield alway
prompt and reliable, rose aud moved that pro
position, direct or Indirect, 20 repudiate an
portion Of the debt Of the United States, wa
unworthy the honor and good name OF the ma
uon. The democrats were caught In their ow
trap. Even the Pendletonians dared not oil
jeet 10 the motioh and only one man, Jones, Q
kentucky, entered his protest The vote stoo
100 yeas 10 nay, Mr. Mungen says he wa
entsspped into making the speech and ihS
four democratspsomlsed him their support
But repudiation 10 thing of the past Nj
Boutwell, has killed h by his rapid MONTH
: payments OF The natieaal debt .,.
WoRcEsTRR