Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1869-12-15
Our Washington Letter.


manuscript, and press copies were not given ou
in advance Of its publication from the clerk
desk Hence, Senators and members wore all 10
their places and gave the most Interested attcn
ton TO the reading In the Senate 10 was received
with the dignity and decorum Characteristic %
that body; but in the House, when the trcachcrl
and bad faith of the State Of Georgia was com
mented upon, with the recommendation chat Con
gross promptly interfere 10 prevent the attempted
Acknowledgement and exclusion from Office of thl
colOred voters and the Acknowledgement OF Oh,
rebels in violation OF the fourteenth amendment
the members upon the floor so far forgot the ruc'
and the proprietios, as TO Join with the galleries
in spontaneous outburst Applause. The mes
sage will Of course be read By all your readers
and hence it will not be necessary for me TO speak
Of its various recommendations
The first business brought before the Senate
was by Senator Cameron, of Pennsylvania, who
presented petition signed by over thirty thou
sand citizens Of Pennsylvania, praying for thc
recognition of the independence Of the Republic
of Cuba, This was one of the most ponderous,
if not the most formidable, documents ever pre-
scntod to legislative body. The petition was
over five thousand lect-neary one milo-in
length, and was closely wound upon a reel. max
ing cylinder or solid roll over two feet n dnmc-
ter Immense as these figures show this d1cu-
mcut 10 have been, it dwindos TO mere uhoa
when compared with n similar petition presented
10 the House on Friday By Mr. Ward, which
was signed by over seventy thousand citizens of
New York Petitions in behalf Of Cuba are
coming in from all quarters and II they may be
taken as q true expression OF the popular will,
the people are ready 30 take the responsibility,
regardless Of its possible complication of our for
eign affairs or its olcct upon the Alabama Claims.
The reasonable limits OF this letter will not
allow me to give a summary of, or even mention
By name, the various important bills that have
Il H.. d d ID
referred TO the appropriate committees, / shall
notice only a few of the most interesting.
Senator Carpenter introduced % bin on Tues
day, " 10 secure and protect the freedom OF tram
sit within the United States 10 provides rHmt
no citizen Of the United Smtes, n passing from
one place to another within the samc, shall be-
liable to arrest or detention on capias, summons,
citation or other process of whatever nature 100
any civil action, suit 90 cause, whether mesne
process, OF execution, in any state, territory or
district through which he may be passing and OF
which he is not a citizen unless he voluntarily
tarries therein for more than tweuty-l0ur hours.
This bill, whether specially $50 intended 0r not,
will have the effect 90 put O. check upon The pro-
pensity Of Baltimore 20 iasten upon stray Com
gressmen while passing through that city, as She
delights 10 do with General Batter.
Another Of the most remarkable propositions
is contained in a bill introduced by Senator Irum-
bull, " to relieve members Of Congress from im-
portunity, aud 10 preserve the Independence 0i
the different departments OF the Government 80
This most desirable cOnsummati0n be proposes 90
secure by making 10 msdemean0r. punishable
by fine Of s 900, for any Senator or member of
Congress " % directly or Indirectly solicit or re-
commend the appointment to office hy the prcsi-
dent OF the heads of departments of any person
in any Of the Executive Departments " and also
making it unlawful for the President or the head
OF any department TO appoint to ollce, or employ
in his department, any person who shall De re-
therefor by ans Senator or member ul
Congress. This terrible res.Wint which tie Sem
ltor proposes 10 assume and % impose upon
others, only serves 90 excite dcrisyc SMILE even
upon the iaces Of those here who admit that it
may be aimed ut an existing evil Il appears too
much like " satan rebukng sim D." IL b uullubt-
eddy oitcntimes annoying and embarrassing for
Office seekers, after having obtained The object 0i
their ambition, 20 he called upon t1 redeem their
promises, especially when the same thing has
been promised 10 half dozen aspirant- but
Congressman will hardly De willing 10 escape The
occasional yexation of pace-hunting bore, by
putting themselves under heavy penalty % enc
dOrse or recommend no one lt certainly seems
70 be an innocent, if not mertorious mot. on the
part Of a member Of Congress, to inform the
Postmaster General as 10 which of two candle
dates is the best qualified for the position VI post
master Of his own town, or as % which would be-
the most satisfactory 10 the people Whether lt
be made misdemeanor 20 exercise it or n0t. Got
which there Is not the least danger) 10 may saic-
ly be presumed that Senators and members will
continue to have some influence with the execu-
tive branch Of the Government.
The discussion Of the census bill has occupied
much of the time of the House during the week
and 1t is questionable whether IL will De cot into
satisfactory shape before the adjournment Tor the
holidays. Much discussion has arisen upon the
comforting Of the iranking privilege upon officers
of the census. 1t is probable that this viii not
only be done, but that the restriction imposed
upon the Thanking privilege by the last session
will be relaxed or modified.
1t will be remembered that the use of fac mil,
or engraved or printed franks were prohibited
and each officer invested with the privilege wa.
required to alhx his frank by his actual autograph
signature. General Spinner, United States Treas
urer, who, one would think from the looks thereof
does not find it an easy Or agreeable task 10 writ,
his name, thus IN his report to Congress, pifchti
IN to the requirement for him % aihx his sin
manuel TO a thousand envelopes q day
1t was soon found that in this, go many other oi
ices, this would REQUIRE and waste the whole up ul Goo
principal officer IL execute h. leaving hlu mo- limo DO f
tend 90 tho important official duties nf bus trcc f
81 g1 greonbaek note but under fbis law ia s ft M
70 certificate that saves the afiXlng OF thrUccou
postage stamp. Then the abuses there were any, ars
not cured, Tor the autographs -naturc- necasa
Formerly were, In advance u t.s.f 5c.ar d..T M N
officers Of the government, receiving large salaries an
t py tns t o. 59 ls% e2Peed TO waste e
si5nin@ tbeil name ~ ibre,+t ul ~, tps Hl p
Tae Goyernment cannot afford this Tic ding don,
ray Il Is believed 'hst ne loss 60 ne Government Of
tbsS thst oeease9e bv ANN ANA. a i ioa s,st
which the law socks to remedy"
Another proposed measure of reform IL tio
proposition. introduced bv General Rntler in,'
the House. 10 abolish the offices al nen.i',,
throughout the country. and No nav tbo rcr';'',,-
ers bi-monthly directly by the Pension 0Gce blra
through the medium Of the postofee mone ar,,',
system. This proposition Is REGARDED b,, H.
here who are familiar witbstbe admirist~S,;o,, ~
the Pension Department as ntterly ir,--,..;.,
bic. and as involving treat DELAY AID cr5lSre'.
ment. and as ncurring more exDense Than II 800
to save.
In accordance with the recommendation o,.,
tanned in the Presidents messore Sonator M
renter on Thursday introduced KIN incre,s
the salary of the chief instlce If tbe s,,Tre,,
court from its present rate-s6 500 ncr ,l,,,,
to S12 900, and the associate iustic,s frm "a ooo
TO 10000 Ii is probable tlat mos e,,',rS. iii
be somewhat reduced before the final 49, -
the bill. but there is no doubt tbot s,bsta,,,
increase in these salaries will be made h IL VIII
known that the Judges in many inieriTr sto,a
courts receive larger salaries than aro nav, ,Il,,o
to the supreme court of the United Stotcs T5e
,,ro-o,,. -, -, -. -. 49, '''N'' i"N