The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1870-02-16
LETTER FROM WASHINGTON,
WASHINGTON CITY, Jan. 81, 1870.

| w VIII Jam "a, ACSVs
The committee of Ways and Mean.
has decided to impose specific, in
stead of an ad valorem duty on for
eign publications. The duty OF
books was fixed at twenty-five cents
and on pamphlets at fifteen cents PEI
pound. This is an increase over thu
present tariff. Now that Virginia i.
no longer a satrapsy under the con
troll of General Candy, some Other
portion of the country must be form
ed out that he may be taken care of
A new Department will be formed by
including Virginia and portion Of
the Department of the East. The
army is the especial pet of Genera
Grant and must be provided for, o.
course, I mean the West Pointers
The "gold panic Investigating COM
mittee had General Butterfed, Mr.
Belden and Mr. A. A. Low, of New
York, before them on Saturday.
General Butterfeld's testimony was
contradiction of the testimony OF
Jim Fisk and others with regard to
his being implicated in the combina-
ton. So far as we can CLEAN, the in
vestigation being secret, there is not
the slightest doubt as to officials being
engaged in the gold speculation
which produced the panic last Sep
TENDER. The evidence of Fisk, Gould
and others point to the Presidents
family as being interested, and no
evidence was produced to clear up
that point except that of Brother-in-
law Corbin who denied Grants COM
plicity, and know from Fisk's opin-
ion of him that he would not believe
one word of the testimony given by
the old fox. The investigation will
be through this week. The Senate
committee on Post Offices have agreed
to report Senator Ramsey's bill to es-
tablish postal telegraph system and
to incorporate the United States Pos
tai telegraph company. The commit
tee Of Ways and Means have made
of additions to the free list
and reduced the tariff on iron, sugar,
tea and coffee. There will be live
ly time over the consideration of the
bill as prepared by them. It is
thought it will be submitted On We'd
nesday. The various interests are
marshalling their forces for a general
assault on these provisions of the
bill which do not suit their sections.
A great many changes not contem-
plated by the committee will be made
1t has transpired that there will be
considerable opposition in the Senate
to the bill abolishing the franking
The bill will be discuss
ed very fully before a vote is taken,
and an amendment will be added,
most probably, to exempt from its
operations all newspapers circulated
within the county where they are
printed, and all free list exchanges.
trust the press of the country will
not be hampered by any provision of
the bill. From the remarks already
made by number of Senators upon
The manner in which the petitions,
praying for the abolition of the frank
ing privilege, were gotten up, both
by using the Post Office employees
md in having the blanks printed at
The expense of the government I
anticipate that Mr. Postmaster Cress-
we'll will get a hauling over the
Goals for his high handed attempt
% manufacture public opinion and
,orce Congress into his measures at
he government expense. The state
nent recently published that the Sec
'etary of the Treasury has decided
hat no officer of the revenue shall
receive notifies is without founda-
ion. Both the Secretary and Com
missioner Delano concur in recon-
that the law should be so
changed that informers not in the
government service shall also receive
notifies. The Secretary ofthe Treas
Try desires to foster and protect in
ormers. The inform ers developed
~ the spy system, introduced into
he Treasury by Boutwell, and his
DOL Fullock aided by the Grand Ar
ny of the Republic, now number a
arge proportion of the Radical clerks
n the Department, not content with
having degraded a majority of his
Jerks into spies and informers on
Zach other, he you'd have the people
orying into their neighbours business
md informing for the moiety to be