The New York herald., 1870-12-26

WASHINGTON, Dec. 25, 1870


thule OF all that Is grave measured and deliberate,
redolent OF dignity aud ofacial hduteuo, and over
burdened with the weight OF responsibility In open
session tins demeanor Is preserved with scrupuOus
| etiquette. and the "potcnt, grave and reverend
| scgnorsr tread their measures with decOrum, en-
forcing the rules OF order strngeny, and rarely, n
ever, trespassng the bounds OF accepted Senatorial
! propriety. The people who gather IN the galleries
do not fail TO note the dignity and quiet OF the SEN
ate, which Is IN marked contrast with the turbulent,
bedlam-like practices OF the House OF Representa-
| tives where all is confusion and noise and where
the unsophlsticacd refuse TO realize that anything
| like order can come out OF such seeming chaos.
Unlike the House. in the Senate there Is no frantic
| yelling OF excited members who baw out "Mister
Speaker In stent0rian tones and In a chorus or
score OF voices. There Is pounding OF the gavei
or rapid mumbng OF the presiding officer's voice,
or putting the question ana declaring 1t carried
without the assent dissent OF y single member.
There Is no confusion OF words, sucn as "Genman-
FROM OHIO -reconsder r-and -lay-m0t Ia
ble," whereby something Is supposed TO be laid
upon mythical table never to DO resurrected. II
the House, when member indulges In rhetoric
upon some important question his colleagues crowd
about him IKE bees surrounding their queen or like
an auditory OF the masses confronting stump
orator at the hustlngs. This permitted In
the Senate; for each Senator remains anchored In
his seat stifiy old maids entertaining company
| In the parlor
But there is a time In the Senate when all this
sumption OF dignity and propriety passes away, and
that era Il the executive session, when the galleries
are cleared ana the spectators politely but firmly
| banished The doors are then closed and. with the
| exception OF the SergeantatArms ana the Chief
Messenger and executive clerks, one Is permitted
| to witness the peculiar OF confirming
jecting nominations regulating treaties with Tor
| elgn Powers.
Then the Senate becomes a family party, happily
| released from tho rigid propriety OF entertaining
| company. Away goes dignity, decorum and gravity
cigars lighted and smoked al itbituni, and the
secret public business Is transacted much after
the fashion OF social gathering, and frequently
upon the most approved pan OF the free aud easy
style or a Canterbury Hail.
In executive the Senators frequently quar-
rel, wrangle, backbite aud snarl to degree far
exceeding the extreme violence displayed OCCASION
ally III the House or Representatives; and IL the
latter body be justly characterized ''bear
garden" the Senate In secret session is certainly
entire menagere and circus, with vast prepon-
derance Of the motley clowns all other perform
ers. Fortunately, however, this is hermetic and
secret, one being allowed To disclose the incidents
or accidents or 10 emulate even '.Peeping Tom or
Coventry who went one eye on 1t and was stricken
Somehow other little things occasionally leak
out, and when this aud that cunningIy put
together OF the incidents OF The
become known TO Interested outsiders. who await
with feverish anxiety the result OF confirmation
rejection, and who are made either happy or msera-
bic by the c0nsummation. Upon exciting occasions
1. has BEEN discovered that Senators nave called
each other pet names such as liars, mlscreants,
scoundres and falsiners; and not unfreqnently dis
plays made OF muscular Christianity that would
not dlscredt the pugilistic prowess OF Dan Mace,
John 9. Heenan Tom Sayers. Shirt collars and boz
SONS have been known to have suffered considera-
BILE rumpling; but as yet no Senatorial eyes have
testified a proclivty TO go into mourning. This Is
accounted for. perhaps, by stringent rule OF the
Senate. which, following the precept Of " Truthful
James," declares II unparliamentary "to lay for that
same member for to put head on him." But this
rule OF the Senatorial prize ring does not forbid
punching In the ribs applying sole leather pos
| te,,O,f upon aggravatng occasons
| II would be dinicult to Imagine the erudite and
abstruse Sumner indulging In vehement billings
gate aud "g0ing ln' with the reckessness OF city
| rough or ot-hOusc rOustabout.
Fox In "HumDfy Dumpty," could hardy provoke
more merriment than to old Zack Chandler Jump
over dozen desks, bare his shirtcufs, and range
himself with his friends for free dght In ruction
exceeding that at "Lanigans Bali" or "finnegan'
Wake.n Picture the special pleader and hard ced
| Trumbu relaxing IRON his persistent attitude OF
| Cooke Lyttleton," and joining the merry roys-
terers, the gay and festive youths OF the senate IN
| foray upon pet nominee put up for slaughter,
| sec,tadens aiteni Fancy the irrepressble Nye of
| the invisible State OF Nevada, disenbowelling his
repertoire OF musty jokes, double enteaares and
merry platitudes, ike veritable Yorick full OF
| finite jest and PRIME good-humor, INDUCED In
| a. freely in executive session as he would
! participate In such extravagances amid a
| crowd OF California miners Imagine
I the courtly but loquacions Garrett Davis
! descend from his altitude on the throne OF Kentucky
aristocracy and condescend to take a hand in tile
game OF Senatorial looseness and think OF the cold
and dignided Sherman and Sprague and Casscrly
and Fenton and Howell. all acquiescing In the
| situation and beaboring each other with naughty
words con amorei And yet all this and much more
! happens; and when She Senate throws oDen wide
It's doors and the OF polio, their places In the
| galleries the Senatorial brows unrunied ana
| their demeanor serene II there had been no
hiatus In their deliberations any calm had FOL
lowed up inc storm. To look at them none would
| think sugar would melt In their mouths they are
| 30 placid and dignifed, grave and reverend 30
| sell-confdent and important. But this IL no lima.
glnary picurc-or OF such is the executive session.
Affairs in South Carroll na-Action of United
! States Troope-Dan kerrixan and His
Band.
At the late election In South Carolina eleven
| Unionlsts white and colorcd, were killed ut Lali-
! renee Court House, among them being Mr.. Powell,
| native or OHIO and Judge OF Probate or the
| county. In consequence OF representations made
| 10 the War Department by the State authorities,
! who declared themselves poMerlcss TO enforce the
| law and to arrest tho murderers large military
| force was recently despatched to South Carolina
| under command OF Brevet Major General Carin
| MAJOR OF the sixteenth infantry. This force was
directed by General Terry TO cooperate with The
/ State authorities and 10 act ~ protection to- the
United states Marshal in arresting the offenders
upon writs issued by Circuit Court Com
| missioner. The troops reported to Governor