Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1871-02-22
Our Washington Correspondence.
WASHINGTON, d. O., Feb. Is, 1871.
WASHINGTON has had somethinO more thar

Washington has had something more than
a touch of winter this week, and though the
snow is now all gone, there was at one time
more than six inches of it. Sleigh-riders
had gay time,-but the poor cOlored people I
found the snow and the cold anything but .
cheerful. For two or three days the streets /
were in wretched condition, the horse cars 1
ran irregularly, and there was any amount of
discomfort The entire winter here has been
much more severe than is common-indeed, /
old residents say there has not been so in /
clement a winter for twenty years. Warmer
days and milder skies are, however, due US
here, and we shall soon, somewhat in advance
of you in Vermont, be enjoying the genial
influences of the advancing spring.
The city is just now unusually we'll filled
with strangers and temporary guests. The
ccrnival to come off next week and which
is likely to prove rather a ridiculous affair
has brought many people here. The new
members of the next Congress, more than a
hundred in number, many Of them with their
families, are already in the city. The people
interested in legislation before Congress, and
especially the lobby, are planted in all the
hotels in force Altogether Washington
which is little better than city composed
of hotels and boarding houses, and those who
occupy them-is busy and almost crowded.
The men who want to see a senator or a rep
resentative just for a minute, are uncommon
plenty, and most of them have just little
request to make, to w.t. they want a vote on
their little bill. md they hope it will strike
the aforesaid senator or representative favor
ably The passages and waiting rooms Of
the Capitol are filled with this eager, per
sistent, importunate crowd But didn t
John Quincy Adams once and for many years
make a magnificent battle for the right of
petition-and why should mt the constituent
have the right, and exercise it too, Of button
holing the members? What is this but the
right of petition brought home to the indi-
vidual members
Congress has not accomplished much i'm
portant business during the week. The ap-
preparation bills have made some progress,
and Mr. Dawes informed the House to-day
that probably the appropriations for the next
rent year by twelve millions Of dollars. This
is not a cheerful fact and it does not yet
appear to what expenditure this increase Of
appropriations Is chargeable The rather
unpromisins fact remains, however, that it
Is vastly easier 70 be cxtravagant than to be
economical in managing the government.
Public buildings always cost much more than
the estimates, and just now money is going
by millions, into magnificent structures in
Boston and New York, and other cities Ii
is hardly possible to say who is to blame for
this, as everybody, Republicans az well as
Democrats, denounccs extravaganza. / know
it generally happens that the economists
favor retrenchment in appropriations for
other people s little Jobs, and forget TO say
anything about it OF even vote for it when
some appropriation in which tlelr constitu-
ents are interested, is in question. But
perhaps, in this respect, CJngrc-smen ar.
not greatly different from other people. Il
is not difficult virtue to keep other people
hands out Of the trcasury,-but ones own
little perquisites are quite a different affair
1t is becoming, however, rather seriou,
question where this Increase Of e1pcnditur,
is likely to stop,-and where the money is to
come from TO pay it if it does not stop before
long
The President, as lntimated in a formcl
letter. at one time had made up his mind t,
veto the bill abolishing the test oath, but b,
finally suffered it 70 become law without
his signature, and then sent in q message - Y
ing that he thought it made an unjust dis
, elimination against loyal people. In til,
same message, however. he recommended til,
total abolition of the oath, and very likely
that viii Be done, as what there is left o:it IL
Of no use The only disqualification fol
, holding office that will then remain in IA,
way of the late rebels will be the fourteenth
! amendment of the constitution, and that ear
be removed by a two-thiris vote IF botl
1 Houses of Congress.
The House has passed bin amending
and in some respects making more rigorous
, the law Of last session providing for the in
terfercnce Of the national government To Sc
cure honest elections The Democrats o.
course opposed it, but it passed by nearly
strict party vote. 1t is rather SAD prophe
, cy however, respecting the permanently sue
: cessful working of republican form o
J government in our large cities, that election
have become, in some Of them. already $
corrupt, as to call for the interference of TIN
national government. Perhaps it would By
" well enough to take irom this fact lessor
e as to the adyisability, or even practieability
T of incorporating into the Republic the un
t educated and revolutionary populations o
b the West Indies, where free institutions cal
e have no security except through the militar.
e arm, and the logicof the bayonet and wha
J., kind Of a free government that is which rest
|, upon the bayonet for its security. Franc
5 under both Bonapartes can teach us.
d The House, in its action upon the Yves
II Point investigation, made q sensible stan,
II for good order, discipline and subordiuatior
d in that institution. AS your readers wi
. remember, the graduating class OF that AcaC
n envy, some time since, took upon themselvt
n the business of "purging the institution
: as they called it-by taking from the
beds at night three members of their elias:
n and by force and threats of coats Of tar an
II feathers, causing them to seek safety i
! flight and a resignation of their position i
4 the Academy. This resignation was accep
is cd by the faculty in direct violation of til
le rules of the institution, and no investigation
- was made into the conduct of the class.
re committee of the House investigated til
at affair. The defense set up by the cadets wa
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