Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1871-12-14
Our Washington Letter.
SENATE CHAMBER,

| being Incidental to Hthe organ1Z ttion OF
legislative, partisan and personal in
| terests.
The appointment of House committees
meets with general appreciation outside of
the House itself, although it is claimed
by some of the friends of Mr.. Dawes that
in making him chairman of Ways and
Means, the Speaker has conferred left
handed compliment upon his old sdver-
sary by giving him committee, the ma
iority of which are committed to the in
terests of free trade, and thus upon all
radical measures arraying him upon
the minority of his committee. This
being true and if the free trade sentiment
of the President shall have the effect to
stimulate radical tariff Legislation upon
the part of free-traders and revenue re-
formers, Mr.. Dawes position may be any-
thing but enviable. II tariff scars high
Mr.. Dawes wings are clipped, and so far
as lie eislating in the interests of New
England is concerned he might as we'll
have no committee at all. But we hope
for better things. Mr.. Dawes is the ac'
knowledged leader of the House, and the
House is yet Republican, and the party
will hardly turn q summersault from high
tariff to free trade. Ontwardly all is
harmony,but it is Gu rrently reported that
Mr.. Dawes would have much preferred
remaining upon his old committee, ap-
preparations.
We doubt if Congress ever came to-
gether in a more prompt, wide-awake
manner, az if, to use vulgarism, every
BODY were Cooking two ways for San
day" 1t is usually the case that many
fail to put in an early appearance, and
not unfrequently quorum is lacking at
first, but very prominent feature of this
sessi on has been the almost unanimous
attendance of members.
Manifestly there has been little leeisla-
ton. Much diplomacy and not little
time and attention laviahed upon domes-
tic affAira, such as securing, fitting up
and settling into home quarters, for,
strange as it may appear, members OF
Congress have to live like anyone else.
Many came in at the eleventh hour and
ifty-ninth moment, and when they APP
peared upon the floors of Congress had
not had time TO brush the railroad cinders
and dust from their eyes, and as the mat
ter and manner of living is never an easy
thing to accomplish, there is doubtless q
good share of the time between this and
the holidays appropriated to that end.
The early moments of Congress were
seized upon by many tie introduce various
kinds of measures, upon which they
doubtless hope to signalizs and ingratiate
themselves into popular favor, and anus
ing instances occurred of little one'horse
legislators thus throwing Themselves (no
other word will express il and welding
the toddy stick of buneombe to the evident
Amusement of the old wheel-horses of
State. Such as may not possess the abil-
ity to secure an amendment of fifty cents
upon the Omnibus bill" would, neverthe-
less, not hesitate to introduce bills upon
the most lofty topics with all the gravity
of bona fde Statesman. But show them
their price and they would as soon pop up
and introduce a bill to abolish the torrid
zone on the Arctic circle as anything.
Two mornings were spent by the Sem
ate caucussing upon committees, bat with
out any material change. There was 8
strong pressure to restore Mr.. Summer to
his old position upon foreign relations,
but the effort was Intellectual.
The administration could not allow
such restoration to take place without
virtually admitting the illegitimacy of
Mr.. Summers removal therefrom in the
frat place, and Furthermore, all reason
that ever existed for having Mr.. Cameron
at the head of the committee still remains
in force. On the other hand, Mr.. Sum
ner is as unyielding as rock, and it is
evident az he says that duty is a task.
master to be obeyed." He declines the
Craftsmanship of "pTivileges and cleo
tions," upon the ground that such accept
auoe would lie in the nature Of COM
promise, and therefore virtual recogni-
ton of the justice of his treatment. Mr..
Sumner is a man who in all things will
demand his whole due or nothing, but
like other people be may sometimes err in
his opinion as to what is bis due, and in
this particular instance the great ques-
ton ia what Is Mr.. Summers due and
what is due to the President. Senator
Morton as chairman of committee on ag-
riculture, is change of no political sig
nifcence. as he belongs to the same wing
of the party that the old incumbent Sem
ater Chandler does. Vermont sustains
no material change upon Senate commit
tees. The motion of Senator Schurz for
a special joint committee upon retrench-
ment and reform seems to meet with some
favor, ard Sohruz will doubtles be made
chairman if the motion prevails. There
may be need for such committee, indeed
retrenchment and reform will not be out
of place for some time yet, and we know
of none better adapted to such work than
Schurz. He can see a point and act
without fear or favor, with as littls hesit.
enoy as the best, and beside we have per- '
sonal knowledge that he is honest and
fair with Uncle Sam In little thinga.
Such position Is beset with tempta- t
ton.
Another stroug pull of Secretary Fish
tn clear the cahipat and reiira RI tho On. .
cluded entertainments of private life on the |
Hudson, or perhaps public life at Berlin,
or if stock jobbing should prove too much
for schenck. may be he might be induced
to further the treaty interests by minis Z
tration at the Court of St. James-what Q
were we saying2 Oh, yes. Fish has !
about decided to remain awhile longer. !
he has been for two years teasing and ,