The Portland daily press., 1872-12-10
Washington Correspondence.
WASHINGTON, Dec. I, 1872
1unnKING SESSION

WASHINGTON, Dec. 7, 1872.
A WORKING SESSION..
Congress is getting itself into working or
der and the business of the short session will
soon be in rapid progress. The House has
been at work in good earnest ever since the
meeting of Congress. The Ssnate has thus
far transacted but little business owing to the
delays occcasioned in the reorganization of
the Committees which was completed Friday,
DEMo-LIBERAL DIsCoRD.
The delay in arranging the Senate Com
mittees has been mainly occasioned by the
fearful difficulties experienced in the
distribution of the tail ends by the
Democrats and Liberals. Surely reconcilia-
ton and brotherly love are blessed thing,
but they are not equal to the task of har-
monizing the incongruities of Democracy and
Liberal Republicanism in the distribution of
rewards, even when they are merely compli-
mentary, as in the case of these places. What
would have been the result had they obtained
control of the whole civil service? Liberal
Republicanism would have been swallowed
by Democracy like bread pill and with
about the same effect. This should stand as
warning to the trustful liberal who is even
now playing, childlike, around the edges of the
Democratic slough where the banks are steep
and slippery and the solid earth too thin to
support even so trifing a thing as himself.
SENATOR sCHURZ.
Senator Schurz has found it necessary to
write letter to Senator Thurman to define
his position, so that his Democratic friends
may know where to find him, and the rest Of
mankind may know where he has gone. He
would have them understand that he is on
the Cincinnati platform, and if anybody
knows where that is they can, no doubt find
Gen. Schurz. Do you ask where? Echo
answers 'where'-but an irreverent fellow on
my right, who is suspected of strong Repub-
lican tendencies says sneeringly, "Gone
where the woodbine twineth."
SENATOR SUMMERS HEALTH.
Much apprehension is expressed by the
friends of Mr.. Sumner in regard to the state
of his health which is said to be much more
precarious than the public are led to believe.
1t is reported that he frequently suffers pain
full and dangerous attacks of heart disease
and that his physicians enjoin absolute rest
from all kinds Of severe mental labor and
freedom from excitement; but he still attends
to his duties in the Senate with his usual
vigor. He has, however, at his own request,
been excused from all committee work.
This seems to indicate that there is at least
a reasonable foundation for the fears Of his
friends. The latest advice of his physician
to theeffect that he should cease his war on the
administration i, politically sound to say the
least, and we will cheerfully admit that it is
scientifically so.
THE CREDIT MoBILIER COMMITTEE
has had one meeting and have summoned Mr.
McComb who is considered the Mrs. Wood
hull of the affair. The developments are
awaited but there does not seem to be much
interest manifested in connection with the
matter by the public. The conviction that
the whole story is without foundation having
apparently settled down upon everybody but
the editor of the New York Sun, who chooses
darkness rather tlan light for reasons OBJ
vious to all. He is. evidently preparing to
throw dirt Oh the Committees report when
it comes out.
THE DEATH PENALTY.
The execution of the death penalty is be-
coming very frequent in this city, and MUIR
ders seem TO be proportionately on the in
crease. One man was hung on the 31st of
October, aud Friday another met the same
fate, while two more await their doom only
few days hence. The papers of this morn
ing contain lengthy and accurate descriptions
OF the process by which the last one was
made to furnish an example of the majesty
of the law, and the circumstances attending
the fastening of his soul to Heaven,-tor we
are told that his peace had been made with
God,-and the papers give quotations from
the Latin prayers repeated by the priest as
the final preparations were being made. The
papers also say that the proceedings had to
be hurried somewhat for fear that the poor
wretch would faint beiors the drop FELL and
thus detract from the moral force of the
public strahgling. There seems to be one
strange inconsistency connected with all
these eXecutions-which is that while the
criminal had become a true Christian, fit to
dwell among the blcst in the better world,
still he was sent from this life just when he
seems to have become best fitted for earthly
existence. Why is this? Do our laws COM
NIT murder, or does the Gospel through its
Interpreters deceive US?
LITERARY.
Among the interesting circumstances of
the week in Washington is the opening of
course Of lectures on Light, by Prof Tyn-
dali, of London, which are said to be very in
teresting.
THE MAINE ASSOCIATION has organized
for the year by the choice of Judge Smell for
President and W. P. Freeman Secretary, with
an executive committee to arrange for a
series Of entertainments and 'sociables a la
down east" The Maniacs will undoubted-
ly enjoy them very much. MINoT.
AN INGENIOUS MURDER.-An old and inof-
fensve man at Eldersville, Pa, named John
Allingham, has recently been the vcuim of an
Internal plot, carried out in diabolical but
unique and ingenious way. ALingham was a
small grocer about 20 wears old having M fam