The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1872-05-24
Our Washington Letter.
WASHINGTON D. c., April 9th, 1872.

] We had begun to regard the debate on the
tariff bill in the light of continued story in
the New York Ledger land were agreeably sur
prised to see its termination and the passage
of the bill by the House yesterday morning
| 1t is now in the Senate Finance Committee,
and will probably be reported at an early day
as the committee are hard at work upon it.
| The passage of this bill was Immediately fol-
! lowed by the concurrence of the House in the
Senate Resolution to adjourn May 10th
which puts the Senate on their speed (they
have been trying their "wind' and ''bottom"
all winter) in order to be prepared for the day
to come or rather the day to go, which is thus
so suddenly accepted by the House. There
will be some good days work done between
now and the 29th. The Senate meets for the
present at eleven o'clock A. M. and often con-
tinues in session until eleven or twelve
O'Clock at night with a short recess at five or
six O'Clock, and it is about the same with the
House except perhaps they do not continue
in session so late.
At first thought it would seem that the
| question of adjournment was now def
nitely settled to take place on the 10th inst,
but there is large number of members and
others around the capitol who do not think
it will be possible to complete the business of
the session so that it will be prudent to ad-
Journ at that time. Various predictions are
INDUCED in regarding this matter-some
think that the time will be extended by vote
of the two houses, Others say that the Presi-
1a, all \
to convene Immediately, while still another
class OF prophets say that the regular adjourn
ment will take place as Already voted and
that the President viii then call an extra ses-
sion OF the Senate to settle the new questions
arising from the treaty of Washington. As
for myself am willing to average the opin-
ions OF the wiser ones and to guess flor that
is what the rest do) that the time for adjourn
ment will be extended to June Sd, and that
the Senate will then hold short executive
session for the purpose indicated above.
There are several important measures that
must be disposed of before adjournment,
among which are few of the annual appro-
priation bills. The Ku-Klux bill is now be-
fore the Senate, and it is understood that
they will "set it out'' tonight Last night
Senators Alcorn and Ames of Mississippi had
a semi-personal debate which consumed the
whole evening, until twelve O'Clock, and the
appearances are that more of the same kind
Of thing from other Senators may be looked
for. Thus far we have had speeches from
Senators Scott, Pratt, Blair, Ames, Alcorn.
Bayard and others, all of which are of the
campaign stripe. One thing Is fully proven,
and that is, there is need enough of some
thing stronger than local law to protect the
lives and property of known Republicans,
whether white or black in many of the South
ern States, and to prevent the re-enactment of
the old scenes of ante-bellum times-as far as
State laws and the presence of local public
opinion can secure that result Some of the
more indiscreet among the rebel sympathiz-
ers, when their favorite beverage has made
them little too communicative openly avow
that it is their belief and desire that the ne
groes must sooner or later be reduced to the
old condition of slavery, and firmly believe
thatitis the all-important purpose of the South
ern Democrats to bring about that result II
they ever obtain sufficient power to do so. 1t
is not pleasant to picture the bloody scenes
which must surely attend such an attempt,
and the surest way to avoid such scenes il to
see that those who would enact them are ney-
er given the opportunity.
During the debate on the tariff bill last
week Mr.. Frye of Maine made his first
speech in Congress. While he was speaking,
the House was perfectly silent, which is BY
no means usual, and his voice could be dis
tinttly heard not only in the Representatives
corridor beyond. When he had finished, the
leading members crowded around him and
extended their congratulations in a very fat
tering manner. The Western men are espec-
tally pleased with his oratory and their papers
have noticed him handsomely, as have also
some OF the New York papers.
Among the provisions of the sundry civil
appropriation bill is one item for the con-
struction of a pneumatic tube between the
Capitol and the Government printing office,
for the rapid transportation of small pack
ages This is said to be intended partially as
an experiment to test the utility of this
method of transportation, although it has
been successfully tried in a number of in
stances. Its advocates claim that mail mat
ter can be transported at the rate of a thou
sand miles an hour, by this method and at as
cheap rates as the present. And as / am pre-
pared to believe almost anything in science
that locks at all reasonable, will admit that
freely credit the most wonderful reports of
its promised usefulness. Among the advo-
Gates Of the principle by which these results
are attained is Mayor Ben. Perley Poore-
''Perley" OF the Boston JourndL-although
think he does not favor the particular method
| to be first tried here.
1t having been reported in the Chicago
Tribune that Hon. Henry S. Lane of Indiana
had expressed his intention to favor Greeley
in the coming campaign, a friend of his here
who, by the way, did not credit the state.
ment, asked him at once by telegraph to in
form him of its truth or falsehood. which
elected the following reply, that shows that
The old man eloquent is true to his
record:
BROOKLYN, N. Y, May 20, 1872.
To T. T. SCOTT, ESQ.,, Assistant d oor-keep-
er, U. Senate.
There is no truth whatever in the report.
am for Grant and against Gree ley and shall
SO remain. a .r ii. S. LANE"
The above shows to what straits the liberal
fiction are put to find wind with which to
blow the Greeley Horn.-Such mistakes (?)
are now so common that they begin to as
sumo the character of malicious and slander-
GUS lies which are always reacting upon the
parties OF whose forlorn hope they are the in
dications. MINor.