The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1872-04-12
Our Washington Letter.

i"o W cudeef-ITUutVy hfUutuS o'e" A"'o'
tism-The Claim Business SCOTS B'a
"A Popular Place of Amusement Weary 81
Investigations Contrite Rebels
.7rr WASHINGTON, d. c., April 8, 1872
THE wv ArHrR AND REAL ESTATE BEYOND.
~ Nv hmm of confidence in titles to spiritual
roo, estate without q "warrantee deed" is
rather,small; consequently have never been
able to imagine myself free holder from lis
tening to the familiar hymn-y,tFc
s'Sweet fields beyond the swelling food
Stand drest In living green"
and for that reason derive but little comfort
from that beautiful description of an agricul-
tural region in which I don't own an acre, and
from whose abundant harvest have not the
assurance to claim a single vegetable. Having
been tantalized by the above poetry all my life,
1 have fellow feeling" for the temporarily
unfortunates who are just now dosing for in
fuenza or prescribing for their neighbors, dur
ing 'sap-weather" and "mud-time" in Maine. 1
will not therefore tell them anything about the
beautiful weather we are having here; only
that they will no doubt receive an improved
edition of the same thing before June, which
prediction utter for the consolation of the
hopeful. These are the days of fresh violets,
trailing arbutus and rheumatism in Washing
ton 1t is perfectly splendid, especially the
rheumatism, of which I am impelled to write
thus cheerfully from a personal interest in the
subject, induced by two weeks vivid expert
ence of it's inspiring influences.
THIRTY-EIGHT CLAIMS.
The special order for Monday last, in the
Senate was the consideration of bills from the
Committee on Claims. Thirty-eight bills were
passed, nearly all having reference to private
claims against the United States. This seems
to be sweeping manner of doing the business
of legislation--but with such men as Senators
Howe, Scott and Pratt, as the leading members
of Committee, there need not be much
apprehension IN regard to the safety of its de-
cisions The most cautious men in the Senate
| question. ,-.
| TOM SCOTT AND THE BALTIMORE & OHIO RAIL
ROAD.
On Tuesday the whole of the morning hour
was spent in debating the reference of the
Bill of the House in relation to the depot of
Tom Scott's railroad in this city, which was
finally decided by Its being referred to the Com
mittee ON the District of Columbia, which is
considered as an expression of the Senate in
favor of the bill The discussion was very
lively, the two interests being Baltimore and
Ohio" on one side and "Pennsylvania Central
alias ''Ton, Scott ON the other. The B. &
o. are 10th to give up their ancient and dis-hon-
orable monopoly, but they have got the worst
of it so far, in this fight. After the reference
of this bill the Committee on Military Affairs
brought out about thirty bills which were
passed. The Senate is now at work in real
earnest. .n
APoPULAR PLACE OF AMUSEMENT.
The week opened with the supplementary
Civil Rights Bill as the best card in the
House, and that popular place of amusement
was enlivened by little debate upon this new
aud interesting theme which finally terminated
in the passage of the measure to its third read
ing, by vote of 100 to n; SO the bill again
goes over-Mr. Negley tried to bring out anoth-
er case of investigation, which was directed at
the Pacific Railroad. 1t was to have been doc
tored by the Judiciary Committee of the House,
but Mr.. Brooks denounced it as a "Wall
Street. operation and on that ground objected
to the resolution, which was at last with
drawn.
|. TIRED OF INVESTIGATION.
Investigation don't sound SO soldering to DEM
ocrats as it did before.the late elections in New
Hampshire and Connecticut The people are
not deceived, the plan is "too thin" and the
Democrats have now discovered it, and are
leaving the liberal Republicans to receive the
disgrace as they should. The Democrats have
fooled them with the Cracker and have laid
it aside for "another dog'-since the public
are no longer pleased at the canine exhibition
THE PIRATE OF JOURNALISM"
Mr.. Charles A. Dana swallowed his little
dose of oil without any mitigating ingredients
while giving his testimony before the Robson
Investigation. He took it straight" and from
sheer necessity, it being absolutely forced down
his throat by the pointed and searching ques-
tions of the Secretary himself. His position is
even worse than that of the French Romance
originator of the arms mstter-the Marquis de
hambrun-inasmuch as the latter did not
know when he took his dose-because Schurz
had disguised it for 'the other man" The ef-
feet will be the same in either case. All these
SO called investigations, instituted as they were
on the principle OF anything to beat Grant,"
have, thus far proved failure as far as their
prime object is concerned and are now rebound
ing against the party for whose benefit they
were intended. The administration is uninjur-
ed and is now receiving strength every day at
the hands of its opposers.
cannot express my honest Indignation at
this conduct, as much worse than Tammany
as a slanderer is worse than thief, without in
dulging in language too strong for any other
journal than the New York Sun or Brick Pome-
roy's Democrat.
The almost universal opinion here is that the
administration has gained strength steadily
through all this crusade against honor and de-
cency-and especially since the purposes of
these men have been disclosed by the proceed
ings of the various Investigations, and strong
feeling against so much causeless insinuation
is now becoming very general among it's origi-
nal sympathizers Its origin is now considered
million dollars of thu public money for
Democratic Campaign purposes, by the efforts
of the reform ~ Republicans.
If they continue their reform in this 1direc-
ton for short time longer nothing short of
vicarious atonement will save them from po-
litical humiliation as reward for their wick
edness-as just as it is sure. 1868 J
Southern repentance never looked better
than it has for the past week judging from the
NUMBER OF CoNTRITE SPIRITS
that ave appealed to Congress for the pardon
of their ''maninfold transgressions" and the
removal of the political disabilities now how
ering over the bodies which constitute the
earthly incumbrance of said spirits. I can i'm
agine theirfeelings, poor fellows for used tofeel
somewhat so myself, frequently, just after the
schoolmaster and had settled some Of our lit
tie difficulties; lin which settlement the school
master usually took the most actiue part, while
I represented the passiue-) Il hardly remember
what promised on such occasions, but don't
think came quite to the condition of true
repentance. There wasn't much amnesty in
the composition of that old pedagogue-but
am sure felt sorry myself; but who was blame?
Josh Billings says the best way to keep mule
in the pasture is
s'To FENCE HIM OUT"
and 1 think it applies to these fellows pretty
WELL just keep them on the outside of the
fence looking through at the good "feed" with
in and they will hang round the lot and be-
have like respectable mules, but put them
into the clover, the first thing they will be
likely to do will be to exercise the strength de-
rived from their improved condition in destroy
ing the enclosure SO as to get out again. They
can't stand prosperity They have tried that
and their present condition is the result.
4 10 vIo 10 hat