Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1872-04-25
Our Washington Letter.
WASHINGTON, April %, 1872.
SENATE CHAMBER.

| the San Francisco harbor, to the Gen.
| trail Pacific, it could be found in the
memorial presented to the Senate early
in the week, signed by twenty-four thou
sand of the leading citizens of that city,
protesting against such action. The
case now seems to be a direct issue be-
tween aggregated wealth, combined
monopolies, and the popular will. We
| shall see which triumphs.
! Sanator Robertsons proposition, on
Thursday, to assign May 9th for the
consideration of business, from the COM
| mittee on DISABILITIES was in itself an affair
of ordinary note, but served to elicit
discussion, shedding light in no less than
three important ways at once. First.
Senator Conkling objected to assigning
any day next month.
This is one of the questions which
those who outrank us in experience
| here, knowing what there Is that should
be done and the time required to do it
in, think improbable But there is no
doubt that Senator Cortkling reflects the
will of the Administration.
Mr. Sumner next said that he deemed
| it his duty to give notice that when the
amnesty bill was taken up he should
| feel it his imperative duty to move as an
amendment thereto, bill of transcen-
IDENTIFY more importance. A bill to re-
move the disabilities of the colored peO-
pie. He hoped for the assistance of the
Senator from South Carolina upon it,
and was assured by Mr.. Robertson that
he should have it. Summers old fight for
civil rights without abatement Of hope or
determination, but here is more than
that Here is Massachusetts and South
Carolina striking hands for step for
ward. Massachusetts giving amnesty to
rebels, South Carolina giving equality to
the negro Give heed to the signs of
the times, o we who sigh for good old
days of yore, thinking that the world is
standing still or going backward. Com
pare the present with ten years ago, and
see if the world is not moving forward
in obedience to the inevitable law of
progress. Verify it goes on, often so
fast that humans fail to keep pace with
it, and those who have helped to lift the
car over one obstruction, sometimes
have to be lifted in it over the next. But
this is not Summers failing this time.
He is now engaged in driving the nail
that plunges deepest and hardest into
the most tender parts of negro hatred,
mixed schools, he has introduced bill
making this provision for the District of
Columbia.
On Thursday the Senate passed bill
making appropriation of fifty thousand
dollars, to procure instruments for OBJ
serving the transit of Venus of 1874.
Even In these times of strife and excite
ment the slow coach of science trundles
on and opportunities should not pass IN
improved. The estimated expense of
these observations, according to the
commission appointed in 1871, by act of
Congress, is $3.50, 900 to be paid in $50
900, yearly installments. Only once
more in hundred years will the earths
orbit and that of this great planet have
such reference to each other as to bring
it, to all earthly appearance, upon the
suns disc, but twice more until the close
of the twentieth century,
Senator Sawyer in the course of his
support of the measure, gave an exceed
ingly interesting account of the past his
tory of this planet as connected with the
worlds science. The transit of Venus
or the passage of that planet, across the
disc of the sun, which occurred in 1851,
is the earliest record of observations of
any value. 1t occurred again in 1869,
and it is believed that from observations
been acquised than that had before ex-
listed, and by which the distance of the
earth from the sun, 90, 023, 900 miles, has
been determined. The progress made |
since then in instruments for scientific !
discovery, it is believed, will enable us
to read still further the great book of |
nature, to corrObOrate existing theories |
and facts, or reveal new ones. Scienti- |
tiC men in all parts of the world have |
long anticipated, and are making every |
preparation to utilize the few precious |
moments for which the world has wait
ed three hundred years and more, and |
which will occur but once more in the |
hundred and thirty years to come. How |
sublime the idea, the offspring of science. |
From a mere glance at the title page
how the soul longs to look at the table |
of contents, or if perChance it be not |
too much to hope for, to roam at evil |
through natures great volume, cOmpre- |
hending all. How small, how transitory
is the great campaign of 70, when com |
pared with the vast theme to which this |
scientific research points.
The Senate spent much wind upon |
the COnundrum, whether it were better |
to retire corrupt, imbecile, or decreped |
Supreme Court judges upon full pay or
save their salary by keeping them on the |
bench as long as they can be propped up |
on end One idea is that under the CON |
stitution Judge is appointed for life,
when by reason of age, mental or physi- |
cal disability he becomes incapactated .
for the functions of that high position .
he cannot be turned out to die like an
old horse, a clerk in the civil service, or
of Cd 81 Of
although, like them, he does much work
for little pay Thank the Lord that is
neither constitutional or Just in this case.
But it was proposed to allow him, after
so many years service, if in any way in
capacitated, to retire upon his salary
and another to be appointed in his place.
this upon the theory that it were better
to pay two for performing the work of
one than have an imbecile in the highest
tribunal Of the land. The proposition
failed, however. It was opposed upon
the ground that corrupt men might get
appointed and resign for the sake of a
life salary, and, also, upon the merit of
economy in dollars and cents. The ques-
ton sleeps and will doubtless waken in
some of the future tinkerings of the con-
stitution and departments of govern
ment.
If we wander over to the other end of
the Capitol; to the American House OF
Commons, Gin some respects very much
a house of c0namOns) in reality the pop
ular branch of our government, reflect
ing more accurately the voice of the
people. because, forSooth, they come so
often from the people, and so often re-
turn to come no more. We look upon
the result of a stormy week-not squalls.
hurricanes and breakers, but strong de-
termined head winds, and deep ocean
swells that cause the old ship of State
to pitch and roll. to crack and tremble in
its iron joints. On Tuesday came the
tariff bill from the committee on ways
and means concerning which anxiety
had been on tip-tOe for a week. Mr..
Dawes reported it, like the Christian gen
tleman that he is without allusion to the
in bar,l1ppv of tho pop1p,ittno