Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1873-01-01
u aShIngtOn Items.

SHIP CANAL AR lCND NIAGARA TAILS.
the l0.1 ult, the trIen Is of this project had
hearing before the House committee on
commerce. u Washington, and it is repor ted
that they have decided to report bill d.
rectlng The Secretary Of War to construct a
ship canal around tao Falls, aud expect it to
pass tae pres cat session. IL WAS stated that
Cue canal would be only SIX or seven miles in
length, and could be completed at an ex-
pcnse OF from ten to fifteen million dollars,
according to the plan which might be a iopt-
cd, and that two years would be sufficient
time in which t. fin SD 1t.
Toe Pre-, ideut has signed the bill to reduce
the expenses and Offices Of the Internal Rev
euue bureau, whlca pissed Congress few
days usJ, and the work of putting the new
law into practical operation will be common
ed Immediately. There are seventeen kinds
OF stamps t. be prepared before the new law
goes into effect, but work on them will be
commenced without delay.
Gen. Butler's friends say that under no
circumstances will he BE- d cIndtl4te tor the
Mass 4cIus It's scnAtoc5lip, but he wants the
guJtruatOrlLl nomination next fail Beside
Secretary Boutwell, and Representative Dawes
judy uJar, who was Attorney Gener ii 10
the early part of Gralts term and who is
prominent candidate 1t Is said he ran for
tuc llJuse Tor the purpose Of gaining strength
lot the Senatorial race. Gen. Butler intends
F u 10 what he can t. elect Mr.. Boutwell, and
1t is reported that be expresses the opinion
that tbs Credit MoblIIer developments make
The secretary election sure 10y duplicating
I MIR Dawes ia Cakes Ames's questionable
stock transaction.
The President sook a stroll through the
+ Treasury Department Oh Saturday afternoon ,
aud dropped INTO the room OF Secretary Rich
dIdsou, Witn whom he had pleasant chat,
as he very U.tcn does. This was made the
basis Of an article IL one of the Sunday
morning papers, declaring that the President
Viii invite the judge to take charge of the
/ Treasury Department On the 18th of March
next, and before then, 10 the event o: Mr..
. Blu-5c4 c.cctiJI e. Juo S.uate as the sue
ceo,yr OF General y iis,n.
oeaator SAnner Is letter IN health than he
was at the time OF til adj ornament OF Com
gress, and takes his usual outdoor exercise
daily DIR. w. P. Johnson, his attending
PLY stefan, calls to see him regularly, rs has
been ais habit Of doing ior some time.
Tic resignation of Gen, Francis a. Walker,
Commissioner of Indian Affairs, ha. been
accepted, to take effect Feb. |.
The Hon. VIM. A. Wheeler of New York
has positively declined to become a candi-
date tor the opcakership OF the next NATIONAL
House OF Representatives, having, unequiv-
ucaIJv expressed himself In favor OF the re-
election OF Blaine, regarding the latter :,
services in the char and in the political
field, as emitting hilu to an Endorsement at
r a.. az t,ll o.,,b,
The pros o.ed resignation of Judge Strick
land OF the L. 5 Court Of U tab will leave the
court there, lar as is known. entirely il
the hands OF those who are in favor of The
J., Newman policy of severe dealing with the
M0rmons. fne feeling of the new Distric,
Attorney. appointed since the meeting o
Congress, is not fully known, but from some
expressions dropped during his late visit tt
W ashington, it is believed that he will 60 at
lar as the law will allow in carrying on th1
Administration crusade against Mormonism
The majority Of the present Congress seems
dIst osed TO let the MormOns alone, and t6
allow The more moderate Of them an opportu.
nifty of urging their policy of "a gradual aban
donmeDt OF polygamy What the temper Of
the next Congress will be no one CAN tell
though some Of the leaders of the House who
have been rcelec,e are ID favor of no strin
gent legislation. They say that tie history
OF Morlu lnisn illustrates the truth of the
old adage that the = blood OF The martyrs is
tie seed Of the church. When Mormonism
has been let alone, they say, it has grown
very slowIy, if at all, but prosecutions
whether in Ohio, or Illinois, or Utah. have
given it new life. Judge Strickland is not
understood to contemplate resignation be-
Icause of any an tfe-ences with the Administr "a
ton, though he favored the view taken OF
the notable case Of the last year by District
Attorney Bates and sustained by the Supreme
court. lie says that while Congress refuses
or ncglects TO appropriate funds for the
proper maintenance of the court, it is una
bic to administer justice or enforce its
DEGREES, aud is therefore dea letter, which
he Cannot endure, and further that he cannot
afJrd to be Judge for $4,000 year when
he can make twice as much money by prac-
ticing at the bar.
rhe fribuae'S comments upon the Post
Master Generals order are somewhat terse,
AMI we'll correspond with the views expressed
in Il e FREEMAN last week.
The Post Office Department has fashion
of making its own laws. Toe Postmaster
Generals order that Il deficiency of stamps on
letter subjects it to what is equivalent to a
tine is illegal, that such a rule should have
been made is amazing. The other day the
Department was discussing whether it was
legal for a postmaster to break open d lie tier
if ne suspected something wrong inside. Ac-
would suppose the world is not governed
half enough.