Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1874-01-23

After looking at all the objects OF interest the
members separated to meet at O'Clock at the
residence of DR.. Cox, when they paid a visit to
Governor Shepherd at his residence, and were
handsomely entertained.
District Affairs I'm Congress.
BUSINESS BEFoRE THE SENATE COMMITTEE.
To-day was the regular day for a meeting of
the Senate Committee on the District of CO.
lumbia, but as quorum failed to appear no
meeting was held. The principal business now
before this committee are applications for street
railway charters, which have been referred to
sub co mm'ttees for examination and report.
Since the last meeting of the committee petit
ton has been received from James Bremner of
the District of Columbia, PRAYING the repeal of
the law eNempiing church property in the Dis
tTict from taxation. The petitioner argues that
the Distl let has large debt, and that it is ne
cessary that all just means be resorted to to
pay the interest and to provide for the ultimate
payment of the debt itself, and that the eXemp-
ton Of the property referred to is clearly vic.
latiOn OF the constitution of the nited States
Appended to the petition are printed slips OF
editorials trom THE STAR, the Republican, the
New ork independent, and other papers, taking
the same view a the petitioner.
THE POINT LOOKOUT RAILROAD.
The bill allowing the Washington city and
Point Lookout railroad to extend its line within
the District was not reported in the House to-
day. 1t appears that Col. Smoot and others
were on the ground early to-day and succeeded
in having it retained by the committee, SO that
he and others could be heard in opposition to 1t.
The bill is said TO be in the interests of the Suit
party of the Point Lookout railroad, aud it is
alleged that 1t will enure to the direct interest
OF the Baltimore and Ohio railroad, and also be
controlled by that corporation.
TIE BILL FOR EDUCATIoN OF THE BLIND.
The bill TO provide for the better education of
the blind in the District, the provisions of which
were printed in The STAR yesterday, was in
trOduced in the House to-day by Mr.. Pelham.
Considerable discussion ensued a point OF
order raised that as an appropriation was con.
tanned in it it should go to the committee on the
whole. IL was finally so ordered.
THE MEMORIAL OF THE EMPLOYING PRINTERS
OF the District Of Columbia, with reference to
the printing of records certified from the Cir.
cult Courts, which was presented day or two
since in the Senate by Mr.. Anthony, and no
ticed in The STAR at the time, was lied in the
House to-day by Mr.. Hale, of New York, and
referred to the Committee on Printing.
THE WASHINGTON MONUMENT
me, me tolloW WIN select committee was an
in the House:-Messrs Chapman, MAYNARD
Wood, TyDer. Cobb of n. c., Eldridge, Hough-
ton, Storm, Ward, Pelham, Hunton and Crit
tenden.
LEGISLATION FOR UTAH. -Messrs. Carey
and Cannon this morning concluded their argu
ments before the House Committee on Terri
tories relative to proposed legislation for Ctab.
Tine friends of such legislation ex press the opiu-
ion that the committee will report the Poland
bill. This virtually admits victory for the
woman suffragists, of whom Judge Poland is
one, as the bill carefully omits to abolish woman
suffrage in Utah.
The House COMMITTEE ON PATENTS had
under consideration this morning the subject OF
the revision of the present system of patent
laws, particularly with reference to the law of
1870. 1t will be remembered that the Commits
sioner of Patents, at the session of the Patent
convention last week, stated to the convention
that such a course was in contemplation, and
the matter would be placed in the hands of the
Committee on Patents. Final action, it is ex
pected, Will be reached at an early day.
AGAINST WOMAN SUFFRAGE.-Mrs. DR..
Guthrie, who claims to be a daughter OF the
celebrated Fanny Wright, was heard before the
House Committee on the Judiciary this morn
ing, in OPPOSITE to the enfranc hisement of
woman in the District of Columbia and else
where. She held that the ballot in the hands
OF woman would demoraliZe society, undermine
the state, and tend to detract from the finer
qualities of the sex, and consequently destroy
her usefulness as mother, wife, and citizen.
This is the same lady who made several attempts
TO be heard in Lincoln Hall during the recent
suffrage convention. She alluded to the fact,
and thanked the committee, upon conc uding
her remarks, for according her privilege which
had been denied her by her own sex.
The House Committee on Post Offices and
Post Roads this morning referred to sub com
mittee, consisting of Messrs. Plat, Cobb and
Read, a resolution directing the Postmaster
General to advertise for proposals to carry the
semi monthly mails between San Francisco and
Japan, as provided for in the contract with the
L dSiHS Nidil COMPANY which was
forfeited by that company in October, 1873, of
which tact the Postmaster General las ofici-
ally advised Congress. The following sub
committees were ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS of
postage and printed matter, Messrs Cannon
Danford and Atkins; on China mail service
Plat. Cobb and Read; on postage of the third
class, Williams, Cannon and Atkins, on post
masters salaries, Packer. Randall and Page;
on salaries of postal railway clerks, Williams
and Page.
The SAME OLD CRowD.-In the Senate to-
day Mr.. Thurman presented a petition signed
by Thomas Evans, Albert A. Wilson, Joseph
Redtern, F. Schneider, Columbus Alexander,
II. X. johnson, James j. Smith, w. b. Webb,
John Van Riswick, II. s. Davis, j. f. Miller,
a. Adamson, John Purdy, Edmund Hanley, G..
I. Raae, John Riley, VIM. Scherger, II. X.
d. Castlenan, property holders in the district
OF Columbia, representing that they are nutu-
ally interested in the prosperity of the District,
OF taxation, provided the taqation is fairly and
equally assessed, and the money honestly and
economically expended. They protest against
government Of the District have been admins
tered, and especially with reference to the i'm
provements so-called, and state the belief that
evidence can readily be obtained by an appro-
pirate committee to establish the fact that the
government OF the District has not been wisely
and honestly administered. The question aris-
ing as to the printing Of the petition, IL was re-
ferred to the Co mmittee on Printing.
FLOOD AT TIFPIN, OHIO.-A Tiffin, Ohio,
special TO the Cincinnati Commercial reports
me water in the Sandusky river at that city
hleher than 1t has been for Is years, ana threat
ehlhg serious damage to dwellings and other
properly. farts OF the city are under water,
and farmers report whole fields inundated and
the wheat ruined.
The TEXAS CONTEST GOING INTO THE
CoUETs.-It is understood that Ex-Governor
Davis, OF ToAas, is preparing a petition to Cir
against Governor Coke and the fourteenth legis-
lature.
NThe COVER of Arkansas offers rewards for