Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1874-05-15
FROM WASHINGTON.

WASHINGTON, D. c., May 8, 1874.
This is peculiar congress in
many respects. Some call it the
transitional Congress, some the reg
ulating Congress, some the investi-
eating Congress, some the cropping
Congress, some the economic Con-
gress, and SO on. 1t has now been
in session five months, and passed
two measures of Importance: one,
surrendering the salary grab, and
the other, a measure designed to in
fate the currency, but whether it
would or would-not do that, neither
it's friends or its enemies exactly
knew. Morton and Conkling, one
for, and the other against, thought
it would infate-Box and Cox-we
beg pardon, Cox and Knox thought
it would contract, but it makes no
difference now, for Grant came the
Appoma-tox on it, and that ends it.
But though measures of impor-
lance do not. rush through with any
CELEBRITY, the intention to regulate
things generally, is not dormant.
The currency is to be regulated,
transportation, the public printing,
the moiety system, the contract sys-
tenn, the District of Columbia, the
National Bank system, the Board of
Public works, the civil service, the
hours of labor in the departments,
affairs in Louisiana, affairs in Ar
kansas, the Centennial, the Indians,
the civil rights bill, the mode Of
electing President and Vice Presi-
dent, besides all Investigations into
Sanborn, Jayne, pavement contracts,
city market company, Jay Cooks
bank, Gen. Howard, Pension COM
missioner Baker, the Indian frauds,
Senca Sandstone, the Attorney
General, and various incidentals of
no great account. Where or when
it will all end, no mortal Knows
Mr.. A. B. Kirkland, who knows
something about wood pavements
in Washington, tried to evade. the
Committee Of Ways and Means,
but came and registered at the Eb-
bitt House under the name OF Hoyle.
He betrayed himself by his games,
which arc much superior to any of
Hoyle's. One cf these little games
was played OH the Arlington Hotel
where he boarded first class, and
paid in drafts that were dlshonorcd.
The Civil Service Rules have met
with another disaster. A Mr.. Par
sons has been appointed Chef Clerk
of Mullet's Bureau, over the heads
of all the clerks in the office, without
a competitive examination. Par
sons is near relative of the Par
sons who got $4,000 for obtain
ing the De Golyer pavement con-
tracts from the Board of Public
Works, and Mullet is connected
with the Board.
An earnest debate. on the ccnten-
NAL, sprang up in the House on
Tuesday, and was continued on
Wednesday and Thursday.
Mr.. Hale of Maine, took the lead
in opposition to the three million
appropriation in speech which
produced marked effect, and caus-
ed considerable fluttering in the
ranks of the advocates of that meas
ure, and decidedly increased the
firmness Of the opposition who be-
gan to rally again under the impulse
impaired by his weighty and ener-
getic arguments.
To the sentiment that "the gov
eminent must be just before it is
generous" there was a prompt APP
prevail from the floor and galleries,
and to his confident prediction that
three millions is only a beginning,
and must be supplemented ny other
three millions or more, there was
manifest a profound attention. This
effort of Mr.. Hale has added much
to his already well established rep
utation for parliamentary ability, ard
it fully justified the high -expecta-
tons of his friends.
The next day Mr.. Frye of Maine,
spoke with his usual earnestness and
eloquence upon the other side, and
endeavored to carry the House by
an appeal to the sentiment of pat
riotism, which is always hard to re-
sist, and especially so when silver
tongued orator employs his arts to
persuade, and treats Of the heroic
age.ot the great republic. Mr.. Frye
is usually on the right side if not
the winning side, and never disap-
points expectation, SO he is always
listened to, but in this encounter
with Hale it cannot be said that he
carried off the holors.
Dawes made a speech in opposi-
ton, which Frye pronounced a
croak, and then one was made on
the same side, by A. Crock-or,
which Frye probably thought was q