Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1874-02-27
FROM WASHINGTON.
Correspondence Of the Bulletin.

Correspondence Of the Bulletin.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 21st, 1874.
Some of the by play of the legislation
is quite as interesting as the serious bu-
siness, and occasionally things come out
to make US laugh. Thus MIR Dawes, in
| his speech, made an attack upon the
Gloucester Custom house, which is in
General Buffers district, but no business
is done there.
Butler then informed the House that
he had framed and presented bill to
abolish it, and this, Of course, took off the
point of Dawes arrow; but to turn the
joke, Dawes told how Butler managed it.
On prctence that he wished to be away,
| he asked Dawes to present the bill, which
he did, and the result was, all the town
of Gloucester came down OH. him in great
wrath, and Butler looked on and laugh
cd at his perplexity, with the nest of hor-
nets about his ears.
Dawes also attacked the pension agents
and thereby hangs a little story. Two
years ago Butler introduced bill to do
away with them, and Dawes voted against
it, and it was lost. Subsequently Mr..
Dawes learned that the agent in Boston
made $4,000 per annunl, which is too
much for one man, and all to so to the
city of Boston, and he went to work to
get the district divided, so as to have an
agency in the western part of the State.
After he had succeeded in this and got his
fine pasture marked off and fenced in, he
began to make preparations to turn his
favorite steer in there to forage; but 10!
before he was ready, on looking over the
fence he saw one of Buffers herd quietly
browsing there, and the bars were all up.
Butler and the venerable Alvah Croker
had gone to work, and while Dawes was
preparing the land, they were making
ready to stock it, and thus was the birth
right of the political Esau of Mr.. Dawes
turned OI or to the Jacob of the tribe of
Benjamin. The subsequent proceedings
had no further interest for the Chairman
| of Ways and Means, and he came to the
conclusion that the thing was nuisance
and must be got rio of.
The Boston Collectorship has caused
| movement in the waters of the Old Bay
State, such as has not been seen for many
| a day, Mr.. Simmons, theappointee being
one of General Buffers staunch friends.
The Republicans, who do not like it, pro.
pose to smash the machine if he shall be
confirmed, but that is not probable They
certainly cannot think decentralization
Of the custom house is of more cOnSc
| quence than the life of their party, and
Simmons has ability enough to manage
| the custom house and the party too
| and that's what's the matter, probably.
MIR. Flanagan on Mondry, in the Sen
| ate, made an amusing speech on finance,
but it was due so much to manner that
any attempt to repeat it would spoil the
effect. MIR. f. is an original character,
with good deal of sense and shrewdncss
of the frontier stamp, and has a way of
expressing himself that interests and
amuses, and leaves no one in doubt as to
what he is driving at. He spoke against
imitation, and the main point in his re-
marks was, that the true way to get cur
rency is not to establish more banks in the
South and West, but exchange cotton,
beef and pork for greenbecks, as they do
in Texas. He said that there would al
ways be u cry for more money, and the
man or woman has never yet been found
who would own up to having enough.
The indications now point to consolida.
ton OF interests and opinions, SO that
defnate issue will be made for and
against imitation in some form, with
chances in favor of it, and against any
present effort to return to specie pay
mentS.
MIR. Kelly, of Pennsylvania, made an
effort to get Congress to go over to Phil
adelphia next September and hold mock
session in the Hall where the Continen-
tai Congress sat, but it did not succeed.
Philadelphia runs to exhibitions now,
and it was thought that this would draw,
bat this is not Il good Congress to draw,
not having been able to go ON drawing
the extra pay provided by the last Con
gress. Much sympathy is given to Mr..
Kelly at his defeat, but should he change
the programme, and invite them over to
the Continental on Chestnut street, in
stead of the Old Continental, he would
stand better chance Of accomplishing
his purpose. .
Mrs. Ames, the witty correspondent of
the New York Independent, assails, infer
entially, the Literary Reunions of Mr.
Horatio King, and exhibits little female
pique toward that other witty writer,
Grace Greenwood, who is often one ofthe
chief attractions at Mr.. Kings, giving
charming Rotations, poems, ETC.; never
theless, Mr.. Kings receptions continue
to be crowded with the literary and sci
cntiic people who are staying in ;Wash
ington, and the piquant Grace and The
graceful daughter of Mr.. King are not
likely to lose their popularity at pres
ent.
In the discussion on the ranking priv
ilcge on Thursday, a rare scene was in
trOduced upon the COngr. ssional stage,
the by play and side-sccnes of which are
quite worthy of record. The beligerant
Beck, of Kentucky, displayed new vir.
tue, the existence of which this irascible
statesman was not dreamed ofpossessing,
sweet temper under IA very personal as
sault. Beck's colleague, Grassland, be-
came Infatuated against him in conse-
quence of disagreement in mathcmati.
cal results arrived at, regarding the cost
of carrying the mail; so much so that
members gathered around them, appar-
emily fearing personal violence between
the honorable gentlemen from Kcntuc-
ky.
Mr.. Beck very soon, much to the sur
prise of the floor and the galleries, who
were all on the gu Uiue for a sensation,
regained his composure, while Mr.. Cross
land stood up before him shaking his fist
and vociferating in the most violent man
ncr, all of which brought out not sound
from Beck, who sat as quietly as posi-
bic under it, while the members stood
round with interest depicted in their
faces, and their hands buried in their
pockets, apparently in the situation as
that of the old woman watching the fight
between her husband and the bear, only
wanting to see fair play. The Speakers
gavel sounded loud above the din of
Crossland's voice, who was sending shot i
and shell into his colleagues camp in
right lovely style. The masterful Blaine
at last compelled order. Mr.. Congcr, of
Michigan, who is really one of the wit
test men in the House, demanded that
the last words be taken down; this was
too much for the gravity Of the House,
and when he added he wanted them ia.