, 1875-03-04

uelgnDOf oov0to0 010 e0tlIQ e0ltoIhl
column to Z ferocious sttack upon the
present Congress for passing bill to re-
init the duties upon diamond necklace
sent BY the Khedive ofEeypt as bridal
present to Mrs. Fitch, the lately mar
ried daughter of Gen. Sherman. closing
his diatribe with the indignant exclama-
tion: ''And this by Republican Con-
gressi We can thank God that next
week lets them out"
Whatever causes there may be for
thanking God that . Republican Con-
gress 10 about to be succeeded by q
DemoeEaste Congress, Va cannot regard
this as one of them. II this 10 one Of
the worst acts Of the present Congress.
the country have small grounds for
complaint. II the incoming Congress
should insist upon exacting custom dues
upon q complimentary offering from a
friendly power to the family of one of
our most distinguished Generals, we
should deem it actuated by a mean, pu.
silanimous and partisan spirit, disgrace
fal to the country and insulting to the
power making the offering. The claim
for cnstom dues was merely technical;
1t being upon no import for commercial
purposes, or bearing q commercial val
ne; but generous tribute Of respect
from the sovereign of foreign country
to one of our most distinguished and
honored citizens. The letter of the law
demanded tribute. but comfy between
nations demanded no less imperatively
that the commercial tax upon articles
OF trade between the countries should
be RENTED upon articles offered as .
tribute Of affection from the sovereign
Of one country to an honored citizen of
another. Had q Khedive of Egypt
made this present to Mrs. Fitch in his
own country, no custom dues would
have been exacted from her when she
brought it to the United States. The
mode of transmission alone subjected It |
to commercial tax, without at all chang
ing the nature or purpose for which it |
WAS intended.
Our neighbor says The custom dues
to SIS. 900, and that was
more money than the whole Sherman
Fitch family were worth or At least
could raise without Inconvenience" It
is no discredit to Gen. Sherman and
his family that aftsr the service he has
rendered his country and the opportu-
mites which he has had and others
have profited by. he has not the means
to pay custom duties upon q necklace
presented to his daughter in recogni-
ton Of his own high character.
While sc most earnestly deprecate
all Government subsidies to corpora
tons. official jobbery and psculation.
and would de nand strict account of
all public expenditures from the GUS
todians of the public treasures. we con-
fess we have no sympathy with that |
spirit which would reduce |
every thing pertaining to the dignity |
and honor of the Government. and all |
rewards for public services, to money
basis. We do not believe that an old |
public servant. fit to be President of
the United States, who accepts that
Office in his declining years. gets any
too well paid on q salary of $50. 600 q
year, which is less in the measure of |
values than 81, 900 was fifty years ago.
We do not believe that man who is fit
70 be member Of Congress should be
called upon to surrender his professional
or other business to serve q term or two |
in that capacity for less than $4,000 a |
year. We do not believe that the sals-
ries in any public offices, civil or mill
tary. are as much as they ought to be,
or as much as public economy demands. |
And above all, We do not believe that
the Government ought 10 be guilty of |
the meanness Of attempting to derive |
revenue from the tribute paid to our
public men by foreign rulers.
INTELLIGENT CoRREsPoNDENr.-Am
the innumerable letters Of inquiry re-
ceived in. this country, arc many very
curious questions. One asks Of MS: