Wilmington daily commercial., 1875-01-20
FIRST EDITION.
WASHINGTON.
OUR REGULAR WEEKLY LETTER.

ciF1C MAIL DIs CLOSURES, GO.
Special Correspondence Of The Commercial
WASHINGTON, D. O., JAN 10.
During the past week we have once more been
favored with the presence Of Col. Susan d. An
thony and her noble band OF patriots
in the cause Of woman suffrage, this be-
ing the seventh annual convention of the Ma
tional Association. Having dispensed with the
heretofore 25 cents admission fee for the even
ing meetings, the Association was at every gath
ering welcomed by unusually large audiences.
Most all of the familiar faces of former occa-
| sions were on hand with few az yet unknown
to fame. Mrs. Woodruff and Mrs. DR.. Mary
Walker have also been in the city but the former
did not participate in the proceedings and the
latter only to create discord therein and amuse-
ment for the audiences. Mrs. Woodhul, however,
was fully equal to the occasion, and was she
ever known not to be so? and perpetrated flank
movement by hiring the hall the evening pre-
yioua to the opening session and delivering her
lecture upon "The Destiny of the Republic
which was really very well attended consider
ing the adherence in which she is held by the
mai ajority of the community. 1t may be supposed,
however, that curiosity had much to do with it.
To her credit it must be said that, although she
has been treated to the cold shoulder by the
Suffragsts, nevertheless during that portion of
her lecture which referred to the ballot for wo-
men she eulogized in strong terms all of those
associated in the ''good cause" and 1t was no.
tlceable that several of them even gathered to-
gether in close proximity to the platform and
gnye an earnest ear to her utterances. Her argu-
ment upon the right OF women to vote under
the Constitution was as able as any delivered
during the sessions of the Association. and had
she but ceased at that point and not inflicted
upon her hearers the abominable free, or "di-
oh, bo,, Iowa only
dation could have been accorded to her. Mrs.
DIR. Mary Walker it appears, had also deter
| mined to have her say, even though it was not
down in the programme, and in accordance
herewith presented herself upon the stage
about the middle of the proceedings of the
first evening, and walked promptly
up to the little desk upon the conclusion of Miss
Carrie Burnhpms address and attempted to
speak. A. once confusion reigned. The patriots
looked at each other in blank amazement and
the audience began 'Let her speak" "Put her
down." &c, goodly portion evidently having
come for just such time. Mrs. Cady Stanton
endeavored to pour oil upon the troubled wa
ters by informing the Doctor that she would be
allowed place the next day. This failed to
satisfy the Doctor, who sharply replied to Mrs.
Stanton,upon the latter calling her Mrs. Walker,
that Mrs. Walker was not her name but DIR. WAL
Ker. Mrs. Stanton then appealed to the audi
ence, stating that they had hired and paid for
the hall and she would leave it to them whether
Mrs. Walker-again the doctor retorted should
proceed or not.
At this point Miss'Anthony stepped to the fore
and in her "dear familiar voice" put the ques-
ton whether or not Miss Walker should go on
with her piece. The "noes" had it decidedly
and the Doctor, looking daggers at every body,
Withdrew. The next meeting the Doctor lad
her say, and said it in such manner rs WAS not
relished by Miss Anthony * Co., and another
scene occurred The Doctor, however. persisted
and finally after giving them, and the world at
large, ''Beverial' rapb left them all alone III their
ulf The i'nuyanli0p continued two QayS
and evenings, and among the prominent sufra-
gstn present, besides Mrs. Anthony and Mis-.
Stanton, were Miss Carrie Burnham, lawyer of
Philadelphia bliss Beva Lockwood, lawyer
of this city; Mrs Doctor Lozier of New York. Miss
Kate G. Harris, of Baltimore Miss Lilly Dever-
eux Blake of New York Miss Phoebe Couzens
of st. Lons, and Others Many fine discourses
were delivered and the dgnifed and ladylike
bearing of the speakers made Il very favorable
impression upon their hearers.
The executive committee of the Centennial
Tea Party have published their report and from
it it would seem that the charges preferred
against them by Mrs. Briggs and others, of
extravaganza, mismanagement, NC, IL not sus-
tanned The receipts, instead of being 80, ,000,
were but $4,000, and the expenses, Including
1900 for Centennial cups, S2,700 leaving a
credit balance of some $4,000. l make mention
OF this for the reason that, in former letter,
| spoke of the aforesaid charges and intimated
that many were inclined to believe them On
the other hand Miss Seward and the ladies OF the
committees are certainty W DibhSbp
praise for the interchangeable manner in which
| they worked and the successful result OF their
| iabors.
| Either the cool, bracing weather we have had
of late OF the knowledge that Lent will be upon
| them sooner than usual this year, appears 10
have infused new life unto our society folks, ,and
| every day the fair ones have been speeding
along, carriage after carriage, and from door to
door, keeping the streets in certain localities III
| apparent whirl Five hundred calls WAS the mod
| est number received by one lady-at least 80 sit
is said" don't think l credit it myself. Friday
evening Speaker and Mrs. Blaine held their first
reception. They were assisted by Miss Dodge
| (Gai Hamilton) and their parors were
thronged until eleven O'Clock. Both Mrs. Blaine
and Miss Dodge are very agreeable ladies' and
take great pains to entertain their numerous
| callers. AS Speaker of the House Mr. Blaine
| receives more than the ordinary number OF Sen
| ators and Representatives upon such occasions,
| but, like tile President, he appears to never tire
of the ceaseless pump-handling to which he
| is subjected.
The failure of the Sergeant at Arms of the
| House of Representatives to p oduce the prison.
| er Irwin before Judge Macarthur in reply to the
writ of hdbeds corpus upon the hrst day
| caused considerable comment in legal circles
| and one exciting debate in the House. Judge
| Macarthur declined to proceed with the un-
| less Irwin was produced and the Sergeant Arms
| 10 reported it to the House. most animated
discussion followed, resulting IN an order by the
| House to him to make a proper return to the
Court that Irwin was held by authority of the
Houee. The lawyers of the House failed to
| agree as to the power of the Court to demand
the body of Irwin and adopted the aforesaid res
olution and order The same WAS not satisfac-
tory to the Court and he still declined to proceed
with the case until the body Of the prisoner was
brought into Court. Many predicted conflict
between the two bodies, the Court and the House,
and the afternoon of the second report OF the
Sergeant at Arms there large attendance
of people in anticipation of exciting times and, to
a certain extent, they were gratified, the debate
being long and warm. 1t resulted however in
the House instructing the Sergeant at Arms
to produce Irwin before the Court, with an
evident determination upon the part OF ma,
iority that, if he WAS set free the judge should
be impeached, the prisoner being held by them
for contempt.
General Butler is considerably elated over
having caught the boys"-Shaw, Forney
and Piatt-n the Pacific Mail ring, and takes
much satisfaction in outwardly expressing his
inward feeling in tile matter. He thinks he if
about even with them now. Platt made bad
fiat of it and catches it on all sides. His at
temp ed explanation was worse than failure to
sav the least. An important bill in relation te
the Freedmens Bank has been considered
by tile Banking and Currency Committee
| ri nroyides for one Commissioner to be ap'
nointed by the Secretary of the Treasury at q
! salary of 50, 900. Said Commissioner is to have
the power to sell property and to compound IN,
: debtedness when he deems it for the interest o.
| ua ;u oIo authoIiZed to bring sui