Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1875-03-12
OUR WASHISGTON LETTER.


W L..
WASHINGTON, d. C.. March 10, 1879.
The Forty-third Congress is among the
things that Were. and with it ends a re
markable period of our history as a nation.
The party which has held complete and
undisputcd sway in both branches of the
national Legislature finds itself at last al
the end of its reign in the popular branch.
and its old opponent can now eticctually
cry check to its proceedings in all leg
islativc matters, and nothing can pass that
does not meet the approval of the fierce
Democracy. Bat the Democracy is not so
fierce rs it was. Neither party is. The
Soitcnirg down process has been going on
for some time and has manifested itself in
various WAYS. When the Democrats con
souted to yotc for Horace Greeley. there was
evidence Of . mildcy condition of mind
than has existed for many Years. When
II cNtrcm. Democrat like Lamar Of Miss.
could venture To oulogiIe Charles Sumner.
the great AbolItioniSt and the author of
the Civil Rights Bill. which is the most
obnoxious and extreme Of the Republican
measures lnau@uratcd since the DAYS of
Andy Johnson. there was an evidence Of
the relaxation II the old bitterness of
party. Other evidences are not wanting.
In the Senate every Democrat voted for
the resolution Of thanks to the Republican
Vice President, and in the House the same
Was the case wiki the resolution comph-
mcntary 10 Speaker Blaine. Then many
Of the important measures of the session
were carried or defeated. a. the case may
bc by the votes of both parties. The bill
ot Mr. Kelley for 3.G1 bond was defeat
,d hythc votes of both sides, and on many
Of the details OF the new Revenue Bill
there was the same exhibition of non
partisauship. And so with the squabbles
and alterations on the floor of the House.
they were more generally personal than
political. and no Democrat could say har-
der things Of the leading Republicans than
they could say Of each other. think no
Democrat got quite hard wulloping
during the session from a Republican. eX-
Ctrt in one instance, Is Butler several times
received from his political allies. Ben
Butler has been the great target for marks
men ever since his first appearance in the
House. Blaine has pitched into him, and
50 has Bingham. Farnsworth, Schcnk, Fos-
ter. Hoar and finally old brass buttoned
Poland, the mildcSt hammered man in the
House whose dignity Satan himself could
hardly rutllc on ordinary occasions. What
they will do for a target now Buffers
career Is over is not Known. They csr-
tainlv viii never have another customer in
all respects So good to practise on. In
tits respect Butler was brick. His hide
was SO tough that no matter how hard he
was peltcd and pounded he never WINGED.
and the heaviest blows falling never 50
thick or fast, excited the least pity OF
commlsseratiun. Old Ben always stood To
his guns. and he had the attitude Ut all
times Of provoking defiance and menace.
His very look was a menace and an invita-
tion for the boys heiligerently inclined to
come on and show their proves. This
sort of aggrcsslvcness OF manner had its
natural effect in causing many stones to
bc SHE'D at the old fellow which he might
Just as we'll have escaped, and the continual
pummelling he received finally told on his
influence il not on his cuticle. He retires
the most unrcgretted man otnote that ever
was in Congress 50 far As personal feeling
of his associates Is concerned.
The last week of the session was the
busiest ever known at the close Of a SEES
sion. Nearly all the real work Of the win
ter was crowded into the last days and
nights. They sat all night several times
and until midnight many times. They
changed the rules so as to prevent CltatOry
motions, SO that the time was devoted to
business strictly, and no nonsense about
it. The last evening as usual the crowd
at the Capitol was enormous, and good
portion of the people were anxious. for
thare wore many little schemes pending on
which hung many hopes and not little
bread and butter. The great projects of
Tom Scott and Pacific Mail, and North
ern Pacific. and western canals, involving
in the aggregate not less than one hundred
millions Of money, were not deemed past
hope till the last night or two. and the
LOBBYISTS who had staked their next nine
months living on their going through,
were hard at work, and ubiquitous. Then
there was the Bounty Bill, which as a sim
ole measure was the largest thing out, call
ing as it did for an appropriation OF not
less than seventy millions, and which was
in such healthy condition that 1t actual
" passed both Houses, had hundreds upon
hundreds of interested and excited sup
portcrs awaiting the final issue. by some
mistake it did not get to the President IN
shape to be legally signed and hence is to
be treated as dead. All the general APP
preparation bills got through, but the
Force Bill was not reached. Congress adj
iourned in excellent humor, there was
general hand shake all round. and no fur
thcr damage can happen from the Forty
third. Peace to its ashes
The extra session ofthe Senate commenc-
ed on Friday noon, and that body was call
ed to order by the Vice President promptly
at the hour There was present great
crowd of people who came to get a look at
the new lions who have never been to Con-
gress before, and especially to get a look at
that old lion, Andy, whose return to his old
nosition after having OCcuplcd the PrcSl-