The Portland daily press., 1875-12-16
Our Washington Letter.
An ABSURD Lnw-Senator Hamiin's Po-
siiion - CongressionaI Excursion 20
Phiiadelphia-A Wedding in High Life
Something for The Ladiss-Prepara-
iions for the Meeting of the Republicans
National Committee.


"ohiNUION, ~ u, Lee. Id, 1919
The principal topics under discussion during
the past week have been Congress, General
Babcock, and Miss Carrolrs "a sister of the
Countess dEsterhazy) marriage to Mr.. Dove
ton Haggard, of the British Legation. Up in
the Capitol, comparatively little has been done
beyond filling the appointments in the gift of
the new House; nor is it expected that any
real hard work will be done till after the holi-
day recess. A motion has already been made
TO have the postage on newspapers, and other
printed matter, reduced, Mr.. Holman, on
Thursday last, having brought the matter upon
the floor of the House; but it is understood that
this measure will not pass the Senate without
considerable opposition from Mr.. Hamlin's
side A curious illustration of the absurdity of
the prevailing law, which The gentleman pro-
poses to defend, is that it costs exactly eight
times as much to serve a subscriber with local
newspaper through the city mail delivery as it
does to send the same paper to q subscriber re.
siding at the most remote post-office in the
country,-or in Canada, for that matterl That
is a feature of the existing law which would
seem to require little intelligent indication to
reconcile it with common sense ideas.
By the way. strong effort will he made in
the Senate, after the holidays, to elect ne~
President pro tem., TO replace Mr.. Ferry, and
Mr.. Hamlin is a prominent candidate 1t is
likely, however, that if Mr.. Ferry is defeated,
it will be by Mr.. Anthony, who has long enter
tanned aspirations in that direction.
Since Thursday last, when the House ad-
journed over until tomorrow, the denizens of
Newspaper Row" have been busy making up
states of what they suppose will be Speaker
Kerr's committee appointments. Not believ-
ing 10 any guesswork, your correspondent
called upon the Speaker to day, and was as
sured by him that he bad not communicated
his intentions to anyone, nor did he intend to
do so until the Goth or 2lst inst. Gust before
the adjournment for the holidays), when the
appointments will be plblicly announced on
the floor of the House. Mr.. Kerr has, during
the past week, hal private Conferences with
Mr.. Randall, Mr. Cox, Fernando Wood and
other leading Democrats; and at the caucus
which is to take place this evening, to consider
questions relative to the policy and interests of
the Democracy, it is probable that still further
conferences will be held, to enable Mr.. Kerr to
complete his slate.
referred, at the beginning of this letter, TO
the marriage of Miss Carroll to a member of
the British Legation, which was a most elegant
affair, at which your correspondent had the
honor to be present. The bride belongs to an
old and we'll known family and is connected,
through the marriage lof her sister, with the
famous d'Esterhazy family of Austria, and,
through them, with the Metternichs. The
groom is wealthy Englishman of noble birth
and great favorite in society here. The we'd
ding ceremony took place at the residence of
Mr.. Henry Randall Ia relative of the bride),the
Carroll mansion being occupied at present, by
the Russian minister, Baron Shiskine, who
assisted" as the saying is. Among the other
guests ware the President. Col. and Mrs. Fred
Grant, Secretary and Mrs, Fish, IA portion of
the corps diplomatique, (among them Sir and
Lady Thornton, and daughters), and a few
Others A notable feature of the ceremony was
| the arrival of the Russian Minister, who was
preceded by his Jaeger or chasseur, a genuine
imported Russian standing six foot in his
stockings, gorgeously attired in a uniform fash
ng with gold and silver, and carrying drawn
sword in his hand. He stood near the door.
still as stake aud with uplifted sword, during
| the whole of the ceremony, and then slowly
| and majestically took himsels off, followed by
| Mr. and Mrs. Shskine. The latter was superb
| ~ dressed in black velvet, overskirt of seal.
brown corded silk, ssalskin coat trimmed with
Russian sable, and dark hat (th;s for the exclu.
| siye benefit of your lady readers)
Preparations are now on foot for another
| grand torcblght procession, to serenade the
members of the Republican National Commit
tee, which is to meet at the Arlington Hotel in
this city. on Thursday, Jan. 18th. for the pur-
| pose of fixing the time and place for holding
the next Republican NatioBal Convention, for
the nomination of President and Vice Presi-
| dent. 81. b."