Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1876-12-13
Our Washington Letter.

wAsnNGrox, d. c., December o, 1876
Mcsrs Editors the point Of special interest
TO the public just now is the national Capital
The returning boards Of louisiana Florida and
South Carolina have completed their abors and
are no longer the magnet Of universal attention.
The interest Of the entire political mind Is now
centered in Washington, owing to
rnE OPENING or CONGRESS.
and will continue to be until the counting Of tho
votes in February, at least. The present week
has been one Of much interest to the crowd who
invariably appear at the opening Of the session,
although that interest has been drawn out not so
much from what Congress has done during the
week bat from the exciting scenes expected to
transpre in the near future Every act, however IT.
relevant or trihing which is done by either House
is looked uponas bearing upon the Presidential cleo
ton in some way-a mere paving Of the way, por-
haps by which eithorone party or the other are to
accomplish ts ends. The opening Of the session
was marked by as large an assembly Of people In
attendance as has been seen here for years As
usual the objective point was the House Of Repre-
sentatiyes. There the galleries were uncomfort-
ably filed long before the hour Of assembling,
while the doorways were thronged with large
number OF anxious faces, who, failing TO get seats
inside, contented themselves as best they could
in peering the shoulders Of those in front Of
them. On the floor, from the hour Of eleven
O'Clock, there was the usual scene Of hustle and
confusion. Members who had been reelected to
the forty-fith Congress congratulated each other
heartily, while those who had entered for the race
and lost were condoled with. Radical Republi-
cans and equally radical democrats grasped each
other cordially by the hand, and for the time
being the bitterness Of political warfare was for
gotten. As soon as the House was raped to or
der by the clerk the two political parties divided
in a twnking aud the next few minutes demon
strated that the Ratchet was not buried, but that
it would be welded with as vigorous hand as
was necessary So anxious were the party in
power to get TO work that they forgot the usual
ceremony by the chaplain, and, while acrimony
and sarcasm were precptated upon the House at
once and in abundance, there were no prayers.
The great objector, Holman, and General Banks
opened the ball with sharp little tilt on the
question Of whether the House should proceed to
elect Speaker first, or admit the new members,
in which the General was backed by all prece-
dents and parliamentary law, while the great
obiector was supported 10y the democratic ma
jority whose tool was in the chair and decided
the question with true fidelity to his party. This
was but the precursor of what was soon 10 follow.
The Colorado member was refused his seat and
| his case referred to the committee on elections
When Mr.. Samuel Randall was making the fgh,
for the speakership one of the arguments adj
yanced in his favor WAS that he was bold and
was willing to take the responsibility Of acting
decisivey when the party was in tight place
What he did on the very first day proved con
clusively that the party knew their man when
they made their selection His course through.
out the week has been partisan in the extreme
and his rulings have often been made directly
contrary to parliamentary practice and the rules Of
the House.
| THE PEssoNNEL OF THE HOUSE
is seen to be somewhat changed from last session
The most prominent vacancy noticed is Mr. Blaine
who has taken his Senatorial seat at the other end
of the Capitol while the principal accession is in
the person Of Alexander H. Stephens. whose ~
health prevented his attendance last session. liz
sits at his desk with his hat on, the condition Of
his health still requiring him to preserve himself
from the dangers Of draughts Of air and bad ven
tilation Five new members took their seats aut
were sworn in, viz Mr. Edwin Flye, who sue
ceeds Mr.. Blaine; Mr. Levi Warner who succeeds
aIr. Barnum, lately elected 10 the Senate from
Connecticut; Mr. n c. Carr, the successor o.
" Blue Jeans Williams. the new Governor o
Indiana; Mr.. Humphreys, the successor Of th'
late Speaker Kerr, and Mr. W. T. Stanton, VIII,
fills the seat made vacant by the resignation O
Mr.. Ketchum, Of Pennsylvania. Two other legally
| elected members viz. Messrs Bedford Of Colorado
and Butts of South Carolina, were refused ad
mission by the democrats, but they will undoubt
| eddy be admitted, when the dominant party Sc,
for themselves that such an unlawful refusal will
not aid in their attempts to secure the inauguri
ton Of 1ilden ms President The seat Of Mr.
| William A. Wheeler, the new Vice President-eec
of the United States is still vacant, but it Is IN
derstood that Mr.. Wheeler will arrive soon anC
assume his duties as a member Of the House III,
loss of SO prominent leader the Republican
side is felt just now, although the Republican
standard is well maintained by Mr. Kasson, Genera
Garfield and General Banks, who have thus fa
led on that side Of the House in the different de
bates that have arisen during the week Colone
Joyce and Representative Denison were in the
seats on Monday Governor lendee has not ye
arrived from Vermont where his return is de
layed by the illness of his wife
IN rHE SENATE
the business on the first day proved 10 be rathe
"a tia