Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1876-01-22
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.

dav last Raudall's amnesty bill came
up for discussion in the house. blaine
desired to offer his amendment, eX-
ending Jefferson Davis from the
benefits of the same and following
that a spicy debate ensued, which
was participated in by Messrs. Blaine,
Cox, Hill, Garfield, Banks and others,
and the battle waged very hot. The
speeches were good OH both sides,
many spicy and bitter remarks were
uttered, and loud and frequent were
the rounds of applause by the friends
of the party addressing the house. l
do not propose giving any parts Of
the speeches, for imagine you will
have read extracts from them before
you get this. 1t was my privilege TO
be upon the floor OF the house during
a part of each day while the combat
was deepening, and it really makes a
man fell ambitious to hear the elo-
quent and well rounded sentences as
uttered by the deliberate speaker.
Blaine's denunciation of Davis is re-
garded a, his highest bid for the pres
idency, and many of his friends re-
gard it as a grave mistake in his
tactics for the nomination., and all
unfortunate circumstance for the
country, and only calculated to i'll
crease the bitterness of feeling in
political matters. Then again it is
thought by prominent men, who
!sympathise with the majority i'll the
house, that after Cox answered
Blalne's first speech they should have
kept quiet and let the matter wear
itself out, so as to prevent the per-
sonal and bitter remarks that were
uttered by both sides during the de-
bate. On Wednesday. Ben Hill, Of
Georgia, made astrong speech against
Biaine's amendment. He was very
eloquent, and was frequently greeted
with enthusiastic and prolonged APP
plause. Early in the day crowds of
men and women wend their way to
the capitol to obtain seats, for the
interest manifested in the debate is
considerable, and by the time the
opening hour arrives, every seat III
the galleries is occupied, and scarcely
standing room a be found. On
Thursday Mr.. Blaine made his second
speech, and was followed by General
Banks. who made a strong appeal to
the republican members in behalf Of
the original bill. lie was listened to
with marked attention, for he is a
clear and forcible speaker. AT the
close of his remarks he offered al
amendment, which was referred, to-
gether with the bill, to the judiciary
committee. On Friday the bill was
reported back, and t%wo-thirds were
necessary to pass it, which was to
wipe out forever the political disa-
bllities imposed by the 14th amend
ment, and relieve $50 of the first and
last identified with the Coufederacy.
The roll was called, every one was in
arms and expectation, and when the
vote was announced 1872 to 81, the
excitement was intense. After some
little maneuvring, Mr.. Blaine with
drew his motion 10 reconsider, and
the matter was at All end until a new
bill shall be introduced, and in five
minutes the house was considering
the appropriation bill, and the gal
leries thinned out considerably.
The Washington monument has
long been an eyesore to the citizens
here, and pretty much the same to
every one else, because of its un-
flushed state and awkward appear
amce. l can recollect as far back as
seventeen years ago, when myself
and schoolmates were expected to
contribute at least one penny per
week to be appropriated for its CON-
pletion /; how much was donated in
that manner, no nan knoweth, but
one thing we all know, aud that is,
that it remains unfinished. At last a
member from Arkansas has had the
boldness of offer a bill in the house
appropriating the sum of 81, 900 900
for its completion, and should it be-
become a law. it will only disappear
like the balance, and not even the
winds could tell whence it cometh or
whittier goeth, The senate adjourned
on Tuesday In honor Of AndI ew
johnson. Eulogies were pronounced
in the house by Messrs. Mcfarland,
Waddell and others.
Lieut.. Washburn Maynard's report
to the secretary of the navy concern
ing the Alaska seal fisheries has been
printed, and is considered az a valua-
bic document to those interested
financially, and contains some en- ter
tanning statements concerning their
habits.
"Labor in Europe and America"
by Young, Of the Bureau ofStatistics,
is q valuable and interesting book.
1t contains a history of the origin of
slavery, and the development of
wage labor generally. Giving a
synopsis of labor in the various coun-
tries Of the world, from the time of
Egyptian glory down to the present
period, and includes q history of
Grades %unions' and their condition,
1t is a book worth having, and may
be of good service to the politician in
the future, when the "Working
Mans Party" may have more to do
with controlling elections than at pres
ent.
More bills are being introduced in
this congress than for years before.
Some idea may be entertained of
their bulk from the statement that
twelve hundred of them have already
been referred to committees. and that
of each bill! sixteen hundred copies
are printed, being equivalent to the
sum of II million, nine hundred
and twenty thousand pages of printed
matter. Many of these bills consist
of from ten to twenty pages, and
allowing two pages as the average,
we have 3,S40,0C0 pages of bills alone.