The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1876-02-25
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
The Centennial Bill -Fortifications-Ill-
ness of Speaker Kerr-Mr. Cox in the
Chair-Miscc llaneOus.
[From our own Correspondent.l


From our own Correspondent
WASHINGTON, Feb. 10, 1876.
The Senate passed the Centennial bill
by large majority, just as it came from
the House. The President signed it
with pen made from the feather of an
American eagle which now spreads its
wings in the Centennial aviary, but
which formerly scared aloft from the
heights of Mount Hood in Oregon.
The bird itself and that identical pen,
which Of course is mightier than
the sword for an appropriation of
million and half, will be
on exhibition at Philadelphia. Now that
the exposition is certain to go on with
this express Endorsement of the nation,
1 beg leave to remark it is the duty of
us all to do everything in our power by
word and deed to help make it worthy
of our great Republic.
FoRTIFICATIoNs.
The Hon. William A. Wheeler, of New
York, from the House Committee on
Appropriations on Tuesday of this week
reported the bill making appropriation
| for Notifications and other works of de-
| Tense. The bill appropriates for these
purposes 1915, 900 instead of more than
three and a half millions, the amount of
estimates. Large estimates were made
for new projectiles and ordnance.
| Mr.. Wheeler showed that large
sums had been annually appropriated
and expended for these purposes, and
that the changes constantly being made
in warlike implements had crowded the
arsenals and even the cemeteries with
useless guns, and would continue to do
so if these experiments were to go on.
He thought they might well surcease in
this our year of peace and jubilee.
eve want no shotted guns pointed
seward" sad he. The House agreed
with him, and the bill was passed unani-
mously. If it shall so pass the Senate,
as trust it may, divers and sundry con-
tractors in men-killing inventions will
be sad, but the people will rejoice
over this saving of moro than
three millions. This bill received
the unanimous recommendation of
the Appropriation Committee, and
after Mr.. Wheeler's statement of
he facts in the case, there was no one
to dispute the justice and wisdom of the
measure. But l suppose there will be n
lobby of contractors and inventors to
worry and harass the Senate for money
to experiment on projectiles which they
will claim would blow whole cities sky
high, or sweep an ordinary army into
kingdom come at a single discharge. l
hope the Senate will leave these fellows
severely alone, and save the money ac-
cording to Mr.. Wheeler's bill. When
the people of Christendom come to fully
understand the terrible expensiveness of
war they will abolish it, and
join the Peace Society. Let us
have peace. The success of the
Wheeler bill would be not only fine
triumph of economy, but might well be
regarded alone as one among the many
encouraging signs of the times showing
that the world is steadily moving on
toward that glorious era when all men
shall beat their swords into plowshares
and their spears into pruning hooks /;
when nation shall not lift up sword
against nation, neither shall they learn
war any more when, in fine, the wilder
ness and the solitary place shall be glad,
and the desert shall rejoice and blossom
as the rose. For all of which see the Holy
Scriptures passin.
ILLNESS OF MIR. KERR.
1t is well known that the health
of the Speaker of the House
has not been good for some time.
He has suffered less or more for two or
three years, and it was freely stated dur
ing the exciting canvass for the Speaker
ship that he would hardly be able to en-
dure the labors and difficulties of presid-
ing officer of the House. The fears then
expressed have become for the time
being realized, and the So eaker is now
absent in New York in the hope that
physicians there and short recess may
restore him to vigor. trust that it may
be so. Whatever men may think of his
politics, all who know him cordially
agree that the Speaker is man of great
abilities and of the purest character
Like Mr.. Wheeler, he is cordially re-
spected by men of all parties.
] observe that the morning papers
state that this is the first instance in
which the absence of n Speaker has made
the election of a Speaker pro tempore