The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1876-02-05
From the National Capital.
FROM OUR OWN wAsnINoroN coRREsroNpExr

FROM OUR OWN WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT
WASHINGTON, Feb. 2. 1875.
National legislation moves but slowly, end
little has been done in the House since the pas.
sage Of the Centennial bill. There is too much
squabbhng and speech making over small mat
ters to allow of any rapid progress, though, OF
course with 800 members, all anxious to distin-
guish themselves in the eyes of their country
men, this state OF affairs is not TO be wondered
at 1t costs about ten Thousand dollars day
to run the House of Representatives, and when
some impractical and visionary statesman IN
embryo makes speech of an hour in length for
the purpose Of lmpresslng his constituents with
the Idea that he is n great orator and one Of the
leading members OF the House, it costs the peO-
pie about e2 OJO, and these figures are rather be.
low than above the actual amount. Very often
1t costs great deal mere to discuss n bill grant.
ing pensions and small appropriations than the
whole amount ashed tor III the blll, and yet
members will stand uU IN the face OF these facts
and intiIct upon tho House lcng.winded haran.
gues ON the most tr fling subjects NOBODY
listens to them---t three iOurths OF the members
retire to the ClOak-rOom on such OccAslops-but
they seem to Ike 10 hear themselves talk, even
II other people don't and 10 they hamnR away
at empty SEATS jIst as though they were Occu.
pied by adnii ing and attentive listeners. just
TO illustrate how things are done. we might
Congress whicl doubted the postage on 30 class
man matter The bill was passed during the
last hour OF the last Congress by mistake; there
was no opposition TO the repeal everybody was
in favor Of 1t, aud II was unanimously rep eaea,
vet halt dozen or more niembers had 10 venu.
late themselves on the subject aud II took near
~ TWO hours to bring the hUuse to Il vote on the
subject The rOpeaI OF this act will restore The
OH rate of one cent tor everv Two ounces ON 3d
class mail matter. which inGluueS newspapers,
circulars, pamphlets and other printed matter.
There ls no doubt but tnaU Il viii also pass the
Senate.
The Democratic majority of the House are
making heavy bids tur popular approval, and
among other pieces OF buncOme they propose tn
reduce their own salaries from five thousand TO
tour thousand five hundrt d dollars per aDnum
The House Committee on appropriations, OF
which Hon. Sam. Randall, of Pa, Is chairman
mas had this ma Ter under consideration ana
nBYe concluded TO report biIl to the House re-
duuiug the salaries OF all government officials
and employees to the amount OF ten per cent
| Including their own as above. Wmle all think
ing men are IN favor OF npid economy IN the
administration OF our government there is
something refreshing as wei as ludicrOus IN the
| Hon Sans putting himself forward, IN This
| Centennial year, AS the great apostle OF Reform
ketrenchment ana Economy, as illustrated in
| the reduction of the salaries Of congressman.
| 1t certainly seems 10 come with a bad grace
| from one who was adnOst open. unbushln8 aud
| lOudmOnthed advocate of the famous Salary
| Grab. and wnO took his Uack pay TO the last
penny and never, even as matter of policy,
| thought OF returning 1t to a depicted Treasury,
as dld some OF his less hii dened fellow PfHbbers.
| II these Modern RetOrmers, who thus propose
t. exhibit five hundred dollars worth OF patriot
| ism think that the innocent rural voter can't
| see through such transparent Dodge they are
| deserving themselves. II Is flve hundred GOl.
| lar bld for pOwer-t0r the control Of TINS great
| Cove, nmenJ-and is the cheapest bid for the
| hlPhest prize that ever demagOgue had the
unblushing effrontei to offer.
| NO action Is likely TO be taken by the House
on Dius relating 10 custom Duties or internal
| Revenue until after II has acted upon the bills
making appropriations for the support of the
various departments of the Government The
| E9tlmateB IOr Governmental nurnOAAS Dpin y
cut down 90 a large extent, and the idea seems
70 be TO IND out FIRST what the whole amount
OF the appropriations VIII ne and then MAKE the
| Duties from Customs and the Internal Revenue
| receipts conform to the new Ordeu of Things
The Texas Pacific Railway guarantee viii
| probably soon be before CONGRESS-. Petitions in
| ITS favor nave been presented in the SenaGe by
| Mr.. wallace ana Mi. CamerOn,and Col Thomas
A. scott appeared before the Senate committee
on Railroads last week and maze an argument
| IN the favor OF the building OF ths rood. This
committee have alsO under consideration the
Dill granting an extension of ten years time III
| which to complete the Northern Pacific Kali.
| way, and bill to recover from the Central and
| Paclhc hailr0ad companies bonds and coupons
issued to them in excess of the limitations pre-
| scribed by law.
The House Judiciary committee have agreed
| 70 report a oil allowing convicted CRIMINALS to
give evidence IN criminal cases. The object OF
the bill is to allow Mcdonald, JOyce and others
convicted o. oomphcily IN the Whiskey frauds
TO give evidence in the cases yet 10 be tried in
st. Louis. If these men can DO induced TO tell
what they know about whiskeY some interest
AhB uONtiouulbulh nlhl Db tAptcIbu
lhe Centennial appropriation bill which pass
ed the House last week may have to run the
gaunt, OF again IN that body and the managers
OF The bill display considerable uDeasness about
- There was mistake In date in tine bill as
II was passed by the House, and II II is correct
ed by amendment in the Senate the bill will
have 10 be sent back to the House for concur
renee, when the whole matter may be again
opened up. This would be an infection II ON
which we earnestly pray that we may be spAr
ed The bare prospect OF another week Of such
speeches as were tired of IN the House over the
Centennial bill Is enough 10 make one shudder
The Ways and Means committees have under
confederation several plans TO provide for the
resumption OF specie payments under the re.
sumption act OF the preceding Congress. There
seems to be a considerable divergence of views
upon this subject III the committee and some OF
the members are not very enJhusiAstio IN the
matter There are only thirtyitive months lefi
III which TO provide measures TO resume IN com.
phance with the act Of January l4th 1876
An important bill has been Introduced In the
House by MT Cutler, of New Jersey. which, II
adopted may materially modify the laws in re.
latiOn TO the elective franchise. IL provides thai
Che proceeds Of the sale OF the pubic lands shal
be applied q tho support OF the public schools
OF the United States, the same TO be apPortion.
TONED to the several States and Territories aO.
7 gOrdiDR To the DODulaIiOH DrOyid0d That aVaru