Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1877-02-22
Our Washington Letter

WASHINGTON, DC, Feb.16, TT.
Ia the Senate yesterday there
WAS an animated debate on the
bill to go amend the Pacific Rail.
roads acts as TO create q sinking
fund for the payment of the sums
Cue the Government from the
roads. BY vote Of % to 20 an
amendment offered by Mr. Booth
was adopted, compelling the com.
panies in addition 20 payments
now required TO pay annually to
the United States $750,000 in
lawful money until said sums shall
be sufficient when added to other
SUNS to the credit of the sinking
fund, to pay off and extinguish
the government bonds advanced.
Provided, however, that if the
foregoing provisions shall prove
insufficient to extinguish the gov
eminent bonds, and interest there.
On at maturity, the payments shall
be increased to such sums as will
be sufficient Tor that purpose.
Mr.. Booth claimed that unless
such payments were enforced the
amount OF Sl26,000,000 advanced
by Government in bonds to the
roads, would fall upon the Gov
Iernment.
Bill to grant 10 the widow OF
Admiral Wilkes was introduced.
Similar bills in the cases Of the
other three Admirals lately de
ceased will probable he presented
Those officers, by the way, were
all on the retired list, SO that no
promotions in the Navy follow
their decease-
The Senate agreed to a bill OF
the HUuse, providing that the
Government Printer shall not
hereafter pay more than fifty cents
per thousand for composition.
This is reduction Of over six
teen per cent, on present prices.
There are some who expect the
President to veto the bill, but that
is not likely. Prices in all the
neighboring cities are lower.
! Ia the House the Naval sppro
priation bill ($l2,600,00e) came
up and Mr.. Whi,thorne attacked
severely the policy and acts Of
the Navy Department. lie de-
clared that the Navy was so pow
erless as net to have a standing
among the Navies Of the world.
Over 500, 100000 had been used
in the construction and repair OF
vessels since 1864, and it would
have been wiser to have burned
up in that year every naval yes
sci, and to have used the whole
sum in building new vessels. The
bill was considered without result
until adjournment.
1t is thought that by ! o'clock
to day all the argument before the
Electoral Commission on the case
Of Louisiana, will be complete
aud the Commission 60 into &C.
cret session for the examination
of evidence. Mr.. Evarts for the
Republicans and Judge Campbell,
of Louisiana, for the Democrats
will speak to day. The best of
the argument so far has been with
the Democracy, as, of course, have
the facts also. | venture no
prophecy of the result, but hope
when your readers see this they
will be rejoicing in a telegraphic
announcement that justice has
been done to the 10000 demo
cratic majority in Louisiana. On
vote relating to the decision in
the Florida case, taken in the
House yesterday, Representative
Purman voted with the democrats
The frauds in that State were WV
idly depicted in Purman's speech
on Tuesday, and his statements
are entitled to all the more credit
from the fact that by his course
he lsses a seat in the next House
to which those frauds appeared to
have elected him. He is a Re
publican, but, like many of the
local officers fraudulently declared
elected in South Carolina and
Louisiana, will not accept an Office
to which he knows he has no title.
| doubt if the electoral commits
sion, by vote of eight TO seven,
could induce Purman to take his
seat in the next House.
BY act OF Congress a personal
property tax of one and one half
per cent. has been imposed upon
the people of this District, cover.