St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1877-02-16
Our Washington Letter.
From our Regular Correspondent

Our w 4CIICI
From our Regular Correspondent
WASHINGTON, d. c., Feb. 8, 1877.
The third House, as the lobby is
called, is about the only branch of the
legislative department that takes any
interest in what is going on in Congress
lust now. There is barely quorum in
the House and Senate. The electoral
commission, that holds its sessions in
the Supreme Court room, draws many
members and Senators away from their
legislative duties. 1t is not every day
that representatives have the opportu-
nifty to hear Charles O'Conner, VIM. M.
Everts, Judge Black, Matt. Carpenter,
and other scarcely less distinguished
luminaries, on so mOmentous a subject.
The Supreme Court room is crowded to
it's utmost capacity, many influential
men and women sue in vain for admis-
sion, while all the doors and corridors
are surrounded and filed by a crowd
which, if less respectable, would be
called mob. Every transient visitor
to Washington imagines that it is the
duty of his Omnipotent representative
to secure him admission to the Supreme
Court room, while the fact is that the
representative is frequently unable to
get in himself.
The great interests involved and the
intensity of feeling and excitement on
the subject of the count, finds express
sion in unreasonable dependency or
citation at every slight oscillation of the
scale which the blind goddess is said to
hold. At present the dependency is
with the Democrats, while the citation
is with the Republicans. Whatever
may be the final result of the count it
is certain that it will decide the politi-
cal fortune of others than Tilden and
Hayes. If it is decided against Tilden,
the Democratic party will neither for
get nor forgive Thurman, Bayard,
Payne, and others who were so earnest
in urging the measure. On the other
hand if Hayes should be defeated, the
Republican party will charge it to
Conkling, Edmunds, Hoar and Freling-
huysen. The politicians who are hap
piest now are those who voted against
the bill.
The Investigations into alleged cleo
ton frauds have, to some extent, lost
their interest since it has been decided
that the commission will not go behind
the returns; before that decision, they
had been prosecuted with great vigor
by the committee of which Mr.. Knott is
chairman, and it was expected that the
testimony of Littlefield and Maddox
would be brought before the commits
sion, but the decision in the Florida
case, it is conceded, will cover that of
Louisiana also, and there will be no
inquiry except into the right of the Re-
turning Board under the laws of that
state to count the electoral vote, and
also into the constitution of the Board
The Democrats insist that the law re-
quires that it shall be composed of men
from both parties. A final decision in
the Florida case will probably be
reached to-day, and it is not improba-
BILE that the two Houses will meet in
joint session on Monday and continue
the count until the state of Louisiana is
reached. The general opinion here is
that the Louisiana case will not require
longer time for consideration than has
been given to Florida, and that after
next Thursday the Houses in joint ses-
sion will again be ready to proceed with
the count, without interruption, until
they come to Oregon; though in the
opinion of many, Mississippi will be
referred to the commission. The Su-
preme Court has been adjourned until
the 10th inst, and it is expected that,
by that time, the feverish agony will
be over and the great question irrevoca-
bly, decided.
AS the season of Lent approaches,
social gayety becomes more abandoned
and reckless than ever, and it seems in
strange contrast with the gloom and
anxiety which pervades the country
Masked balls are attended by all
classes. The masks are worn until
about twelve o'clock at night, when the
butterfly sheds her domino, and comes
forth Respondent in real diamonds, and
upholstery. The domino is
The favorite, as it is the most effective
disguise, for either sex, but there is no
end to the variety, beauty, or grotesque-
ness of the costumes. C.
Moody Notes.
That story about Mr.. Moody's legs
and the nlirapla nrnuac IN bova ~