Middletown transcript., 1877-11-03
Washington Letter.
WAsHINeroN, D. q, a.. 81,

WASHINGTON ". G.Y Oct. oly loAts
The political events Of yesterday
were the announcement Of the House
Committees by Speaker Randall, and
the presentation Of nearly one thousand
bills and resolutions in the House.
The committees are, in some sense, a
surprise to all, but, to most, will be an
agreeable surprise. The personal feel
ings Of Mr.. Randall are exhibited less
than was thought probable in the com
position Of the important committees,
and he has evidently done his best to
put the working material Of the House
where L will do the most good to the
country. The chairmanships, are, On
the whole, judiciously distributed, tho
New England, with five Democratic
representatives, gets none.
suppose that never before was such
a number Of bills and resolutions pre-
sented in one day. Another opportu-
nifty will not be had for a week, and
membersseem to have thought the only
hope Of securing action on their meas
ures at the extra session would be in
presenting them as soon as possible.
Among the more important of them
was bill appropriating money to aid
in our representation Of the Paris Ex-
position next year; to revive the Ala
bama Claims Commission j; reducing
rate Of postage to two cents; repeating
tenure Of office act; for the removal Of
all political disabilities to simplify ex-
isting laws for collecting duties on i'm
ports; making the Department Of Ag-
rieulture one Of the Executive Depart
ments; to repeal the act providing for
resumption ofspecie payments; to make
United States notes receivable for du-
ties on imports; and one appropriation
Of three million dollars for the levees
Of the Mississippi river.
In the Senate nothing was done.
The Louisiana Senatorial contest, in
committee on elections, promises to be
very long and very bitter.
Mr.. Hayes yesterday sent in for con-
irnation the name of E. FL. Slough
ton, as Minister to Russia. Thus, Of
the men who managed his case before
the Electoral Commission, three are in
high Office by his assistance -Evarts,
Matthews and Stoughton. All the
members Of the Florida Returning
Board have federal Office from him,
and also the two managing members
Wells and Anderson-of the Louis
lana Returning Board. Thus reform
marches on in the civil service, By
the-way, Evarts received his former ap-
pointment as Attorney General by rea-
son Of his defence of Andrew johnson
in the impeachment trial.
The Senate confirms from day to
day few appointments that are not
Objectionable to any one, but has not
commenced on the main body of them.
Representative Foster, Of Ohio, says
that be and Hale, Of Maine, are the
parties who caused Republicans to
gather two or three times at the house
Of Secretary Sherman to agree upon
means of averting open rupture in the
House.
The resolution endorsing the policy
Of Hayes was not offered yesterday in
the House, though it was thought some
Democrat would offer it. Many Dem
Gratis, as well as all the Republicans
seem to wish the resolution kept back.
The population Of this district is
about 100000; its property, at a high
valuation for assessment purposes, is put
at ninety millions Of dollars its debt,
bonded and floating, is nearly, if not
quite thirty millions. New York, with
seven times our population, a hundred
times our wealth, and a thousand times
our trade, has only a debt between
three and four times as large as ours.
Our debt was created by Republican
appointees Of Grant, and not BY men
elected to Office by our citizens. We
wish it inquired into at the earliest pos
sible day BY Congress.
This morning Mr.. Hayes and party
started for Richmond, where the peo-
pie have prepared to receive him
grandly. There is to be an election in
Virginia shortly, but as there are no
Republican candidates in the field,
there is no one who remembering Ohio,
might object to the trip His presence
cannot defeat Republican party where
no such party exists. In the winter he
goes to New Orleans. SoLoN.