Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1877-11-02
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
Correspondence of the Bulletin.
WASHINGTON u e Oct "

l
WASHINGTON, D. c.. Oct. q. ~.
Congress has so far developed complete
appreciation of the science Of How not
TODD it" Two weeks Of the session are
gone, and beyond laying broad founda-
ton for interminable debate in the Lou
isiana and Colorado matters, nothing of
special Importance has been done. SEN
atOr Morrill, took immediate steps to Sc
cure removal Of old documents which
were stored under the Capitol roof, down
into the basement, as one precaution
against fire, inasmuch as the roof where
the roof where these documents were
stored, is not fire-proof, being wood COW
cred with copper. Again, both Houses
have provided commission to frame
some method to prevent such Presiden-
tai muddles as occurred last fall and
winter. These matters constitute the
only business transacted by our. Solons
They have referred the questions of
LOuisiana's Senator and Colorado's
Member to the proper committees, and
have been adjourned nearly all this
week, in order to attend the races at
Baltimore. Senator Beck remarked
that his constituents would regard him
as derelict in duty if he did not attend
the races, and though we are unable to
say whether he spoke for the mass of
his Senatorial brethren, we know that
many of the most dignifed of them ac-
companled him and were as deeply in
terested, apparently, as he in the result
Whether Mr.. Beck shared in the whole
sale depletion of purses which was visit
ed upon his Kentucky constituents by
their bettirg on the wrong horse, is
matter we are not advised upon But
it his chagrin and disappointment equals
that of Ten Broeck's unfortunate ad-
mirers from his State, whom we meet
here, it is well the Senate adjourned to
Monday, and thereby spared the conn
try Kentucky ebullition of temper, for
a more wrathy set has not been seen
here since the Electoral Commission
voted 8 to Z. Not step has been tax
en- as yet towards appropriations, as Mr..
Randall has not yet given us the House
Committees, and the Senate's adjourn
ment over to Monday is based On the
ground or being unable to work in the
absence of these committees. Such dill
atoriness certainly indicates cOntinu-
Gus session, for if two weeks are requis-
lite to do nothing, actual work will re-
quire months to perfect. Bills and
measures Of all kinds will require time
for maturing, and discussion by the
committees in charge, and the appro-
priations, as well as admission of mem
bers, promise unlimited warfare of
words, and, beside, the first Auditor has
decided that this extra session does not
carry double mileage, hence our opinion
that we are necessarily drifting into
prolonged and unbroken session Messrs
Cox, Of N. Y, and Conger, of Michigan,
the two humorists Of the House, have
had their former success in enlivening
the wearisOme monotony of debate with
their sallies Of wit, and it is refreshing,
indeed, to have large body of sleepy
people thoroughly aroused into roars of
laughter by speaker who can inject in
to his speech some bright point of wit
or sarcasm, Herewith saving the audi
ence from the soporifc influences of
speeches which some penny-a liner has
furnished the honorable member who
delivers it, knowing it's only effect will
be burial in the Congressional Record.
PUBLIC BUILDINGS.
The report of the Commission APP
pointed by the President to inspect our
public buildings and report upon their
safety from fire, indicates fearfully
dangerous condition on the part of all
the government structures here. Out
side of the new State Department, not
one of them is safer from fire than the
Patent Office; even the Capitol, which,
like the Patent Office, was regarded as
absolutely proof against external and
internal fires, prove to have wooden
roofs on some portions of them, and to
be at the mercy of an incendiary. The
Treasury is literally crammed, under it's
wooden roofs, with documents which
thousands of people would gladly have
destroyed, even if thereby all govern
ment records were also burned, and it is
wonder, indeed, that some incendiary
has not already swept all out of exis-
tence. The Commission urge that i'm
mediate steps be taken to remove all
these defective roofs and to substanti-
therefor those of best fire proof materi-
al. They claim, however, that the Gov
eminent Printing Office cannot be fire.
proofed, hence your readers should not
be surprised to hear at any day that an
other government million has been lost
by the burning of this immensely valua-
BILE department. Its large rooms, IN
broken by fire walls to serve as stay
to the flames arising in any portion of
them, will furnish bonfire which no
Fire Department in the world can sub
due The Patent Office catastrophe
showed that cross wall would enable
firemen to check flames which were alb
solutely uncomfortable in long halls,
and we are at loss to perceive why
partition walls cannot be built through
out the government printing office, and
precaution to that extent be taken
against fires