Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1877-12-13
Congress-.
| Correspondence OF the Alexandria Gazette

Correspondence or the Alc2anulla uaIe'lo'J
WASHINGTON, Dec l3.-On Saturday next
Congress proposes recess till January !OtD.
lS7S-nearly month 10 ono of the most critical
periods OF the history OF the tederetloE-yet inc
people will moi complain. Troubles come upon
the county aud Congress is looked to Tor rellef,
but When 1t meets everything else Is Voucnsafed
save the sought for succor and private claims,
and they 80 over-under the rules. %
The present Congress is mediocre 10 point CT
Intelligence. There is talent in it, doubtless,
but it rarely exhibits itself, and frequently
"smartness" as interpreted by Yankees is con-
| founded with ability.
In looking down from the gallery upon the
Senate one is struck with tho general absence
of intellectually of expression visible among
the grave and revered seniors. The Vice Prcsl,
dent has cold, shrewd face. and looks like a
man fit for "stratagem and spois. Conkling
has supercilious air and sinister expression,
and has but few of the elements that 60 to
make UP q great man. EimuDds will probably
rank among the most Intellectual OF the BODY,
yet he is full Of cunning, which detracts greatly
from his real ability. Thurman has probably
the best head Of any of the members. Bayard
has face beaming with intelligence. Gordon
combines more of the qualities OF on old time
Senator than any in the chamber while he lacks
the ability Of Thurman or Bayard. There IS
20 briliency of expression 10 the countenance
of Wihers, of Va, but be has most excellent
face, and by 20 means lacks Intelligence OF
high order. Lamar has a repu!siVe countc-
nance, but is able. One OF the best and most
attractive faces in the Senate is that Of Gen.
Batter. Eustis is said to be man OF ability,
but kellogg looks like what he is-out of place.
Judge Davis, the aUeighttcst man in the Senate,
has not pre- eminentIy Intellectual face, but
the eye is diverted from the head TO The belly,
as he recnes 10 his chair looking as though
he were resting on an inclined plain. lie has
not proved his emneucc as politician, and
by hi, ''indcpendeut" course has lost cast
with both sides. Blaine looks tagged. He
is learning Senatorial manners, but the tao
tics of the House hang round hun STILL
Patterson looks like fashionable New York
barkcepcr, aud Spencer like An overgrown page
on the floor.
Thurman on the democratic and EdmuDds
on the republican arc the acknowledged leaders
Of their respective sides. They arc very fond
of each other, strange as 1t may appear, and
after luoch time it is not uufreqnently the case
that the Senate has the bcueht OF tilt be
tween the two az sparkling az the champaign
that inspires it.
Ia the House of Representatives DO member
sits long enough 10 his seat to admit of sc'u-
tipy of his features; even Mr.. Fernando Wood,
who is about the most sedate of the body, can
not always be "placed," though his bearing
and moustache make him ever dlstngulshable.
Mr. Tucker, Of Virginia. is never knowo to DO
in his seat, and wande1s about the House llk,
Noahs weary dove, as indeed do most OF the
members.
What is remarkable on the democratic side
of the chamber is the absence of anything like
discipline. They have no leader aud woudn I
acknowledge one if they had. MIR. Wood by
his position upon the Committee Of Wages and
Means might be expected to be recognized, but
the vcrrst tyro 10 the House will undertake to
dispute lis right ADD often succeed. As Tor
poor MIR. Atkins chairman Of the Com mlttee
on Appropriations, he is az often repudated by
his party as sustained, and has to fly for succor
to his republican colleagues, whom ne hates
with true democratic hatred. The republicans
frequently take advantage OF this lack OF unity
among their opponents and succeed IN carryic e
} their point, notwithstanding they are 10 the
mIuuIly.
There docs not appear to be any great ability
or genius on either side of the House. The best
parliamentarian5 arc 90 the republican side,
and this G YES them great advantage. Gar
field is probably the ablest Of their party. "a
the democratic side there is no towering figure.
Ewing, CT Ohio. is probably the greatest states.
man in the House, as he is undoubtedly the
ablest man, but bis lack of parliamentary knowl
edge is q great drawback to him. Speaker
Randall has not only to "run' the House, but
manage as far, as in his power lies the demo,
cratic side when there is a tight. Cox, OF
New York, is ready and equal to the task OF
leading, but he il iu the back ground by reason
J of net being on any of the important com nit
|, 49, ., IL, IIo,,o =, on ooa nj
the leading committees he stands poor chance
for proninencc-tbe Speaker has u great deal
to do With making or unmakiug regulations, as
many have found out to their chagrln and to
the blightug of their future prospects during
this Congress.
THE GOOSE BoNE.-There is a man in Ken.
lucky who saves young goose every year, the
breast bone of which reveals to him the charac
ter of the winter.
The Louisville (Ky.) Commercial Of the 7th
inst. says :-"This year our goose has insisted
upon taking its own time 10 getting Tat. and nu
merous letters have been received from differ.
ent parts of the country inquirlng alter our lit
tie prophet, but until our goose got TAT and OF
fercd up its life as a sacrifice to science there
was no chance for consultation. A study OF
it's meteorological coloring indicates that We arc
| W uaVC q SeFeIe WlulC[. 1ueIe Is eUue oOIu
weather about the lst of December, which we
are now realizing, but it will not last long, and
the next week or two will be more pleasant,
with the prospects good for fair Christmas
weather; altogether December will not be a
very cold month, but what it lacks will be fully
made up 10 January. The new year will prob.
ably be welcomed by bright weather, but the
welcome will be brief and we will have cold
weather before the middle Of the month, which
will continue. with the iotersperaion of few
bright days, and ruoniug, at the last of the
month, into tho most severe weather We have
had for years. February will be cold, blus
tcrng month, and winter will no doubt 20 a
good way along with spring, carrying cold
weather and saow into March. Those who
take stock in the goose bone will lay in their
fuel, and keep plenty of warm clothing about
the house. as the little prophet predicts long
winter, and some very severe weather during
January; according to it, We will have q long
spell Of cold weather during the first two months
of the new year."