Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1878-12-30
LETTER FROM WASHINGTON.


xe-~-------
LETTER FROM WASHINGTON.
SPECIAL CORRESPONDENCE OF THE MoNIToR.l
WASHINGTON, Dec. "a, 1873.
Among the more important Uncertain
ces from the last session which 60 over
the holiday recess to be finally disposed
of after the reassembling on the 7th
proximo, is the bill for distributing the
balance of the Geneva Award, bill for
the government guarantee of the interest
on the construction bonds of the Texas
Pacific railroad, bill Senator Ed
munds') to cure the deficiencies of our
present method of electing President and
Vice President, and bill for the estab-
lishment of postal savings banks. A
House Committee was charged with the
duty of making an equitable decision
between the claimants for undistributed
portion of the Geneva Award and the ir-
reconcilable views of its individual men,
bers have beeh embodied in majority
and minority report, which were holly
discussed in the House last week. tits
estimated that several million dollars
will yet remain IN the Treasury after
all claims for direct losses by rebel
cruisers other than the Alabama, Shen-
andoah and Florida shall have been
added to those already paid on account
of the ravages of the three vessels man,
ed. Two sets of claimants for this bal
ance are in the field, and each have
their friends and advocates in Congress
as we'll as outside. These are the in
surance companies on the one hand and
the "war premium men" those who paid
the high rates af insurance on vessels or
cargoes or both charged by the insur-
ance companies on the other. The ma
jority report favors sending both classes
to the Court of Claims. while the minor
ity would exclude the companies from
all participation in the distribution, at
least until the just claims of the war
premium men are satisfied. 1t would
probably require lawyers knowledge
to decide as to the legal or technical
rights involved but there would hardly
seem any question as to equity in the
premises. 1t if admitted that stock
holders waxed rich in few months on
the enormous dividends the companies
able to declare from the excess of the
premiums paid (the rates being in some
instances as high as 80 per cent) after
all losses were deducted. 1t is l be.
licve, as generally conceded that many
of the men forced to pay these exorbi.
tant rates or take the chances of the
absolute loss of their property, were
ruined thereby and soon driven out Of
business. But as the companies art
rich and able to act in concert every
body recognizes the advantage they
possess over the other class and, wheth
er we'll founded or not, there is very
general feeling that the contestants VIII,
goes before Congress with the mos
money stands much the best chance o
winning other things being equal.
, Although Mr.. Edmunds' bill ha
, passed the Senate. the slight Democratic
support accorded it there as well as tn
, opposition to it expressed by Democrat
| of the House, forbid any hope that i
will become law, though the danger
t we barely escaped in 1876 from thi
, source appeal never so forcibly to ever,
, patriotic consideration to provide b.
E legislation against their recurrence. TIL
feeling in favor of postal savings bank
appears as imperative as ever, thoug
it had been to some extent forced to tn
rear by matters of more immediate in
terest.
f 1t is expected the few remaining ar
! preparation bills will be reported fror
n the committee soon after congress recon
t venes. Five of them have already pass
b ed the House and gone to the Senate
e but the latter body shows no dispositio
9 to assent to the liberties taken by tn
o former with the Department estimates
!, In view of the large deficiency apprt
a priations that have been and will /
t required to make up for the cheese pa
ing to which the estimates for the pre-
}. ent year were cut down by the Secret;
;. ries to the lowest figures compatib
e with the good of the service, the positio
!. of the Senate should be sustained.
II UNDINE.
The Barton MONITOR wants to kno
e why the legislature which has ju