The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1878-12-04
From our regular correspondent.
WAsHINgTON Nov 30 is


Washington has, during the present
week, reassumed its society smile and poll
tical pauoply. Congress with Its numer-
Gus nondescript train has arrived. The
Executive and his cabinet have at length
settled down in their homes. Foreign
ministers, attaches of legations, military
and naval officers may be again seen driv
ing or promenading on the great Boule.
yard that stretches from the Treasury
Department to the capital. Pretty Gov
ernment clerks, aristocratic daughters of
bankrupt old Washingtonians,a and dashing
paryenudom, exultiag in government con-
tracts, vie in the display of French costumes
and American manners on Pennsylvania
Avenue. Ia short the Political mill, Van
ity Fair, and Mammon's court have been
brought again in proximity at the only
place where they can be seen in such
development on this side of the globe.
What are these to US, or what are
we to them, that we should read about
them or write about them? Cannot every
American citizen find sufficient political
excitement or annoyance In the affairs OF
his township, municipality, county or state
And as for the other sex, have they not
social realms of their own-little "pent up
Uticas" of fashion, narrow and provincial,
we may call them, but containing the germ
and elements OF all that we see in Wash
ingtOn, Boston, or the proudest courts of
Europe? Still it is well for one either
bodily or mentally to get out of his accus-
toned environment for little while some
times; and, as investigators of the greatest
distinction have not thought it beneath
them to study the lowest forms Of human
life, livelihood and polity-the American
citizen and citOyeRne will find their horizon
brOadened, their pleasure and usefulness
enhanced by keeping the run of political
affairs and social tendencies at the only
seat of national government that is direct
ly or indirectly accessible to them, unless
they are the exceptional two 10 two thou
sand" Ii IL fatal mistake to suppose like
DR.. Johnson that there is nothing worth
seeing outside OF London, but there are
those who are like the renowned Johnson
to the extent that they believe in the uni
versatility of their own village
On Monday, the second of December,
the last session of the forty
fifth congress will convene, and
it will be brief for it must ad-
journ before midnight on the 4th of March,
1879. The indications are that congress
will make a new departure in passing 10
the early part of the session the appro-
priation bills that have heretofore been
deferred until the last hours, and then
hurried through under pressure. The
House committee on appropriations have
been in the city for some time, and, on
yesterday, completed the military acad.
emy and fertilization bills, and authorized
their presentation to congress on next
Thursday. The West Point bill as pre-
pared by the committee is not materially
different from that passed last year. The
fortifcation bill will be presented in pre-
clsely the same shape as last year. The
subcommittee preparing the consular and
diplomatic bill have nearly completed
their work, and the bill will differ only in
minor points from that enacted last session.
subcommittee have charge of the In
dian and pension bills and, / am told,
will be ready to report them before the
holidays.
What is called dead lock-" it is
thought, will occur early in the session in
the Appropriation committee between the
democratic and republican members,
arising out of the desire of the Admins
tration TO raise fund for the payment OF
federal election supervisors, aud for the
management of election cases now being
prosecuted in southern states. This debate
cannot be confined to the committee but
will eventually be waged in the house and
senate with all the acrimony that has
ever attended the controversies between
the north and the south. Toward the close
of the session the political situation will bC
interesting from the probability OF an ex
trs congress, an exciting race for thu
speakership. and change in the complex
ion of the senate. 1t is the opinion o
many that this will be Mr.. Randalrs las
term as speaker of the house. There ar
new and formidable combinations oppos
ing HIM, and the indications are, especially
slnOe the late elections, that the centre Q