The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1878-09-26
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.

OuR WASHINGTON LETTER.
To rIrE EDITOR OF THE NEW NORTHWEST.
Au INDEX Of the House journal COM
mlttee's report Of executive and misoaI-
laneous documents has Just been pre-
| pared, showing in brief the ar,onpt ,f
work done during the first b,Tf or ,t,
present Congress. This volume am-
braces between six and seven bp,drad
pages, and covers 1,Ol7 reports Of conn
mittees bound in five volumes. a seri,s
of executive documents making TWENTY
three volumes, and miscellaneous docu-
ments in seven volumes. The number
Of pages Of text thus indexed sums
up to 2S 900, an examination Of which
shows 5,227 bills ard 200 joint resolu-
tiops to have been introduced into the
House, and to have received more or
less attention. Added to these are sew
eral hundred Senate bills. No previous
Ho.sa ever had before it more than six
hundred bills duripg the whole Con-
gress. So this appears that the business
has increased 20 almost double that Of
any House since the beginning of the
American republic. This is accounted
for by the increase of what is known as
private legislation;' that is, for claims
growing out Of the late war for pen
sions, aud for property destroyed
claimed to be owEed by loyal citizens.
I Other causes for the increase are to be
found in the development Of the Terri
tories, the growing railroad and mining
I Interests, and the gradual aud natural
swelling Of all business and trade. OF
the 5,227 bills aud 200 joint resolutios
there, however, appears but about $50
subjects Of general interest, the re-
mainder being devoted to individua s,
/ societies and corporations
/ The California agitatOr, Kearney,
/ paid US visit with his tongue primed
with its usual garbage, which It shot OF
TO an audience assembled at the Capitol
to hear him. An act Of Congress makes
it unlawful for public speakers to hold
meetings about the Capitol, which this
/ sealawag foreigner had heard, and
/ thought TO come here and get himself
arrested by violating the law, to thus
boost himself into greater nOtOrie,v
/ The authorities, however, concluded to
view him as wayward boy, repre-
senting men of real or supposed wrong.
and extended the clemency Of au-
thority. It was wise, for the man is 2
dose that even the shallOwest thinkinE
American citizen finds difficult to swal-
low. When the country first began %
hear him, it gave an ear of sympathy
and respect, for he was supposed to ds
au honest voice from a suffering ella
But he proves to he an adventurer, vie,
vituperative, crude and unprinciple
He is poison 20 the cause OF the men ls
claims TO represent, aud is a mirror flr
those Of erriug principles.
a few days ago the police made 4 su.-
cessful raid upon a gambling-house
/ For some time they had been watching
and waiting an opportunity to mai
their unexpected and not very welcom
visit At last it was afforded by Il
eolored waiter, who, in his pilgrimag
to the adjoining saloon for drinks o.
make the dizzy brains Of the gambler
more dizzy still, became careless, an
left the door unlocked behind him. DO
his absence the officers stole cautious
and gave three gentle taps upon tla
eOnstitutiOnally suspicious door, whica
unsuspieiously opened for a pair of su--
picious eyes to peer through. But
was too late to close, for a whole Official
leg and arm instantaneously plunged
through, and quite a sufficient amount
Of avoirdupois in well-built poIicem
as quickly made their curiosity felt
upon the door. The surprise was com
pIete. a game was in full progress
with the stakes upon the table, around
which sat some seven or eight eager
participants. All were arrested. Tire
room was unusually well furnished
having fair claims to elegance.
FELIX
Washington, D. c., September Is, ls.s.
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