Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1878-04-10
tFrom our Regular Correspondent
Washington Letter.
WASHINGTON. April 6.

faction and complaint, that under the
present organization and arrangement oil
our house of representatives, it is almost
impossible for speaker on the floor. un-
less he be gifted with extraordinary vocal
and respiratory powers, to make himself
heard by his colleagues in distant por-
lion of the hall, and in the reporters
gallery. My daily visits TO congress have
convinced me of the justice of this COM
plaint, and of how much better it would
be if some plan like that recently suggest
ed by Mr.. Hewitt. of New York, were
adapted, by which most, if not all, OF the
physical obstacles to debate which now
exist would be removed; improving the
style of speaking and making the house
far more attractive field for able men
Mr.. Hewitt's plan is, briefly. to divide the
hall of the house in two, arranging one
half of it with benches facing each other
on the two sides of the house, as is the
case in the English house of commons.
This half of the house should be sacred 10
debate, and no business should be permit
led there but the discussion of bills and
resolutions, and action upon them. The
other half of the house should be fitted
with desks, as at pre- sent; and at the doors
between the two halls there should be II
gong or bell to notify the members when
II division was demanded or Il vote to be
taken. Those who chose TO listen, or take
part in the debate, would be in the hall
with the benches, while those who had
more important duties to attend TO would
he in the hall with the desks, within a
single step of the other hall. With such
change would come ease of speaking
ouieter tone, better thinking on the feet,
better taste in oratory. better progress IN
everything that makes profitable business
discussion, and better progress also in the
public business.
As returned from the reporters gallery
Yesterday, after having listened Tor al
hour or so 10 all diliuoiio e"iy "N
Ben Butler and Mr.. Cox of New York, ii
reference to the much contested doorkeep
ershp, (made vacant by Mr.. Folks sum
mary dismissal on Thursday, and was or
my way to the senate to see what was go
ing on, there saw standing together II
the lobby of the senate chamber engaged
in free and easy conversatson' Col. ION
Scott. Jay Gould. C. ?. Huntington ant
Sidney Dillon. At the distance Of few
feet. with his ltrboard ear elevated to tin
proper angle of communication. was JONI
Roach, the famouse iron ship builder, o
Chester, Va. A shotgun loaded will
buck hot and discharged by an accom-
plished fowler would have swept the fam
nous quintelte clear out of the region o
interest in sublunary concerns. AT ial
calculation, these five men represented no
less than two hundred millions of dollars
and could probably have their check
, honored for more money than any othe
city in the country. And yet there ar
f people who say that Washington is not
big city!
Tom Scott, Jay Gould, and their con
jriers are here to lobby for their RAILROAD
, and the object of Mr.. Roach s visit was
invite his senatorial friends to join the ex
cursion which left for Chester this morn
inc to witness the launching of one of hi
large steamers 1.-THE City of Rio Janelro,
e believe). This party inolnded the pres
dent, nil the members of the cabinet, wit
: the exception of Postmaster-General Key
who is on his way to Havana, Cuba, man
: members of the corps dtpI0mattQue, an
about II hundred senators and members {
congress They will leave Chester tn
. evening. sleep off their headaches to-mol
Z row, (Sunday,) and be ION deck " aga'
Monday morning.
The rumor extensively circulated in III
, press that Mr.. Hayes will 81 end the sun
: mer in Ohio proves, upon inquiry at tt
}. White House, to be untrue. lie will TAI
up his old last summer quarters Ia one
the grounds of the Soldiers llome;" II
T. same which the late President Lincoln o.
n cupied with his family; but it has been ell
. larged and improved since his time.
). Naturally when an Ohio man is missln
s from his native hearth, his friends look fl
+ him in Washington; and so when e:
: Congressman Vance left home and didn
% turn up here rs expected, it was ut ont
u concluded that he had been killed, or WI
l. crazy, or WAS II defaulter, or had run c
N with II woman, to account for his abnorr
q al and extraordinary detection from Il
| road to the seat Of government and
IS office. Mr.. Vance has many friends hel
re who are loath to believe that he has be-
i guilty of any wrong, and dcnounce
=, fabrications the sensational stories recent
teegraphed from here by the correspon
ent of the New York Tribune, viii
"a assert that he had been guilty of pei
# thefts, such as the purloining of boo
,v from stores, etc., and of even still gray
rs offences which would subject him, if four
ly to criminal prosecution.
A change has been made in the COMA
nd of the silver dollar, which will enable
at to '.wear " better. The much-abus
IS: spread animal with wings, which is ST
er posed to be an eagle, is still there on c
~" re- side, but has been depressed below
rim and general surface of the coin. !
head of the goddess of liberty, on
an other side, has also been hattened and
. pressed to prevent constant friction Il
,ct wearing away. The hard steel dies I
working muth better now than at iii
RS, consequently the coins issued lately HI
ma a smoother appearance and better fin
wye than those first turned out at the mir
- The only trouble is, that the supply is
NV from equal to the demand!
ne The talk among fashionable circles j
Yes now is the Cameron-Sherman weddi
Dry which is to come off on May 9th, t