The daily gazette., 1878-02-26
Our Washington Letter.
THE CELEBRATION OF WASH
INGTON'S BIRTHDAY.

fHENs, EWING, GARFIELD, BUT
LER, AID OTHERS MAKE
BPEECHES-" THE Sc
CRET OF THEIR MAS
Terry, THEY WERE
SHORT"
Interesting Episodes Of nm Ex-
ecutfve Session.
(Erons Our Regular Correspondent
WASHINGTON, Feb. 22.-I write to the
accompaniment of booming artillery, for
this is a national holiday. The. Execu-
tive Departments are all closed and the
streets are alive with several thousand
government clerks, Independent colored
dsslsss-s- ans !arf,m Maryland and Virginia,
add Preparations are making for an i'm
mense Knight Templar and Murphy pro-
cession this afternoon.
Yesterday was a very interesting day
at the capital; while the Senate was dis
cussing, with closed doors the recent ap-
pointments of the President, particularly
the collectorship of the port of New Or
leans, the House had under considerer-
alton the silver bill as amended by the
Senate. At the expiration of the morn
ing hour, Alex. Stephens wheeled his
chair to the front, took off the stove pipe
hat which he always wears, except when
speaking, and, lifting his skeleton hand,
moved that the House proceed with the
silver bill He had no sooner ceased
speaking, than Mr.. Springer was on his
feet with point of order, that, under
the rule, the bill, providing for an appro-
priation of money, should go to the COM
mittee of the Whole. This motion was
the subject of much discussion in which
Messrs. Cox of N. Y, Garfield and others
sustained the point of order, while
Messrs., Conger, Sayler and Others
overruIed the point, and then Mr.. Buck
ner of Mo. tried Intellectually to carry a
motion TO have the bill referred to the
committee on banking and currency.
Mr.. Stevens declined resolutely to yield
the floor for that purpose, nor would he
permit Mr.. Hewitt to make a motion to
lay the bill with the amendments on the
table. 1t was evident that Mr.. Stephens
knew his strength, and intended to force
the issue, and, giving notice that he
would cali the previous question at the
end Of an hour, he proceeded to divide
the sixty minutes to the many orators
who were hungry to speak. To Mr.. Ew-
ing he gave eight minutes, to Gen. But
ler five, TO others only three. Some of
those who had only three minutes would
speak a sentence or two, ask permission
to print their remarks at length on the
record, and then yield the remainder of
their ti,csy 2 minute, or a half minute,
to another member, who by this man.
oeuvre, will get ON the record with a
long speech. The speaking was lively in
the extreme, one by one the speakers
rose and fell to the sharp rap of the
Speakers gavel each concludingwith the
plaintive appeal to print the remainder
of their remarks, until Mr.. Springer of
Illinois moved thet all be granted that
privilege, without the formahty of re-
quest.
This motion was passed without objec-
ton, and the speeches that will appear in
the record that were never heard in the
House, will make a small volume. The
most notable speeches were those of
Ewing, Butler, Bland, Garfield, Hewitt,
and Chittenden of New York. The last
who is big capitalist, but of small phys
ique spoke against the bill with o raging
energy that was terrible to behold, and
sat down amid shouts of laughter, in
which he finally Joined, when, to cap the
climax of absurdity, he was surrounded
and congratulated by the friends of the
bill. Butler and Ewing were particularly
bitter in their denunciation Of the bill, ,as
mutilated by the amendments of the
Senate. Batter saw no reason for this
untimely haste in accepting the measure
just as 1t come from the Senate, for he
believed that the friends of remontiza-
tion, at both ends of the capital, had
strength to pass such a bill as the people
demanded. Bland said that he would
vote for the bill as step In the right di-
rection, but added that he regarded it as
only step, TO be folio owed soon by Others,
and If the bondholders did not like 1t, he
was in favor of cramming paper money
down their throats. Mr..Hewitt thought
that deceived, indignant, and outraged,
people would sweep the bill from the
statute book in one year, and he wanted
that to go on the record as his prophecy.
THE EXECUTIVE SESSION OF THE SENATE
The executive session of the Senate
yesterday was one of the most animated
that has occurred for years. The appoint
ment of Williamson as collector at New
Orleans was finally rejected, and Mr..
Packard has strong hopes of securing
the appointment if the President can be
induced co send in his name, there is but
little doubt that the Senate will confirm
the nomination. The discussions of the |
appointments were interesting as they
served to elicit some emphatic express
sions of feeling toward the administra-
uon. Senator C0nknng critlcised the
appointments of the President with great |
severity; he went 50 far as TO question the |
Repubhcanisin of Mr.. Hayes, and said |
that the Executive Mansion had been
made more comfortable for Democrats
than for Republicans; that Democrats |
called daily and had their requests for |
official fayors granted. Senator Thurman !
replied and said that some Democrats |
may be in the habit of visiting the White !
House, but that he had not crossed the |
threshold of that building since Hayes |
was inaugurated. aSenator Stanley |
Mathews defended the administration. |
Senator Voorhees, followed Mathews and |
animadverted severely upon those Demo- |
Gratis who had applied to the President |
for favers. Senator Eustis of La, OPEN |
ed the debate against the confirmation |
of Williamson, and he was rejected by a |
vote of 81 to lS. Among the Democrats
who voted for his confirmation were |
Senators Armstrong and Beck; the latter |
made speech in his favor. After the |
adjournment Senator Eustis told Book
that he had not expected opposition from
him, and this led to discussion that was |
carried on with earnestness and display |
OF feeling that verged upon i'll humor.
Ihara 70 ha iafu m