Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1878-12-27
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.


WASHINGTON, -. O., Dec. Il, 1878.
Five of the appropriation bills have
passed the House and gone to the Senate
None of the balance will be reported until
the reassembling in January,a las both Houses
adjourn this p. NJ. for the holidays. Two
Of the FIVE that have gone to the Senate
will likely require the interposition Of Con.
ference Committees as the amounts appro.
priated by them were reductions from the
Departmental estimates which the Senate
has or will restore and in the event of non
concurrence a committee will be required
to settle the points Of difference. .ThisEes.
sion up to the present date, will stand out
in. the history of the Congresses as pregnant
with less buncomb and posturing for polit-
icol effect on the part of statesmen making
up the two Houses, than any OF its prede-
cessors for many years past. Under the
stunning effect Of last November's elections
the Democrats have appeared too detected
to indulge in their customary reform rant,
which was shown by the verdict then rem
dered to have deceived nobody. On the
contrary they have rather courted seclusion
and have striven to disarm criticism by at
tenlion to business. Not even one formal
adjournment has been voted to attend
horse races
The majority and minority reports Of
the committee on the further distribution
Of the Geneva Award, go over the holiday
recess with several other important matters
inherited from the last session, for further
discussion and final disposition. The most
uncomplicatcd claims for losses directly
inflicted by the British rebel cruisers,
were allowed aud paid out of the nearly
$50, 100000, that the award, principal and
interest, amounted to at the date OF the
first distribution, leaving about $40, 900 900
now on hand. 1t is e.timated that after
the payment of the claims for loses inflicted
on the owners of ships or cargoes by those
pirates other than the Alabama, Florida and
Shenandoah, there will still he left six or
seven millions OF the award in the Treasu-
ry. To this those who paid war premiums
on vessels and carSoes, and the insurance
companies are laying vigorous siege. 1t is
claimed that the latter have supported here
for the three past winters an active lobby
to forward their interests by influencing
legislation in their favor and otherwise. 1t
is also claimed in and ont of Congress by
advocates of the minority report that the
majority report is in favor of the companies
at expense of the individuals who paid
war premium, sometimes as high a 80 per
cent, and are OF course out OF pocket by
England's "nentrality" to put the amount
of the excess of premium paid above tie
ordinary rates OF insurance. The minority
report favors the latter class and the ma
iorty report proposes To send all fclansanis
to the Court of Claims. Another of, the
matters alluded to as an inheritance from
the last session and which will come up in
| its regular order to be disposed OF after the
holiday reassemblng, is the bill guarantee
| ing the interest on the bonds of the Texas
! Pacific r. r. Among the many considera-
! tions OF National import that have converted
members heretofore opposed to the measure
! into friends is the fact that the completion
of the road known as the Southern Pacific
will enable the present monopoly that holds
transcon,inental trade in its grasp, to per-
petuate its present runous supremacy, as
it will then control two roads across the
continent instead Of one, as il now the case
With the territory thus occupied Ivy the
Huntington-GouId combination, all idea OF
q competing line for years TO come will
have to he abandoned and all the vast trade
OF the Pacific coast, Of China, Japan India
Australia and the islands of the Pacific
which seek transportation eastwardly across
the country to markets on the Atlantic
coast or farther east in Great Britain and
continental Europe, will be in the merci
less grasp of Il monopoly that has shown
itself as unscrupuous as avariciOus. In ;
late communication to the Senate relative
to increased facilities for postal and com
mercial intercourse with South America
the President presents some Of the puint'
in relation thereto so happily epitomizct
by Sec'y Evarts. They are among the con
siderations that gave the first impetus t
the special efforts now making by our bu
siness men to wrest portion OF The Souti
American trade from the mercantile ma
tions of Europe and divert it to our owl
shores.
After vain effort on the part OF tn
Democrats to secure the adoption OF sucl
amendments to Biaine's resolution as wnuit
have practically defeated the object aime,
at by them and saved their party from tn
odium apprehended from the expose, the.
were finally adopted with amendments tina
widen rather than restrict the extent OF tn
inquiry. The Senators selected hy their re
, spective parties to serve on the Committe
have heen designated and it is expectc
they wi at once get to work. a-.s
DE NIT.