The daily gazette., 1878-03-19
Our Washington Letter.
Mr.. blaine Heard from Again
and sAgafn-An Interesting
ExPOsure Of the Schemes
OF some Anti-Bellum
Mail Contractors.

III IA.
| - THE RETURNING BOARD PARpoSs--sp
WHAT THE RUMORs OF A REVIVAL
OF THE PRESIDENTIAL CUES
TIoN AMOUNTS TO, &c.
from our Regular Correspondent.
Since Congress has completed the dry
and heavy silver legislation, it has re-
turned W its pristine iveliness. Mr..
Blaine has been giving assurance of tile
Old vitality, by his attack on the fisheries
award; his denunciation of the report of
the Secretary of the Interior in relation
to depredations of government timber;
by his vigorous defence of those whom
IL Is SAID have been stealing the govern
ment timber; and by his effort to so
amend the military academy bill that the
defendants of officers of the U. s. army
only shall receive appointments to the
cadet corps by the President. In the
House there has been an interesting ex-
posure by Mr.. Wilets, of Michigan, of a
scheme OF southern mail contractors to
Dc paid twice for anti-bellum mail SER
Vlce-once by the confederate govern
Inent, and now again by the United
states. Mr.. Reagan, of Texas, who wa
The Confederate Postmaster-Genera
alleged that the confederate government
had made no such payments, but Mr..
Willis proved from the confederate
archives in the War Department, that
the payments had been made, and subse-
quent examination has fixed, beyond
question, the identity of many of the
present claimants with those who have
been previously paid by the confederacy.
len davs ago the pardon of Anderson
was confidently anticipated here, and
southern members say his pardon
would have been granted if any reliable
assurance had been given that he would
oe removed from office as deputy collec-
tor OF the port of New Orleans. There
was much fear at the South that the
prosecutions of the Returning Board
would "fre the Northern heart" and
TINS apprehension was so strong at one
tiine that the state authorities in Louisi-
ana would have been glad at any sacrit O
to have gotten rid of its menagerie of
elephants at any sacrifice short of retain
Ing them as public functionariea, South
ern men say that Wells and Anderson
would not have been brought to trial at
all but for the provocation committed by
the admission of Kellogg to seat in the
U. S. Senate. They insist that this was
the first infraction of the compromise
entered into with the President's special
commissioners last spring. There is
much gossip and wrangling in the mat
ter OF the Returning Board trial, and
an increasing undercurrent of rumor
that the question of the disputed Presi-
dency Is to be re-opened.
1t Is impossible, of course, to predict
the surprises of the future, but, taking
into consideration the recent utterances
OF public men whose voices and votes
would be influential in such an emer-
gency, and especially of Mr.. Hewitt, the
supposed keeper of the conscience of Mr..
Tilden, no political event is more i'm
probable thar reopening of the presi-
dental question. Propositions for a re-
Wval OF the controversy have never
found favor with a large majority Of
Southern Democrats, many of whom
have been placated with little of that
patronage for which they have so long
hungered and tlnrsted. They would re-
slst any movement to unseat Mr.. HAYES
by every means in their power. But it
Is certain that very strong Republic can
element would rejoice to see him unsea-
ted. The dissatisfaction of the party
with his administration is so intense that
ty of Republicans in both Houses OF
Congress would prefer Tilden TO Hayes
to-day, and would rejoice at any miricle
that could produce the change without
compromising their jewel of consistency
Failure to get control of the offices is at
the bottom of this dissatisfaction among
congressman, but it is not the whole of
it. The Presidents distribution of offices
is considered no better basis for civil
oar arxrf1 trsl
members of Congress, and it is very per-
tinently urged that it will be much less
likely to strengthen the party. 1t is
charged that the President has not only
broken up venerable system of distri-
buting appointments, but that he has
substituted nothing in its place, and in
this way done much to weaken his party.
The President, it is said, does not see the
force of this objection, but there are
those in his cabinet who do see it, and
who are convinced that the present an
tagonism between the admi Illustration
and the Republican party cannot con-
tinue for three years longer without pro-
ducing collision of violence sufficient
to disturb the peace that resigns between
the President and himself What tho
de,aouement will be no one can tell. 1t is
too late for Mr.. Hayes to return to the
"good old system" of assessing office
holders for election purposes, and divid-
ing spoiis among members of Congress.
The average congressman, no doubt,
longs to be placated in this way; but so
many promises have been made to in
stitute thorough radical and complete,
reform, that no president or party could
stand the approbrium of retreat now.
Con ress Yesterday.
In the United States Senate, yester-
4 IL