The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1878-11-30
FROM THE FEDERAL CAPITAL.
AN AusPlCloUs OPENING PRoMIsED--NEw
PENSION BILI.-lHE NEW ORLEANS CON
yENTION, TEXAS PACIFIC RAILROAD, ETC.
WASHINGTON, November o., 1873.

WASHINGTON, November 81, 1873.
Unless the excuses Of Thanksgiving
Day shall overcome too many congressman,
we shall have an unusually full house and
senate on the opening day of the coming
session, Much more than the usual mum
Der of members have made their winter ar
rangemcnt here. Only one committee has
had meetings-the house committee on ap-
propriations-and its work is much less
than usual from the fact that the secretaries
have had the good sense to cut down their
estimates to about the same figures as the
appropriations of last year. The post office
and war departments ask for more, but not
for ordinary expenses. The committee will
have the appropriation bills ready, as
fast as the house can dispose Of them
Among the bills to come up early in the
senate, having already passed the house, is
that giving to persons drawing pensions on
account Of soldiers, they were discharged.
or, if relations of soldiers, back to the time
the soldiers died. The supposed necessity
for this act, arises from the fact that under
existing laws, unless the pension claim was
made within five years of the time the right
occurred, the pension does not 20 back.
The estimated expense under the act is
from ten millions to thirty millions, but
probably near the latter amount. There is
an appearance of justice in the proposition,
but hope the senate will look into the
subject carefully before voting away the
money 1t seems to me that what the ex-
soldiers Of the country most want is the
prompt execution Of laws already in force
The bonds Of the government are above
par but the established claim Of a soldier,
on account Of unnecessary delays and form.
alities, is not to-day worth fifty cents on
the dollar.
A meeting Of Southern Western and
Eastern business men will be held at New
Orleans, on December 3rd to consider sub
jects connected with the material interests
of the country. The three propositions to
be discussed are the improvement of nayi.
CATION on the Mississippi and its tributa.
rlcs, the building of the Texas g. Pacific
Railroad, and the means Of promoting our
commerce with the West India Islands,
Mexico and South America. The first of
these, the improvement of navigation
in the Mississippi and the wonderful system
Of rivers which enter it, will be beneficial
especially TO the west and southwest. There
is not elsewhere in the world so vast pro-
ductive region as that drained by the Mis-
sissippi and its tributaries. The Texas and
Pacific Railroad is more especially south
ern work, but as if built, it will be exclu-
slvcly under government control as to rates
for freight, etc, it will inevitably compete
with the present monopoly and so be of
general benefit. Whatever encourages trade
with foreign countries may be certainly said
to be for the common good, and to us the
markets Of South America and Mexico will
be almost like those of newly discovered
Their trade which should come
to US, goes almost entirely to European
countries. Altogether the New Orleans
meeting deserves attention from the people
OF all parts Of the country, and il iudicious
in its action and recommendations it will
have great influence.