The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1879-05-15
LETTER FROM WASHINGTON.

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LETTER FROM WASHINGTON.
LFRoM OUR REGULAR CORRESPONDENT.
To THE EDITOR or THE NEW NORTHWEST:
After all the efforts to shut out gen
eral legislation at this session Of Con
gress, we now behold the doors wild,
open and a tremendous avalanche o.
bills tumbled in. No such record for 8
single day was ever made ia the history
Of Congress as that of last Monday
when bills poured in from the represen-
tatives Of every State, until 1855 were
introduced. Republicans and Demo.
Gratis alike joined with the few Green
hackers, and all seemed anxious 10 hand
in their measures. Mr.. Turner, Of Ken
lucky, won the championship by work
ing in forty-five bills, and he appeared
about as fresh when he left of as when
he began. Some others managed 10 get
in twenty-five or thirty apiece. OF the
whole number, about $50 were for relief,
in one shape or another, OF private indi-
viduals or whole communities, or for
the distressed country. It is noticea-
/ bic fact, however, that very few war
claims were offered, while amongst the
/ bills presented are a number Of PROPOSE
tions to cut of such legislation entirely.
Taken altogether, the outlook for a
session extending far into the warm
weather is now very promising. 1t is
becoming more and more apparent that
what we need is a smaller Congress Of "A
larger country. Enough measures were
introduced on Monday to supply the
wants of the nation for two or three
[ hundred years to come. Among the
/ rest were l75 financial measures, iuclud-
ing De La Matyrs proposition to issue
a billion Of green0acks, which, some
how, has not been received with the
serious consideration so important a
measure would seem to be entitled 20.
a billion Of dollars is a good deal Of
money. Mr.. Stephens bill for the re-
dempiiOn Of subsidiary silver coin in
greenbacks will certainly pass, aud it is
a measure SUE to be Of great relief to a
large class Of business men in all parts
Of the country, whose daily receipts are
made up Of small change, aud who,
under the present law, are unable, with
out considerable loss and inconvenience,
to dispose OF it, All this is one Of the
results Of our false system Of finance,
which for years has been discriminating
against the small merchant aud in favor
Of the speculator. Mr.. Stephens bill
wipes out this distinction, and places
small silver coin upon an equal footing
with greenhacks. The next step is 20
get rid Of the trade silver dollar, or put
il upon par wish greenbacks. This is
the kind Of general legislation the
country wants, and II the extra session
Of Congress keeps on in the same line,
the country will not object TO having il
continue all Summer.
To 90 from the affairs Of state 10 the
realm of gossip, I must repeat a story OF
a gallant Lothario from the far West,
who, though q law-maker, is likewise a
heart breaker aud a gay deceiver He
was, it is said, betrothed to a wealthy
spinster Of the Pacific Coast, and the
marriage was to have transpired soon
after the adjournment Of the Forty-fifth
/ Congress. But a brief residence in
Washington served to dispel the glamor
of loves young dream, and the recreant
swain, thinking to secure another lease
Of single blesseduess, made the extra
session an excuse for non-fulfillment OF
his vows, and wrote his fGBcee that the
short intermission would not admit OF
/ his immediate return to the West. "It
the mountain won't come TO Mahomet,
Mahomet must go to the mountain" +"
reasoned the maiden, an1 she, IN the
/ tender trustfulness OF devoted love,
packs her hOsscGu and hastens to the
national capital, intent on taking her
/ lover by surprise, and there cOnsummat-
/ ing their mutual vows. On the long
/ journey here, as was quite natural, she
made the acquaintance Of some Of her
travelling companions, among whom
were several Congressman, picked up at
different points en- route, and beguiled
the tedium Of the days by a recital OF
her little romance and the happy sequel
expected. Arriving at Washington, she
registered at the same hotel which shell
tered her betrothed, and, if accounts be
true, succeeded in surprising him be-
youd her utmost expectations, and was
somewhat surprised herselfl To make
a long story short, in less than week
she, with her trOssedu, was "homeward
bound" breathing maledictions upon
man In general aud her recreant lover
in particular, and announcing her inten-
ton to sue him forthwith for s3O,OOO
loaned him at different periods Of their
engagement. This il, / believe, a true
story. And 50 runs the world awav.
congressman, like other men, if youDg
3 ana gay, are not unlikely TO do things
{ which they ought not to do-to be ick IL
and ehangeful, aud bad.
. Washington, D. c., April leth.