The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1879-04-17
Washington Letter,
from our regular Corrcspo ndent.l
Washington. ID. C.. April l4tl

army Dill, WIFI Vie repeating hllelu-
ments attached, the Grcenback MEM
bers I'm the House voted with the Dem
ocrats, with three exceptions. 1t has
since been said that their votes were
so cast in pursuance of an agreement
on the part of the Democrats to vote
for Monday session, to permit the
introduction of certain financial
measure, which can only be offered
| on Mondays. But the motion to adj
iourn over from Saturday to Tuesday
was carried, only portion of Demo
Gratis voting no with the eGreenbackers,
and I guess there wasn't any bargain
about it. No doubt these gentle
men voted according to their con-
victions, though they may have
hoped to make the Democrats feel
| under obligations to assist them after
ward in getting their measures before
| the House. From all l can learn,
however, concerning the views of
members on the Democratic side,
think the majority of them would
prefer to avoid entering into any
financial legislation this session. But
at the session commencing in Decem-
ber a regular programme, embracing
free coinage of gold or silver, with a
coinage of the latter to the full capacity
of the mints, and the abolition of the
national banks, will be adopted. Mr..
Atkins, of the Appropriation Com
mittee, recently said that this would
he about the position of his party,
though there will be II wide difference
of opinion as to whether greenbacks or
treasury notes shall be substituted for
| the national bank note. AS the House
now stands there is decided majority,
| including both Republicans and Dem
ocrats, opposed to any legislation on
this subject at present, and | am salts
! fled none will be accomplished at the
extra session, though the Democratic
caucus has decided to hold Monday
sessions hereafter to permit bills to be
introduced.
The idea of authorizing by law the
formation of a corps of parliamentary
attorneys has again been brought
forward. But, as usual, it is made to
illustrate the all-grasping disposition
of the legal profession, and in that
respect needs watching. AS proposed,
the members of the corps authorized to
register for practice before the COM
mittees of Congress must be members
of the bar. This restriction is grossly
unfair and improper. The examination
by a committee of a subject upon which
legislation is asked or proposed is in
no sense, n judicial process. On the
contrary, it is distinctly not a lawyers
argument which, in great majority
of cases, Il Congressional committee
needs or ought to listen to. Suppose
it to be the Ways and Means Com
mittee engaged in revising the tariff;
would not a statement from an i'm
porter, from silk manufacturer, from
a wine merchant, from the proprietor
of print works, from carpet maker,
or an ironmonger be more useful than
anything the best lawyer could say
Suppose the subject of proposed legis-
lation to relate to railways and tele-
graph; must a lawyer be paid to eluci-
date it? Suppose it international
copyright; must authors speak only
through an advocates mouth? The
fact is, the lawyers are over-much rep
resented in Congress, which would be
the better for more farmers, merchants
and physicians among its members.
To make everybody but lawyers incl
igible as parliamentary attorneys would
be to aggravate an evil that is already
obvious enough to all but lawyers.
Mr. GOrham, who has just been re-
lieved of the duties of Secretary Of the
Senate, rendered his final account a
day or two ago. He has been an excel
lent officer; and, after eleven years
service, during which he has disbursed
many milliOns-for the United States
Senate is the most expensive body on
earth-he closed his account for the
first time. 1t was found at the depart
ment that there was one cent owing
him. In an official letter, which had
to be copied, recorded, numbered, ETC..
the United States Treasurer notified
Mr.. Gorham of the balance on settle
ment, and requested him to draw a
check for the amount. With the
same precision as though million of
dollars was at stake, the check was
drawn and messenger conveyed it to
the Treasury. The books Were
searched to see if the account was to
Gorham's credit, and then the cent
was paid-a great big copper one,
| which the ex-Secretary proposes to
keep for luck forever. 1t seems that,
had he not drawn the balance, il
would have gone on forever among
the liabilities of the Treasury, and
occasioned any amount of trouble to
the clerks. Dom PEDRO.
-EX-Gov. Mccormick, the Chiei