The New Bloomfield, Pa. times. (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1877-188?, 1879-04-08
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.

WAsHINGTON d., o., April2, 1879.
The sessions of the House are now more in
terestlng than they were at any time in the last
session. The deba te now being carried on is
able, is on a highly important subject, and prom
ises to bring out all the speakers in the House.
1t comes about in this way The Democrats in
slst, as in the last House, ON attaching to the
Army appropriation bill an amendment prohib.
iting the SO of troops at the polls, and the Re-
publicans oppose 1t. The first speech was made
by Mr.. Stephens, OF Ca. and was very ten.
perate and strong argument in favor OF the pro-
priety OF attaching general legislation to apprO-
priatiOn bills. But the real life of the debate
was not seen until Saturday last when Mr. Gar
field made q very adroit speechin opposition, and
announced that the Republicans deemiDg this
only the commencement OF an attempt by DEM
ocrats to starve the Government to death, would
insist that no amendments Of general charac-
ter should be placed on any appropriation bill.
The speech was very strong one and will be
circulated as a campaign document
Mr. Garfield vas followed on yesterday (Tues.
day) by Belford, of Colorado, and by Mr.. Frye
on the same side. The significant speeches on
the Democratic side were by Mr.. Chalmers, of
Miss, an d Mr.. Hurd, of Ohio The latter spoke
of President Hayes in the following terms, (which
give to show that the debate causes consider
able excitement
~ do not believe that the majority of this
House will be intimdated from It's duty by q
threat of the President, much less the threat OF q
President whose title to office Is so doubtful and
whose term of office is yet so uncertain"
The debate will last indefinitely, and when we
remember that other subjects, to be proposed N
connection with the legislative appropriation
bill, will consume equal time and that these bat
ties will be fought over again in the Senate there
seems little prospect of an early adjournment
The Senate, in its election of officers, dis
placed the principal Ones but spared some few
of the veteran Republican subordnates = men
who were there when Webster, Benton, Calhoun
and Clay were Senators.
The House Committees have not yet been an
nounced, and there is little doubt that Speaker
Randall finds difficulty in suting himself and at
the same time crafty every ambitious, gentle
man who desires to be at the head of committee.
This seems to be good time to agltate the ques-
tion of adopting the Senate plan, which Is to Sc
lect its own committees. Mr.. Randall is an ac-
complished speaker, but the speaker has enor-
nous powers without that of selecting leaders OF
the House
The only bill OF any Importance which has SO
far passed either House, is that authorizing a
contract to be made for vessel to be used in
disinfecting ships coming from ports supposed to
be infected with the yellow fever or other conta-
gious diseases. Prof. Gamgee, who will doubt
less get the contract. claims that he can freeze
all the yellow fever germs in a vessel in a few
minutes. This bill passed the Senate yesterday,
and will be acted on in the House whether Con-
gress goes into general legislation" or not
Attention is being attraced everywhere to Sen
ator Wlndoms scheme for colonzing colored
people in the Northwest. Influential colored men
here have organized and are in correspondence
with their people in the Senate. Fred. Douglass,
however, sees little good and much harm likely
to result from it, OLIVE.