Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1879-05-02
oURNET1oNAL CAPITAL.

It's difficult for an observer to indicate
where this Congress will lead the nation.
The deluge of bills has begun. Monday
last showed 1, 400 and it wasn't good day
tor bills for all that Just wait till the
rules bring around another bill day and then
you will see what the ''half horse half alli-
gator" Confederate Congress can do on a
pinch. The calendar of the two houses
last March showed a number Of bills in ex-
cess of 5000 but it is proposed now to dis
tance that figure by at least 5000 before
March4, 1881, for this Congress cannot stop
short of double what its predecessor at
tempted though it will not accomplish one
half the good done by even that derelict
body of lawmakers. 1t is physical i'm
possibility for the various House commit
tees, particularly those of pensions and
claims, to digest and report upon all the
bills referred to them Oy the House. Hence
some other tribunal must be established or
the claims will be buried in the files of
Congress- Were all the committee men
industrious and inclined to work more
might be done than is, but when it is known
that about every other Congressman is
more given to caring for his own interests
outside Of Congress than for that business
coming before him in his committee, and
further that portion Of them are so given
to bad whisky and general cussedness as to
be wholly untitled and incompetent for any
work The inability to secure action upon
1.-THE of the meritorious claims before
Congress is clearly apparent. Take the in
stance of the enrolling committee during
the last hours of the 18th Congress. With
the exception of Mr.. Rainey, the colOred
member from South Carolina, who worked
steadily and continuously for two days, not
a member paid the slightest attention to
his duties, one even keeping himself intOx-
Gated all the time. leaving the entire labor
to be performed by Mr.. Rainey. This same
dereliction is found at all times in the com
mittees charged with the most responsible
duties, and as rule few hardworking
members do all that is done in the way of
perfecting bills and legislation. Mr..
Rainey has been given a subordinate cleric
al position by Mr.. Sherman though he is
far better fitted, in all respects, to be chief
of his division than its present head.
Gen. Logan has written letter to one of
our papers denying in strongest terms the
charge that he at the outbreak of the war
raised several regiments in Illinois for the
COnfederaey. He brands it as an infamous
falsehood which has not even the color of
truth in or about it. He treats the whole
matter at length, and, of course, uses that
plain Saxon manner Of speech, for which he
is noted, with free hand, for he never hesi
tates to call spade spade when his corns
are being trod on. No one reading his letter
can hererfter doubt the entire falsity Of the
assertion that his sympathies were ever for
the ConfedeTacy in its inception. No one
doubts his record after April IA, 1861, for
If the war produced Drawer, better soldier
than Logan we do not know it. But for
his terrible misfortune of being only vol
unteer he would have been entrusted with
every responsibility during the war. He
never failed in anything West Point gave
him to do and he would fight, which is
more than can be said of Mcclellan and
score of other regular humbugs.
The first warrant Cor paying arrears Of
pensions under the late act has been drawn
but payment will not be made at once as
Is generally supposed. The various cases
will be examined in regular order by the
Pension Office, and a new certificate and
voucher will be made out precisely as when
originally allowed. These papers will be
EclL " pCuoAOu oSCulg VI bAlC AAollASb al
which the pensioner resides. who will make
payment in the same manner he pursues in
the regular pension. This course will nee
essarily require much time, and several
weeks will elspse before any pensioner gets
his long expected arrears. The Treasury
Department anticipates no difficulty in pro-
viding all requisite funds to cover the
heavy expenditures made under the Arrears
Act and to provide for contingencies.
Mr.. McMahon tackled on the sppropria-
ton bill, now being discussed in the House,
a provision which devotes the ten millions
OF dollars now set apart in the Treasury for
redemption of the, as yet unpresented,
fractional currency. This currency is un-
doubtedly lost, hence the propriety of put
ting in use the large surplus held against
it. Mr. McMahon added another clause,
which will commend itself to all fair-mind-
ed people, by providing that hereafter no
pensioner shall be stricken from the rolls
without a hearing or sworn testimony.
Under the present system the pension office
will drop pensioner upon an anonymous
charge and without notice, subiecting him
to all manner of annoyance before he can
effect restoration. 1t is but just that an
end should be put to such Star Chamber
injustice and the sooner reforms are effect
ed in the pension abuses the better for pen
sioners. JUNIUs.
Washington, D. C. April 90, 1879.