Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1879-02-26
Washington Letter.

Gated an intention to finish up Legislative
business before ~ NJ. on the 4th of March.
when the speakers gavel will fall and the
forty-fifth congress will pass into history.
But on Wednesday the dead lock that had
been prayed for by the hotels and board
ing houses came, and, to day, nothing
SCENE more probable than that there will
be an extra session, and that Immediately
after the 4th of March we will have the
excitement Of q reorganization of con-
gress with its contest for the speakersship.
and other important offices in the House.
and reconstruction, on democratic ba-
sis, in the Senate. On Wednesday the
House reached that point in the legisla-
tive, executive and judicial appropriation
bill where it was germane to offer the
amendment providing for the repeal of
the jurors test OATH The republicans
made II point of order against the amend
ment, on the ground that it was not in
the interest of economy, but rather in
creased the expenditures, as it transferred
from the sundry civil appropriation bill an
expenditure of over two million dollars
inasmuch rs the amendment offered also
provided for the expenses Of the courts MS
well as the repeal Of the oath, and added
just that much to the pending bill. Chair
man Blackburn ruled the amendment in
order. taking in view that the amendment
reduced the expenditures, because it re-
duced the pay of jurors from three to two
dollars per day. The republicans then
proposed to strike out all that portion of
the amendment which provided for the
expenses of the court, and simply repel
the test oath statutes. This was rejected.
The amendment rs originally offered was
then adopted by yeas, 127, and nays, So.
At Il 20 o'clock the amendment to repeal
the law authorizing the appointment of
federal supervisors was offered by Mr..
Southland of Ohio. Mr.. Hale of Maine, at
once made the point of order that mas
much as the amendment did not reduce
expenses it was not in order. Mr.. Southland
proceeded to reply, and the outlook is
promising for m extended debate. Mr..
Hale served notice that the republicans
would tillibuster. After further debate,
Chairman Blackburn overruled the point
of order made by Mr.. Hale, and decided
the amendment to be before tho committee
of the whole for consideration. Debate
then continued, with the prospect of IN
extended and exciting session. Mr. Hale
said the republicans believed that if the
law was repealed n large number of
voters in the southern section of the coun-
try would be left at the mercy of their
prosecutors, and if the democrats insist
upon the repeal of the law the republicans
will resist, even if an extra session of con.
gress is the result.
The discussion in the Senate Yesterday
on the proposition to appropriate money
to aid in establishing lines of steamships
TO Brazil was quite lively. Senator Beck
led off in opposition to the amendment
with point of order that it was not ger
name to the bill. The chair submitted the
question TO the Senate, and after consider
able debate, the point of order was voted
down by % to 80. The opposition then
rcsorted to the tactics of Offering amend |
ments antagonistic to the purpose of the
Mr. Etton proposed to re
duce the time of the contract from ten ia |
four years, and Mr.. Bailey gave notice
that he would offer an amendment to pro- |
vide that whenever any of the require
ments of The bill shall be violated or shall |
not be carried out by the contractor, the
contract shall be annuled. The question
is still pending, and the debate will be
renewed to-day.
With the approach of the Lenten season
,he riot of gayety becomes more rotous;
hops, masqueradcs and receptions crowd
Fast upon one another. The fashionable
population Of Washington is composed
argely of Catholic and Episcopalian fam
lies who are very punctilious in their OBJ
iervance of Lent, and on Wednesday, the
10Th instant, Vanity Fair will strike its
gay and festive paviIons, or, at least,
on church festivals, pound
PARTIES and entertainments with cbaritu.
'le excuse. The Washington belle. how
yer, is not inconsolable. She has learned
skate. A rink has been built in ( fash
enable quarter of the city. and it is the
lightly resort of the elite of both sexes
Who 60 to skim over its smooth asphalt
nrlace on wheeled skates, or to gaze AS
pectators upon the lively scene. Frequent
nd confused tumbles, four or five often
'lling down in heap, add variety to the
pectacle, but, considering the crowd and
ne reckless skating, it is remarkable that
ainful and even serious accidents are not
lore frequent The admission to the
ink is twenty five cents; use of skates,
teen cents, and it is said that the propri-
tors are clearing fifteen hundred dollars =
er week.
= l.