Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1879-03-12
Our Washington Letter.


NAsHiNuION, ~ ", marcn o. ioio'
Messrs. Editors The closing hours Of the
Forty-Fifth Congress we're eventfu only from the
fact that an extra session was made necessary.
Great interest was manifested, from this circum-
stance alone, in witnessing
THE CLOSING OF CONGRESS,
and during the last night the Capitol was crowded
to It's utmost capacity. At four or FIVE o'clock
Tuesday morning the galleries presented an I'M
usual appearance. Both men and women were
numerous, in the evident determination to sit II
out and 1t was noticeable that, while the women
were alert and apparently wide awake, the men,
especially the negroes, were fast asleep. Those
cushioned seats are very tempting to the tired
wayfarer and It happened not long ago that a
young fellow went to sleep In the Senate gallery
unnotced by the doorkeeper, and when he woke
up the Senate was in executive session. He was
greatly dismayed at the fix he was in, and tried
to get out but the doors were closed. As he ran
first to one door and then to another the Senators
deserted him, and general laugh was raised at
his perplexity, after which the sergeantat-arms
went up and let him out 1t was observed by
some one, at the time, that woman would not
thus have wasted so valuable an opportunity to
find ont state secrets.
twas natural, under the circumstances Of the
,os ~ ,ha so,a,o Ia, ,ho pa,,,,lioans ,ha, oror,,
ono shor,d corsdor ,his A,h os noro -, 4. oororai
hroo,,i,o m, thor thoro hos hoor for r,o,v ,oars
T., ,ho yo,a,o oo,,d ho soo, ,,o or,,,o,n So,o,ora
..,,;n, ,,,o,r do.,,s ,oa,,;u,, 49,, ut ,o,,o,a
al ,,,r,, ,hor, -, ,,,,, ,oa, III, ~ rad 60
uLo,1 10 nm tbroroh ,he;r eroars for n ,ora limo
,,,o ,os, III, ,,,o e,,a,o ,a,,oa H. ,,,
~ ,ho mos, sn;ritsd debates of tho session nm tho
subiect of the disagreement over the democratic
amendments to the legislative appropriation bill.
Senators Conklipg. Garland, Blaine and Matthews
made some very able speeches which attracted
much attention. The forty-ffth Congress is
famous more on account of what it did not do
than for what it did. This is easily proven by
| referrino 10 the larpe nnmher of nublic measures
which made more or less progress during the ses-
sion, but failed Of an enactment Among these
| NAV be noted the legislative executive and Judi
cial appropriation bill; the army appropriation
bill; the bill to regulate Interstate commerce. the
steamboat bill; the Geneva award bill; the bill to
establish postal savings banks the bill to repeal
| the specie resumption act, the bill granting PEN
sions to survivors of the Mexican war the sugar
bill; the bill to restrict Chinese immigration the
| joint resolution proposing constitutional amend
| ment to prohibit the payment Of dsloyal claims;
the bill to provide for the enforcement of the
eight hour law; the bill extending the time for
the completion OF the Northern Pacific railroad
the Brazilian mail service bill; the army re-
| organization bill; the bill to revise the patent
| laws; and many other bills relating to finance
and other public interests
Many of these measures will be attempted to
be brought up during
THE SPECIAL SESSION,
and doubtless in some instances not wholly in
vain. The length of the extra session. which con-
venes one week from Tuesday next is a matter of
much diversity of opinion 1t may take the House
weeks to organize.
"The well laid plans of mice and men
Gang aft aglee."
And il the greenbackers throw their disturbing
Influence into the organization. as they now as.
sert that they will do matters for both the old
parties will be beautifully mixed. The leaders OF
the greenback party claim that they have twenty.
one members of the next House pledged to act in
dependently with them. II this calculation prove
to be correct the organization will degenerate into
n " scrub race" with the chances in favor of tn,
candidate who can get the greenback vote There
are fifteen members who NAV be classed as "out
apdout" preenbackers. These are Iadd ant
Murch Of Maine Barlow of Vermont. phelps o.
Connecticut, Yocum and Wright of Pennsylvania
Russell of North Carolina FELTON, and Speer O
Georgia, Low of Alabama, Jones of Texas
Weaver and Gillette of Iowa. DE La Matyr of In
diana and Ford of Missouri. There are six other
who are expected to act with them. including Mr.
Kelley Of Pennsylvania Int they are doubtful
having been elected on other tickets
The next House will contain two hundred ant
, eiobtv.three members. A full House is made II,
, of two hundred and ninetv.three lint there vii
ha fonr vaca ncias caused nv Californias electio,
, NOT heing held until Sentember next and tw
vaca,c;es carsed bv the death of Renreseptative
3 tscb,e;cber If Texas and Smith of New York
, speaker Randall NAV he considered "a the hes
authority for the democratic membership and n
t claims there will he one hundred and fortv-eieh
democrats who will vote for the democratic nom
inee for SNEAKER This would give n clear demo
r cratic majority of nine On the other hand III
Renublicans claim one hundred and tbrty-on
! votes. which make, the ereenback strength dwir
: dle dawn IN EIGHT votes Roth sides NAV calculat
: under a false imnression. and time alone wi
solve the ouestion Viewed dispassionatelv.
vor,d seem IN be decidedv up-hill work for III
: democrats 10 organiza tho uause nv any caucn
arrangement The chances are at this stage
~, - - ~, =
That the orsahiAttioh VIII require soue 'i'he IL
accomplishment, and that it will not be settled i
J caucus n IL goes to the House. as A free fgb
:, - 49, ,.I~a.., iii, ,,.o,o,, ,,ro oordiaa,o
ior an 'he ue.hoola's VIII p,ose"' wv e""u'u"'e
Tor the Speakershlp-hahdall anu biachpuri
I The Republicans will probably nominate Genera
a | Garfield and the nationals or greenbackera wi
- ,,,oson, o;,hor tho pev na IaMatvr of Indiana
- p'ese"' e''ne' ''o ~
N Kelley oil pennsylvania 90 long rs 'he se'erd
N forces hold out it will be impossible to have a
q election The rules of the House require that
N 1'- .,..I-. a. ,,t.a,o ,,oa 10.
i. secure ah eiectioh 'he cahuua'e 'o'eu '''
i Speaker shall have majority OF all the vote
20 | cast When General Banks had the memorial
y r.. -. - ,,al 49,, et. -,
- contest, "i'er nearly o"e hu""i'u anu my vi
70 successful ballots, it was agreed that the cand
l. date who received a plurality vote should be d
. -, -, 49,, :. o. o,i d., n .os,r, q, IA
u '",ou e'eoseu' ""u d" wac ny ~ " VI
~ understanding that the deadlock was proke
A. There Ia a likelihood that neither Randall
Il p,oo,hr, o., srccaad Tbsre seems hardly
d n"''Ao"." '''' '"''
chance ior "enerai uarheiu oecause MS mar
T. money record is such that the nationals will n
? ,orch him Tho daneerons dark horses are Wr
l. - ... ~, M
s. ~ heiiey OF pennsylvania anu 'onu "a 'i"
ie Mahon of Chio-the one greenbaek- Repnbhca
+. the other democrat with soft-money proclivite