Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1880-03-12
FROM WASHINGTON

| Senator Window will soon begin takine
testimony in the exodus investigation, and
will quickly dispose Of the loose and unbound
ed charges the Democrats have made in con.
nection with this matter He has summoned
some Of the most prominent Republicans
in Indiana to testify before the commit.
toe. Other witnesses will aid Senator Win
| dom in placing before the country in clear
and unprejudiced light the beginning and
causes of the exodus. Whilo Voorhees, has
| probably prevented his investigation from
| proving boomerang the outcome will be
so tame that Democratic campaign orators
will be able to extract little comfort from it.
The House democrats have concluded not
to unseat Mr.. Washburn of Minnesota, at the
present session, as they do not wish to give
him the help in his canvass for reelection
which the oyerturning Of his 5000 majority
over Donnelly would be sure to furnish
There will be time enough at the next session
to get him out of the way il the vote for
President is likely to be thrown into the House
and If it is not they may conclude to let Mr.
Washburn remain.
Speaker Randall confidently asserts that
Congress may adjourn by May 10, but he is
alone in this opinion. Indeed, Fernando
Wood says that unless some arrangement can
be made by which sessions for debate only
upon the Funding bill can be secured, that
measure alone is likely to occupy nearly a
months time. Every member of the COM
mttee desires to speak, aud in the speeches
OF these thirteen men all the various theories
which have been discussed in the committee
will, of course, be developed In addition to
these thirteen, some twenty other Represen-
tatives of the House have indicated their in
tentions to speak upon the Funding bill
Meanwhile the work of the Appropriations
Committee, so far Us passing any bills is con-
cerned, has yet to begin, notwithstanding the
session has already continued for longer
period than the constitutional limit of the
next session, which also has the Annual APP
preparation bills to pass
The following explanation relative to the
''Star mail service" of which so much has
been said during the present session Of Con
gress is of general interest: There are two
classes or contracts for carrying on the Unit
cd States mails-one by rail and steamboat,
and the other by land carriage and post riders.
The last named postal routes are designated
upon the official lists by an astersk, thus, =,
and hence they are known as 'star routes. -
At the last session of Congress, 50, 600 600
was appropriated to the star routes for the
purpose Of furnishing better mail facilities to
people upon the frontiers and in isolated To-
cations in the older states. This department
OF the service was placed under the control Of
Assistant Postmaster General Brady, who, in
the performance of his duty to furnish com
petent postal service seems to have been car
ried away by his personal interests or sympa.
thies, and to have authorized an expenditure
of about 80 600, 600 in excess of the appro-
pration. On making up his accounts for the
year, the Postmaster General shows the de-
hciency, asks for an extra appropriation to
cover 1t, and it is confronted in Congress by
the letter Of the law. As the appropriations
did not cover this extra cost the Postmaster
General was obliged to interfere and cry
Halt by the issue Of an order limiting the
amount Of service upon the star routes-in
some cases to a single mail a week II was
his right and duty thus to do but his action
has met with the severest criticism from those
sparsely settled localities which have e1pe-
rienced the benefits Of the extra and unlawful
service, and their Representatives in Con
gress are so strongly urged to vote for the ap-
preparation called for to make up the de6cen-
cy, that the bill is likely to pass, and Gen.
Brady, who is threatened with impeachment
is likely to hold his place in spite of his dis
regard of the law
The Supreme Court of the United States
has recently rendered three important decis-
ions affecting the validity of the Federal laws
intended to prevent the exclusion of colored
citizens from serving on juries. In the first,
or West Virginia case, the petitioner, color
ed man, who had been indicted for murder.
had been denied by the laws of the State the
legal protection of the laws which is guaran-
teed by the fourteenth amendment of the
Federal Constitution, inasmuch as those laws
excluded members of his race from serving
on juries The court holds that such exclu-
sion is denial of equal protection, and that
the section Of the Revised Statutes providing
for the transfer of such cases to the Federal
court is constitutional and applies in this par
ticlar case. Though its reasoning is very
clear, it is n fact worth noting that Justices
Field and Clifford dissent from the decision
The second is the case in which Judge Riv-
ers, of Virginia, figured conspicuously in tax
ing two colored prisoners out of the hands of
the State court and assuming jurisdiction of
their case, because although the laws of that
State do not exclude colored men from the
jury-box. there were in fact none on the Jury
which tried them, and their demand that
there should be was denied. The court holds
that this was not denial of equal protection
of the laws by the State and that there was
no ground for taking the case from the State
tribunal. The decision is, accordingly,
against Judge Riverss position and sends
the case back. The third case also comes
from Virginia and arises under the act of
March, 1875, providing penalty for the ex-
cluson of colored men from juries, Judge
Coles did effect such exclusion and was ar
rested and brought before the Federal court.
He claimed that the arrest was unwarranted,
and the court had no jurisdiction, but the
present decision is against him, and afirms
cases involve distinct points, and very clearly |
settle them.