The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1880-02-21
SPECIAL CORRESPONDENCE.
Our Letter from Washington.
WASHINGTON, d. c., Feb. II, 1856

WAsHINGIoN, ID. c., Feb. Il, 1850.
The past week has been somewhat notable
for the number of billS that have been pre-
sented in Congress. About l75 were offered
In one day, prominent among which was n
bill of Repre- sentative Young (Ohio) creating
q Department of Manufactures, Mechanics
and Mines. This Department will il created
be OF great value to The country at large but
especially to the West, us one of the princi-
pal ideas Is To secure information and statis-
ties as To the location of the mineral lands of
the United States, their development, and
the quantities produced annually. Financial
matters continue to be agitated and Secretary
Sherman appeared before the Committee Of
Ways and Means Of the House of Roprcsen-
tatives, aud his views regarding the length of
time Ihe nr1y bonds ought to run were some
what modified. He acknowledged n prefer
enCe for thirty year bond at four per cent,
yet thought, in view Of the present prosper
Gus condition of the cOunlry that n longer
bond at lower rate 81 interest might be
toated with considerable success In any
event he was prepared to execute satistdc-
torily, so tar as he possibly could, whatever
law Congress should uass ON the subject.
Senator COckrell tAlO.) from the COmmit-
tee on Military Affairs has reported uuiaYOr-
ably on bill granting pension to the Wild
ow OF General Custer. Senator Edmunds,
(Vt.) In speech delivered to the Senate was
so much annoyed by conversation on the floor
OF the chamber that he remarked that hc
would feel called upon to submit resolution
that the Sergeant-at- Arms he furnished with
guns, swords, pistols dirks, bayOnets aud
OlDef weapons, Offensive anu defensive, 10 see
II he could not enforce the rules of the senate
Senator Garland Ark reported q bill from
the Judiciary Committee nIncndatOry of the
present laws relating TO bigamy and p0lyga
my. II imposes penalty of not more than
$500 and not more than hive years imprisOn
ment upon every person who has a husband
or wife living aud who hereafter marries an
other. This provision does not extend to any
person whose husband or wife is absent fol
hye successive years, and is not known to b'
living nor 10 any person whose lawful mar
riaKe has been annuiled 10y the decree Of /
competent court.
Secretary of the Interior Schurz, is proceed
ing very cautiously in placing II uhiet at IN,
head OF the Bureau of Indian affairs. I'll,
manner in which he has recently been treate,
has evidently made him very cautious, an,
there Is no doubt but that the Ildiau Bureau
will be placed in charge of some man VIII
Will honestly and consc.cntiuusly exercise III
duties-oi lie Office. The policy Ot the Govern
ment towards the Indians is very largel
shaped by the Indian Bureau, consequent
u Is absolutely necessary that the affair
should be eminently straightforward aud hOl
est beyond any question. Ii is requisite tina
the lndian Affairs should be munlg ed wisel
and every treaty stipulation faithfully eXecu
ed. The lndians must be protected in tl
future in the matter Olcontracts and supple
ant their reservations shall be freed FROM II
vasiun. The belief in the Capital is that Sc
Tetary Sehurz is determined TO end these II
dian wars 50 tar as IL lies in the power OF Il
Interior department so to do.
I he proposed reduction in the duty G
printing paper Is exciting considerable attic
aud my lilt having that end In view will
strongly opposed by the p2ner makers OF a
cuuutTy, IL is maintained thai the large a
vance whlc. has recently taken place Is pur
4 ly ui a speculative character while tho aE
Manufacturers assert that Il Is entire
owing 70 tho scarcity Of rags both in th
eOun.ry and in European districts where the
are lnainly collected. There is one thif
pretty certain the newspapers who have q
ma ter of cheap paper largely at heart wi
not allow any clique TO rule the prices, ,if the
is no good grounds for so doing.
General Ruggles Of Virginia appeared b
forn the Senate Committee on AgrtCultu
and explained his method Of preclpltatiI
TainfAlls by conclusion. he proposes to SCI
mp to The clouds, cartridges Of explosive m
teriais, b. means Oi skeleton bailOOneTs al
20 explode them there BY electricity W fust
Ho aiaims by this method that he can eonso
date m'3is passing over exceedingly dry
gions, and thereby create raiutalls when al
where required. He wants Congress 10 te
The matter as regaFds is practlesbiiity tn Il