The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1880-04-03
SPECIAL CORRESPONDENCE.
OUR WARRINGTON SPECIAL.
WAsH1NernN. March 81. 1850.

OUR WASHINGTON SPECIAL.
WAsHINeToN, March 81, 1880.
II appears to be generally understood now
that the anticipated early adjournment Of
Congress can not take place. Speaker Ran
dali has up to within few days held to
the opinion that an end of the session could
be reached before the time of either Of the
National Conventions, or as early as the goth
of May, but l think he, with everybody
else, has now abandoned the idea. The
chances for it haye grown beautifully less
with each passing day. 1t is now almost
the 1st of April, and as yet none of the
more important appropriation bills such as
the legislative and sundry civil bills, have
not even been considered by the Appropri-
alton Committee. 1t would puzzle stu
dent Of the proceedings of the legislative
bodies to tell just what the Forty-sxth
Congress has done during the four months,
nearly, that it has been in session. While
talking about the adjournment it may be
interesting to look back over the record of
Presidential years in the past, from which
it will be seen that !he lst of August is
about an average, though it is to be hoped
we shall not be stuck that bad this year.
The following are the dates 1882, July 1G;
1886, July 4; 1910, July 81; 1874, June II;
1913, August ID 1852, August 81 1856, ,Au-
gust is; 1860, June 25; 1864, July 4; 1868,
July 81 1872, June 10; 1876, August Is.
The rather sudden turn taken in the pro-
ceedings relative to the Federal election
laws may possibly result in letting the
Democrats down easily in that matter. A
debate similar to that Of the extra session
was threatened, and in view of the decision
of the Supreme Court touching the Consti-
tutionality Of these laws, the position of the
Democrats in their efforts TO annul them
was little uncomfortable but the Springer.
Garfield Amendment, making the execution
of these laws strictly non partisan. by pac-
ing the appointment oil Marshals with the
courts and dividing them equally between
the parties, is accepted as an unexpected
and happy issue of these difficulties. There
is feeling among Republicans that Gener-
al Garfield made II mistake in advocating
this proposition and thus throwing away
the great advantage held by his party.
am not sure that he does not himself so re-
gard it now, as he voted no on the final
adoption of the amendment. 1t was a
rather curious circumstance to see a member
voting against his own proposition, but that
is what General Garfield did. 1t is gener-
ally understood that the President will sign
the bill as passed.
1t is drawing near to the time for the
Census takers to commence operations
June lst-yet the appointment of Supervs-
ors is not completed There seems to be a
good deal of difficulty in fixing them up to
suit both the President and the Senate
Much curiosity and speculation as to our
population is being INDUCED, and private
statisticians are at work to see how near
they can come by calculation and estimate
to the actual figures. One of these puts the
present population in round numbers at 49,
273,000, which would make the gain since
1870 less than 100000. In work, pub
lished a good while ago, three per cent. of
population was added to the total number
Of each year, and the estimate was found to
correspond very closely to the figures of the
census. The estimate for 1870 was 4O,6l7,-
COZ the census was only 3s,5jS,37l; but
the destruction of life by the civil war had
not, of course, been anticipated. The esti-
mate for 1880 was 54,jG3,79j. The gam
from 1910 to 1850 was G,l22 900 from 1850
to 1860, $3.50 900; from 1850 to 1870, T.
10000. During the 10 years from 1860 to
1870, Massachusetts, gained 226,OOO, and
New York 100000. These figures show
gain over the previous decade, and it Is
claimed and acknowledged that the South
ern and Western States haye gained more
rapidly in the past nine than in the pre-
vious ten years. Therefore the estimate of
the statistician above quoted seems to be far
too low. According to the best information
| procurable, and the most careful calcula-
tions, the census will show the population
in 1850 to be fully $4,000 900 or a gain Of
nearly 100000 over the population ten
years before. The general estimate has
been between 47OOO,COO and $4,000, goo and
there is small doubt that this will prove to
be correct. 1t might be gratifying to the
national pride to turn jO,0OO,OOO but pride
and arithmetic have nothing in common.
The proposed pension legislation is at
tracing great deal of attention now. The
accumulated thousands of unadj justed cases
before the Pension Bureau demands some
relief or some avenue of adjustmentu&ough
do not think there is any dIspdFion to
legislate to further increase the ground OF
claims for pensions. These are liberal
enough, notwithstanding, numerous propo-
sitions of individual members to extend
them. Judge Geddes, OF the House Pension
Committee has prepared bill the object OF
which is to provide court for the adjudi-
cation OF disallowed or rejected cases. There
are about four thousand of these now be-
fore Congress-oases rejected for one cause or
other by the Department, and come to Con-
gress for relief, many Of which possess merit
that could be established by judicial inquiry.
Some such tribunal is now likely to be