Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1880-01-23
Our Washington Letter.

SENATE MATTERS DULL TINES on NEWS
PAPER Row-TIIE INDIAN AND TIE CHINA
HAN.
WASHINGTON, DC, Jan. 10, 1880.
To the Editor of the Free Press and Times:
The Senate has not been in session for
three days, but an adjournment from Thurs
day To Monday does not necessarily mean
rest and recreation To our legislative Solons.
Tho toll Of Senator docs not consist cXclu
sivcly in making dull speeches to his listlcss
brothers. There is committee work to per
form wherein knotty questions of law, of
finance and of all the multifarious questions
that come within the purview of National
polity are discussed and partially digested
before they are reported TO the Houses of
Congress in session assembled
Senator Morrilrs speech on refunding the
public debt has attracted more attention
here than any recent speech in the Senate
and the expression of his views on the cur
rency, which il is understood he is prepar
ing, is awaited with much interest by all who
are giving attention TO our financial prob
lens
In matter of political intelligence of a SEN
sational character, this Is the dullcst Winter
in the memory Of the grayest haired deni-
zen of Newspaper Row. Congress will not
be agitatcd The warfare of sections seems
actually to be over Whether this state of
things has been brought about by an exhaus-
ton of the question, by the return Of pros
perity, or by the countcr-irritant in Maine,
it is impossible to tell but peace in our
like it, has come nj last How long it will
stay, remains to he seen.
The House Committee on Education and
Labor discussed for four hours, Saturday
morning, Representative Goodies bill pro
hibiting Chinese immigration, and finally de
cided 10 report favorably upon IT, striking
out the section which provides for the abro-
CATION of articles five and six of the Bur
lingame treaty The hill prohibits the land
ing within the jurisdiction of the United
States, or taking on board at any point
in China, or any foreign port. for the
purpose of landing in the United
States, II greater number than fifteen Chinese
passengers upon any vessel, under penalty of
500 fine, and Imprisonment not exceeding
six months for each Chinese passenger above
the number Of fifteen. IL requires the mas
tiers of vessels 10 accompany their manifest
Of cargo with sworn list Of Chinese passcn-
gers 1t also provides that the penalties
imposed for the violations of the provisions
of the bill shall be liens ON the vessels violat-
ing them. Ii excludes from the restrictions
of the bill persons officially connected with
the Chinese government or any embassy
thereof or To persons rescued from ship
wreck.
The Ute chief, Ouray, has been in the city
for some days and has had frequent confer
cnccs with the Secretary of the Interior. lie
has confessed his inability to deliver over to
Justice the murdcrcrs and ravlshcrs OF the
Meckcr family, but proposes to select band
of his own tribe and hunt to death the male
factors. He dcprccatrs the idea that ms
whole race should suffer for the outragcs
committed by few. 1t is not the policy of
Secretary Schurz to hurry the matter, hut to
delay, if possible 10 secure II surrender oi the
guilty Indians, until the weather shall favor
military operations. Yours Mn
Ii requires only two hours now to 60 from
Philadelphia to New York.