Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1880-12-04
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From our Regular Correspondent.

WASHINGTON, Dec. 3, 1880.
Upon the reassembling of Congress
on Monday three new members will
take their seats, one to fill vacancy
caused by death and two to occupy
seats made vacant by resignation
Mr.. Hewitt, of Alabama, comes in
place of Mr.. Lewis, deceased, while
Ezra B. Taylor, of Ohio, and Jona-
than Scoville, of New York, will oc-
cupy the seats which General Gar
field and Purgative Pellet Pierce
resigned. Another vacancy has just
been caused by the death of Evarts
w. Farr, of New Hampshire, but
that can scarcely be filled in time for
the opening of the session. Ii every
member were present there would be
292 Congressman in their seats, but
it would be marvel if more tina n
$50 answered to their names, and
that is a great deal more than an av-
erage attendance during the session.
For the next Congress the returns
from the back districts are now all
in, and it can be definitely stated
that the House will stand 153 Re
publicans to 40 Democrats-a clear
Republican majority of ID. This es-
innate accounts for every member
and places the few elected as indie
pendents and Greenbackers where it
is understood they will respectively
vote on political questions. One
striking feature of the new list that
attracted my notice in looking it over
is the many changes in the personnel
of the next House. One hundred
and four members who respond to
their names in this Congress have
been retired by the whirligig of time
and the fortunes of war, to private
life. In very few cases the absent
names will appear in other branches
Of the public service. Among the
most prominent members of the
present Congress who will not figure
in the next are Senators Thurman,
Eaton, Mcdonald, Sharon, Ran
dolph, Wallace, Herman, Withers
and Bruce; and Representatives
Sanford, Lewis and Lowe, of Ala
bama Davis, of California; Haw-
ley, of Connecticut; FELTON,, of
Georgia; Hayes and Fort, Illinois;
Bfchnell, New, Hostetter, Baker,
and De La Matyr, of Indiana; Price,
Weaver and Gillette, of Iowa
Thomas Turner, of Kentucky; Kim
mel and Henkel, of Maryland; Lor-
ing and Cheflin, of Massachusetts:
Singleton, of Mississippi; Wells and
Philips, of Missouri ; Clark, of New
Jersey Covert, Chittenden, Starin
and Lounsbury, of New York; Da-
Wis and Steele, of North Carolina
Mcmahon, Hurd, Ewing, Warner,
Monroe and Garfield, of Ohio; ely
mer, Wright, Killenger, COffroth
and White, of Pennsylvania; Bright,
of Tennessee Goode, Johnson, Har-
ris and Hunton, of Virginia; and
Bouck, of Wisconsin. Some of these
gentlemen declined denomination,
others were defeated in convention,
while others got left at the polls
Whether the changes are to be for
better or worse little time will tell.
The places of some of these men will
be hard to fill, but they say that in
such a body of great and good men
as the United States Congress a few
stars more or less can scarcely be
missed. The thought is encourage
ing.
A writing table made from tim
bers of the ship ResOlute was recent
ly received at the White House and
has been noticed by many visitors. -
1t is of oak and magnificently cary
ed piece of furniture. Upon one of
the smooth panels is the following
inscription: III. M. s. Resolute,
forming part of the expedition sent
in search of Sir John Franklin, in
1852, was abandoned in latitude "A
degrees IL minutes, longitude l0I de-
9reeS % minutes west, on the 18th
of May, 1854. She was discovered
in September, 1856, in latitude 81 de-
greeS north, by Captain Buddinton,
OF the y. s., whaler George Henry.
The ship Was purchased, fitted out
and sent to England as gift to her
majesty Queen Victoria by the Pres
ident and people of the United States
as token of good Will and friend
ship. The table was made from her
timbers when she was broken up
and is presented by the Queen of
Great Britain and Ireland to the
President of the United States as a
memorial of the courtesy and living
kindness which dictated the offer OF
the gift of the Resolute."
Mr.. A. Watson, the inventor and
introducer of the stamped newspa-