Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1880-05-12
fFrom Our Regular Correspondent
Washington Letter.
WASHINGTON. d. c.. MAY s. 1880.

WASHINGTON, D. c., May s, 1880.
An extension of the congressional ii
brary seems TO be necessity, and we ma,
expect, at no distant date, 10 see anothe
magnificent public edifice in Washington
designed for the accommodation of thu
vast accumulation of books that ar,
now crowded on the shelves and piled
upon the floor of the halls of the capitol
There are in the library $4,000 volume
while there.s only shelf room for $50, 900
leaving $4,000 volumes to be piled on the
floor and stuck away in hooks and corners.
In addition to these volumes there ar,
10000 pamphlets and over 5000 bount
volumes of newspapers. besides large
number of valuable maps and charts, all
of which have to packed away like dry
goods in crowded store. If the library
was not in the charge of an exceptionally
able and efficient librarian its utility would
be almost wholly destroyed. Such thi ne
as retired corner or desk where anybody
Can quietly examine authorities and make
notes is an impossibility. The boxes o
books which are constantly being received
have to be opened under the very feet o.
visitors to the library. One-fourth oil
the books are not provided with shell
room, and when they are called for whole
ha rhat, ta1 rlr ra.
cesses ransacked. The want of proper
accommodation for books is causing the
destruction of a great many, and, on the
score of economy, better accommodations
are demanded.
The Senate has been the more active
House of congress during the week. Mr.
Alison's amendment to the bill authoriz-
ing II retired list for non-commssioned
officers, by which the president is required
to appoint two colored cadets annually to
West Point, was debated with some ami.
nation, General Burnside favoring it even
to the point of wishing the academy
abolished if it could not stand the color
test. Mr.. Hoar objected to embodying
race Determinations in legislation, and
Mr.. Dawes proposed five instead of two
appointments, leaving the president free
to make them of any color he pleased
Mr.. Conkling seemed inclined to stop
making any more white appointments
until the black mans past exclusion from
West Point has been amply compensated.
The Kellogg debate was renewed, and
the Indian bill passed,
The ways and means committee contin-
ued work on the tariff bill yesterday
nearly finishing it. The matter of salt is
still left in statu go but will probably be
disposed of on Saturday, when the com.
mittee will hold Il meeting to complete its
consideration and finally act upon the
measure. Members of the committee
now state it rs their positive belief that
the bill will be adopted on Saturday and
reported to the House early next week for
early consideration.
Senator Morgan introduced into the
Senate yesterday resolution providing
for the method of counting the electoral
vote. 1t is important, as it is supposed to
cmbody The views agreed upon at the
caucus held recently.
Greatly increased receipts from customs
continue to be reported. We are buying
foreign goods with old time extravaganza.
and the usual result will follow. By the
end of the year we shall be shipping gold
to Europe.