Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1881-09-24
Ess


When the Senate assemblies on the 10th of next
month. in obedience TO the proclamation of the
President. the body will ne without a head
There are some of the ableSt LAWYERS of the land
in the Senate. and they agree that the first bust
Ness in order will be the election of a secretary
To I'LL the vacancy caused by the death of Col.
Burch. The election of this officer will take prece
dencc because he will be necessary to enter
officially or record the election of presiding
officer. Following the choice of secretary.
and after the latter shall have been duly sworn
into Office. will be- the election of president
prot1mp0re. Meantime while these two officers
are being elected. three gentlemen in possession
of credentials from the states of New York and
Rhode Island. emitting them to represent the
former as whole and the latter in part as
Senators must remain without the pale
of the Senate. Though clothed with all
the authority that their respective states
can confer, the forlnality Ofan oath administered
by the presiding officer is required before they
can participate in the Senate's deliberations.
The exclusion of these three senatOrs-elect from
part in the choice Of officers will leave the dem
Gratis with temporary majority. and as it is the
rule in politics to make use of every advantage,
there is no reason 10 doubt that the DEM
ocrats will turn this opportunity TO account
The suggestion that they should waive the
advantage accruing to them in behalf of the
party which the people voted into power at the
last general election clearly meets with no favor
in the minds of democrats. Nor would it, prob
ably. with any other party under the same cir
cumstances. Senator Bayard, of Delaware, will,
there is every reason to believe be the choice of
the democrats for presiding officer. He is the
senior Senator of that party in service, and Ms
,arfx ali
honor properly belongs TO him. A better selec-
ton could not be made. nor one that would be
more acceptable to D. country Senator Bay
ard is pure man in private and public life, and
he is conservative in all things.
The report of the collector of taxes shows
that the receipts through his office for general.
personal and special assessment taxes aggre-
gate Cineuding $4,000 allowed for prompt pay
ment during the month of NOvember) nearly
two and a-ilaf million dollars. This furnishes
evidence of the fact that the citizens do pay
some taxes The report shows that tine item OF
penalty collected amounts to the sum of
SlOl 1851. A material fall Off in the revenues
derived from the tax on dogs is noted.
The collectors balance sheet, as here eX-
hbited shows an arrear balance of nearly
81. 900; 300. 900 of this is account of per-
sOnal taxes for banks and other institutions
and for arbitrary assessments. which have been
legally set aside in the case of banks and
largely reduced by adjustment in cases
where it is as arbitrarily imposed.
Another opportunity TO pay of this arrearage
at per centum interest in lieu of penalty
would close up nearly all this arrear balance.
II is hardly probable that the fractured YER
zebra of the dead President will be placed on
exhibition in the National Medical Museum as
stated. Such an exhibition would be in
wretched taste and would outrage public
feeling. section of Guiteau's dislocated