The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1881-02-19
WASHINGTON.
OUR SPECIAL LETTER.

The principal event of the week was the
counting of the electoral vote at a joint ses-
sion of both houses of Congress, which was
held in the Hall of Representatives. With
the exception of here and there in the aisles
and between the seats were seen the U. S.
senators, there was nothing to indicate that
anything unusual was Transporting. The
proceedings were opened with prayer by the
Chaplain, and shortly afterwards it was an
nouneed that the Vice President and Senate
had arrived. Vice President Wheeler took
his seat on the right side of Speaker RAN
dali, and having called the assembly to
order, stated that the electoral vote would
be counted and appointed Messrs. Thurman
and Hamlin on the part of the Senate and
Messrs. House and Crowley on the part OF
the House to act as tellers. These gentle
men having taken their places at the clerks
desk the Vice President said az open the
package purporting to contain the certificates
Of election of the State of Alabama, and
had the certificate to be reported. This he
repeated in the case of each State, and the
certificate having been read lie announced
the number Of votes which had been cast
and for whom. The entire list of States
having been gone through Senator Thur
man announced that James A. Garfield ol
the State of Ohio had received 2l4 votes and
Winfield s. Hancock of PENNSYLVANIA had
received 1855 votes. Senator Thurman made
a similar statement regarding the vote for
Vice President, to which Senator Conklng
responded with an emphatic "good." The
Vice President then announced that the
business for which the two houses had as
senbled was completed and that the Senate
would return to the Chamber That is
about the whole of the proceedings which
mark so important an event IN the political
history of the country.
The Patent Office, which by law is com
PEELED to be sustaining in its operations,
continues to mako good showing, 10th
financially and as rejecting she Ingenuity
and inventive power OF the American peo ,
pie. The annual report for 1850 aggregates
the receipts for the yeag at $7f9,5S5 toAl
expenditures, 1888, ,S6j; leaving balancebf
S2l0,S20. The total amount TO ihe credit If
the patent fund TO January /, 1881, WIS
ST 1881 ,63l 1926 The effort to divert this
money to the educational fund, however
meritorious in some respects, would Ue an
injustice to the inventors of the country
which should not be allowed. 1t would he
far better TO pass law lessening the patent
fees as an additional encouragement to in
Vention, for no man of intelligence can fail
to understand that American inventions
have been among the most civilizing and
wealth producing factors of the age.
The preparations here for the inauguration
display are now rapidly passing out of pro
posals and talk into labor and material, and
every street which intersects Pennsylvania
avenue, from the Treasury to the Capital
bears eyidence that the work is well begun.
AT each street intersection, both on the north
and on the south side arches have been
commenced. Their foundations are of iron
pipe, driven into the ground, from which
neat arches will spring for decoration, to
represent the various States. These do not
cross the avenue but flank it, continuing the
building line, ana in this way, as all the
buildings will be adorned, that spacious
thoroughiare will show on each side line
of ornalnentation, broken by no intervening
streets, forming a notably unique design
The fine arch at Fifteenth street is further
advanced than the smaller arches. There
will be canvas paviions extending from
each of the street railways which pass tine
Smithsonian grounds to the ball room ut the
National Museum. A temporary but COM
modious supper hall is to be built upon the
lot adjoining the National Museum Most
of the smaller halls OF the city are being
fitted up as lodging rooms. A grand view
platform is now being finished, opposite
Centre market by the inaugural committee
1t will contain several thousand seats, whose
rental will aid to defray the expenses of the
celebration. AS the time for the inaugura-
ton approaches robberies and the picking oi
pockets increase. Several gentlemen report
losses from pckpockets to the police to day
1t is evident that large body of special po
lice will be needed Tor the city duri;.g in
auguration times.
The Hon. John. c. New, of Indiana, who
is being urged as a member of General Gar.
fields Cabinet arrived here tonight He
claims to have the support of the Indiana
Republicans for the position.
Two measures of magnitude and import,
anee got black eyes this week. One is Pen
sion Commissioner Bentey's travelling court
scheme which he attempted to have fastened
to an appropriation bill in the Senate, anC
which, alter an exhaustive debate, was rul LED
that square vote on the measure would
have resulted in defeat quite as decisive
The other measure set back is the Rivol
and Harbor Bill. It was a genuine surprise
This annual swindle generally comes out o.
committee So arranged that a large majority
Of the House Ia pledged TO it, and it is crowd
ed through under suspension of the rules
Mr.. CoX's witty speech against it last win.
ter will be remembered but it was of no
avail for the Sl0,000,000 appropriated had
been adroitly divided up among the mem.
bers representing different districts, includ.
ing all the runs and duck ponds. But TIL:
time Mr.. Cox got in a home thrust by show.
ing that the members of the Commerce Com.
mlttee had, under an apparent mutual ar,
rangement, set apart the lions share of inc
appropriation for their own districts. The
total amount appropriated by the bill was
81 ,000,0 900, Of which, according TO the fig
ures presented bv Mr. Cox, the fifteen mem.
bers of the committee proposed to distribute
SIS 100000 where it would do the most good
for the fifteen. Some Of the objects aoprop
rated for in the bill are important publ,
works, but a majority Of the appropriation
probably are for small streams which could
not be made navigable unless they wer,
conyerted into canals. Perhaps the com
bination may rally sufficiently to get th,
bill through the next effort, but it is to b,
hoped not. This annual steal Is becomin.
better understood every year, and the op
position to it grows. IL ought to be entitle.
A bill to assist the re election of CERTAIN
members of Congress" by the distribution o
money among their constituents.
The body Of Joseph Penrose, "a years old
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