The south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1879-1883, 1881-02-22
WASHINGTON LETTER
WASHINGTON. Fee. 10. 1881.

morning. and az early as 10 O'Clock
every available in the galleries was
occupied. The spacious area OF the
rotunda was 80 packed thar scarcely,
room TO walk around was Afforded,
aud the old halIot the House, now
known as ,Statnary Hall. was equally
crowded. AT II o'clock, the hour
liked for tile meeiing.of the joint
convention of the two houses, the
vast hall of the House and the Tiers
OF galleries which rise above il pre-
senlel an animated aud interesting
spectacle. The attendance of mem.
bers of the House was unusually
large, and there would have been no
such trouble as has been experienced
50, often during this session of OBJ
tanning a quorum. The diplomatic
gallery had % large proportion of The
attaches of the Chinese. and Japanese
legations, and sprinkled amongst
them were great many who do hot
belong TO the diplomatic corps, but
who, somehow or other. always man.
age 10 avail themselves OF the dipio-
matte gallery Whenever desirable.
There was u noticeable absence OF
any members Of The Presidents house,
hold, who, by courtesy, are always
accorded seats in the diplomatic gal
lery. aud prominent member of the
House OIL the Republican side, in
commenting ON this, said, s'0t course
they don I care to see a fair count il
might make Them feel badly"
Just before the hour arrived, per-
missioniwas accorded to Lie anxious
crowtll OF ladies', wives. daughters,
and friends Of members, who were
waiting In the corriders Unable 10
find room in tile galleries, TO come N,
on the floor, and they rushed in pell-
nell, sweeping everything before
them like a pent-up water-coursc
which has broken It's confines. Sofas,
chairs, aud the seats OF members were
taken possession Of without formaliiy
OF request. Tho waspih Mi. Conger,
lwho, irue 10 himself, had objected,
to the admission vi the ladies and
Called for division when the qnes-
ton was pltby the Speaker, stood
surveying The scene with grim dis
satisfaction, but took good care TO dc.
iend his own seat against all attacks.
The dignifed aud soleinn procession
of Senators came in promptly at the
hour, headed byao,viccl President
Wheeler leaning on the, arm OF Sec
relary Burch, close behind whUnf
Lcanls the. venerable Isaac Bass Ell, the
faithful major-domo Of the Senate,
bearing as he has on SO many occa-
sions, the mahogany Dukes which are
the receptacle Tor tile electoral votes.
Four years oso, when he came into
Hhe hal1 0f tne iIpuse.with the boxes
containing tiie precious documents,
he was in the middle ot u solid plia-
lianx vi determened men armed 10 the
teeth aud ready 10 defend the custody
OF The boxes against MI assailanis.
4 40 day 10 was only their shield and
fguardian. VNse~' Y 70
This is not the only respect in which
the court OF Wednesday differed from
that otiour Years ago, which was pro
longed through three weeks of ai,x.
icty and excitement and Terminated
in swild scene upon the floor OF the
House and tho final shame of inau-
grating the wrong man. On the pre-
sent occasion there was no excitement
and after The count began, the pro
cee,lingsi we're decidedly mopotonou'
and uninterestil z Senator Conklins
came in fifteen minutes alter the read
ing OF The certificates began and gave
his admirers All opportunity toiloOf
ut him. His conscious manner show,
\ ell that he knew be was the observed
of all observers, aud that was his oh
i ject. r8Jn gE
| Ii seems pretty certain that, among
other important matters 10 fail with
the end OF the session, the nomina-
ton of Stanley Matthews is one.
There Is no logger any doubt that lht
Judiciary Committee OF the Seuate i;
opposed to him. Both Senators
Thurman anu .Edmunds are among
4 his most earnest opponents, Mr.
Matthews ability and fitness is moi
questioned, but his views upon the
relations OF railway corporations "a
the people, as indicated by his course
pending the Thurman bill two years
I ago, renders his nomination objec.
lionable, especially at this time when
q conflict is felt to be impending. II
Ills understood here that, in addition
TO the other influences working
against him, Influential friends 81
General Garfield are moving in The
same line. IL is held that The new
President ought to have something 10
say in the matter. The idea which ID
. apiIhaling his friends who arc active,
is that il would 'bes proper and ex.
pcdient thing tor the South to have
| disappointment In Tile person Of one
OF her representative Democrats, sey,
| eral of whose names are mentioned
4 In this connection. As it is settled
that justice Clifford will never be
able torresume his seat on the bench,
Justice Field is left as tile only Demo-
cratic member of the court. Lie
d would therefore, 10 that extent al
least, divest the court of its present.
almost absolute and entire partner-
ship sAl5N@ 9A g.
Now that the appropriation bills
are under consideration in Congress,
members Of both houses are express
sing some curiosity as TO where the
money came from 10 pay the expell-
ses Of the extensive trip made by
President Hayes and suite TO the Pa
! citic coast and back last summer and
fall. The party consisted ofrabo,t
twenty persons, and the round trip
covered o journey of somewhere iil
/ the ueighborhood Of 5000 miles, via
Umaha, Salt Lake, San Francisco,
Tucson, and Santa Fc. The army
furnish transportation, escorts, &c,
through Arizona and New Mexico,
| In anumber of instances the railroads
did not charge for the conveyance OF
the party, but The actual expenses of
the trip are said TO have been in ex-
cess of $4,000, and members of Con-
gress seem 10 think that the appro-
priations for the army were drawn
ON although it is not seen until what
| authority of law this could be done.