The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1881-01-18
WASHINGTON LETTER.
WASHINGTON. January 10, 1881

Special Correspondence Of the Floridian.l
Congress is at work again, and seems to be
really in earnest this time. The House has dis
posed of one appropriation bill and the Senate
of another since the recess. The funding bill has
been discussed for two days. but no vote taken
as yet. The facts are that over six hundred mil
lions of the five and six per cent. bonds fall due
in May and July, and must be paid in some way.
The only way to pay them is to borrow the
money from other parties and pay the holders Of
the bonds, and the question is, show low rate
of interest the bonds can be sold for at par ?"
Before the recess the Committee of Ways and
Means thought three per cent bond could be
floatcd, but several CT the members from the East
have consulted the moneyed men during the re-
cess, and now think that three and half per
cent. is the lowest rate that We can obtain. On
Monday, Speaker Randall and several leading
members of the House consulted with Senator
Sherman, and he thought that three and half
ought to be the rate, and that figure will proba
bly, be adopted
The Interstate Commerce bill has also been
discussed, and will come up again soon. This
measure proposes to curtail the rates of freights
on railroads and to prevent discrimination, and
should be passed, but powerful lobby has been
organized by the railroads TO prevent any action.
About seven hundred men have been named
TO fill the seven places in President Garfeld's
Cabinet Is is evident that somebody will be
disappointed. All the Cabinet builders have
about settled down to the fact that Blaine will
be Secretary of State. Outside Of that nothing
is really known. 1t is generally believed that
at least one man from the South will be In the
Cabinet, and Judge Settle has been named
amongst others as being possibility, though it is
generally believed that If only one man is drawn
it will be Ex-senator Alcorn of Mississippi. A
gentleman, who is supposed to be we'll posted,
said 10 your correspondent yesterday, that Gar
field would certainly put one ex rebel in the Cab
met because he believed that class would, better
than any other, represent the people Of the South
But everything, except as to Blaine, is mere con.
lecture.
Such weather has never been seen by the old
est nhabitant. There has been fifteen days of
continuous sleighing, and it is showing while
write The old liars, who tell of the bad wealth
er they have seen, are completely beaten. Here
tofore, when we had a bad speIl these venerable
prevaricators could always invent worse one,
way back in the dim ages of the past, but the
facts now Guido their Imagination, and they are
dumb-founded. The livery stable men enjoy 1t,
and the tinklipg of sleigh bells is continuous.
Your district has done well 10 returning Mr..
Davidson, for he is earning good name as a
working member of Congress; and though the
next House will be Republican. he will be re-
cognized as a man of ability on the Democratic
side. 7n
There is decided disposition amongst the re-
elected Democrats TO depose Sam. Randall from
the leadership in the next House, and II II is
done it will be the better for the party His
leadership has cost us the House, and the sooner
he goes overheard the better.
Malone of Virginia" as he registers himself,
has created quite sensation by his " manifesto"
on Virginia affairs All the leading papers are
commenting on it. Fer my part can see only
one result, and that lands Malone in the Repub-
lican party as the Southern leader. This might
be the best for the Democracy, as 1t will make
both Senate and House, as well as the President,
Republican, and there will be no divided respon-
ability as to legislation. Four years Of untram-
melled Radical rule will probably work Its own
cure, and give us Democratic President in 1884.
So mole it be. DUPLEX.