The Dillon tribune. [volume] (Dillon, Mont.) 1881-1941, 1882-07-01
CarrsSvoQdsgrs.
WASHINGTON LETTER
Uno @s regular csnsspoaAsae.j

,
More Progress has been made bv Con.
gress during the last few days than during
the whole month previous. The hot
weatner and the necessity Of looking after
Congressional fences about this session Of
tne year combine to inspire the assembled
wisdom Of the Nation with the thoughts OF
an early adjournment. The Ways and
Means Committee seeks to fix Iuly 10th as
the final day Of the session, and it is now
thought that all the remaining appropri.
attons can be disposed Of by that time.
There are several important measures other
tnan these which ought to BE- acted upon
before adjournment, but they have been
postponed and played with SO long that
there inc. Is now little chance Of passing them
Though Congress has been in session near.
~ seven months no measures Of National
Importance have been passed, except the
act for the suppression OF Mormonism and
the doubtful Chinese legislation. The
great questions Of civil service improve
ment, internal taxation nd the tariff have
simply been neglected teinporized WITH
1t ~ palPable fact that our present race
OF statesmen do not urageously take hold
OF the living practical questions of the day.
Our legislators are r"t statesmen but poll
ticions whose highest conception OF duty is
their own interests, and who look upon the
surplus revenues as belonging to them, to
nklog.rolled out where it will do the most
gOod. Because Of this, and their seeming.
y irresistible penchant for bungling and
tinkling and doing actual mischief, the
public generally experiences sense Of re.
lief when the sessions end. An illustration
of the stupid way in which legislation is
ground out is furnished in the Japanese
Indemnity bill, which, as 1t passed the Sen.
ate, required the President to pay Japan
$4,000 out Of his own pocket. The bill
was debated for weeks, and finally passed
in this blundering shape, with the addi.
tional disgrace of refusal to return all that
should have been returned, after keeping
the money wrongfully taken over twenty
years, until the principal and interest runs
into millions. An amusing incident oc.
Cured in the Senate or Monday. The
bill to extend the charters of National
banks was under consideration, and Sena.
tor Voorhees, was delivering carefully
prepared speech, which was being listened
to with marked attention. Outside Sc.
we're rain and wind storm was raging, and
small sparrow flew in one of the open
windows and found its way to the Senate
chamber. The little bird hoped about
quite lively upon the rail which encircles
the gallery, at the same time chirping away
~ - 81 COT sWs@' AuS osSIlllCN OCuAtOI0 I'm.
rnediately withdrew their attention from
the speaker and eagerly watched the
antics Of the sparrow. In vain the Senator
from Indiana endeavored to hold the atten.
ton OF his hearers; they were too much
taken up with tide bird. He finally direct.
ed one Of the page boys to go up into the
gallery and capture the sparrow, and then
proceeded with his speech. After it was
all over some one remarked; "Well,
wouldn't have thought that sparrow was
more attractive than speech from Da,,
Voorhees,"
Department grief is a noticeable feature
Of the Capital. Whenever former head
Of an executive department is called to rest
the department is closed the day OF the
funeral, although It may take place thou
sand miles away. These opportunities to
".estify respect" cannot come too frequent
ly for the employees, and It is quite com.
mon thing for the employees Of depart.
ment to calculate how many prospective
extra holidays IRE in store for them by
counting up the number Of ex.heads Of
their department who are yet to die. Ex-
Governor Dennison, who died few days
ago, was formerly Postmaster General,
and the department is consequently draped
In mourning again, that put on for ex. Post
master General Maynard having been tax.
en- down but a few days before. The em.
ployees gave vent to their grief on the oc-
casion Of his funeral BY attending picnics
and excursions. Dom PEDRO.