Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1882-05-13
Letter from Washington.
WASHINGTON, May s, 1882.
Register Special.

Register Special.
Congress got out of breath on Saturday
and passed the tariff commission bill. 1t
strikes me since Congress has seen mt to
farm out this much of their duties it would
be a good idea to delegate the balance of
their work to board Of experts or a COM
petent commission and 60 home. A great
ernumber of human asses never congre-
gated together before than is in this 47th
Congress. They really do not understand
their duty to the people and the country;
this bill is simply cunning dodge on
part of both parties to postpone action on
this important matter until after 1884, then
possibly the country may get the desired
relief. The commission 10 De appointed
(of old political hacks will sit until next
December, draw their pay of $40 per day;
they will report Il lot of stuff to Congress
which will have no more bearing on the
subject of tariff than an Ingersoll sermon
has on a mule. Congress in turn will vote
the report made by this commission in
sufficient and there the matter will rest
until after 1884 or Gabriel blows his horn.
This subject belongs entirely to Congress
and they have no right to delegate to
others the duties they have sworn to per-
form to individuals or commissions; if
Congress is to be dry nursed in its duties
by commissions we had better abolish it
at once and have board of experts. The
people should take good care that those
members who voted for this bill should
remain at home in the future and rest
themselves from the cares OF looking alter
the country's needs and the peoples inter-
ests. The vote stood, yeas l5l, nays 50.
The following is the full text of the bill:
To provide for the appointment of commits
sion to investigate tne question of the tariff,
Be it enacted. etc.
That commission is hereby created to be
called the Tariff Commission" TO consist oil
nine members.
Section 2. That the President of the United
States shall, by and with the advice and consent
of the Senate, appoint nine commissioners from
civil life, one of whom, the first named, shall be
president OF the commission. The commission
ers shall receive as compensation for their SER
vices each at the rate of ten dollars per day when
in active duty, and actual travelling and other
necessary expenses. The commission shall nave
power to employ stenographer and messen-
GER and the foregoing compensation and ex-
penses to be audited and paid by the Secretary
of the Treasury ont of any moneys in the Treas
ury not otherwise appropriated.
Section That it shall be the duty OF said
commission to take into consideration and to
thoroughly investigate all the various questions
camille, manufacturing, mining and industrial
interests of the United States, so far as the same
may be necessary to the establishment of ju-
dicious tariff, or revision of the existing tariff
upon scale of justice TO all Interests, and Tor
the purpose OF fully examining the matters
which may come before it. said commission, IN
the prosecution OF its inquiries, ID empowered to
visit such different portions aud sections OF the
country as it may deem advisable.
Section 4. That the commission shall make to
Congress final report of the results OF its inyes-
tgation and tue testimony taken in the course OF
the same, not later than the first Monday in De-
cember, eighteen hundred and eighty-two; and 1t
shall cause the testimony taken to be printed
from time to tlme and distributed to members
of Congress by the Public Printer, and shall also
cause TO be printed for the use Of Congress two
thousand copies OF its final report, together with
the testimony.
Major Twining, late commissioner of
the District of Columbia was buried to-
day with military honors as was also Adj
miral Rogers of the Navy. The grief OF
the citizens was displayed in various ways,
the District offices and public schools
were closed, but the great national circus
gave its regular performance.
A bill was introduced in the House and
Senate today to reinstate Fitz John Porter
to his rank in the army at the time of his
dismissal by court martial. The President
has pardoned Porter but could not rein
state him in the army without the con-
sent Of Congress.
There is very large size sensation in
the Treasury Department. The facts in
the case are under investigation by the
Grand Jury. There seems to be culpa-
BILE negligence, or right down. villainy,
on part of the officials in the Bureau of En-
craving and Printing-there has been
Stolen with or without knowledge of those
in charge 81 900 bond, plain from which
very large amount of impression have
been taken and put upon the country;
and it is asserted, by those who claim to
know what they are talking about, that
certain persons high in official power have
been benefited by this robbery.
The Treasury Department began to-day
to state the drafts 10 pay the Quartermas-
ter claims passed by Congress. There is
a large number of these claims belonging
to West Virginia. REA.