Montgomery County sentinel., 1882-02-10
CHIPS FROM THE CAPITOL.
coRREspoNDENcE OF THE SENTINEL.

responding Time, while the difference IN tne
size and importance of the two may be seen
from the fact that while the census of 1870
fills less than 5000 pages, the new one will
fill 10000, and fill them with valuable mat
ter, too, from cover TO cover.
The literal size of the "straw bond" cases
In Washington may be inferred from the
fact that two bushels of bids made by one
member of the "star ring being the amount
OF single contract letting, was recently
brought into Court, and properly the Judge
dsregarded the motion TO have them all
read-only 100000
In speaking of this star letting busne IS,
| and which has of late taken so much of pub
lie interest, for the benefit of your readers
your correspondent would remark that Rep
resentative Springer, of Illinois, proposes to
prevent, if he can, further star route frauds
by appending TO the clause Of the appro
priation bill providing for the inland trans
portation of the mails proviso that no con
tract shall be enlarged and no service ex-
pedited until after the advertising and sub
| letting thereof, in the same manner as the
| original contract. 1t will be remembered
that one of the excuses set up by Brady was
| that the power 10 expedite routes was dis
cretionary with him, and that Congress had
confirmed the exercise of his discretion by
| an extra appropriation 10 meet additional
| expense thus incurred. Under Mr. Spring
er's proviso the service would be performed
at the lowest rate mentioned in any of the
bids, instead of, as heretofore, at rate arbi-
| trarily fixed by the Second Assistant Post
master General.
There has been much speculation to-day
at the Capitol over the fact that for the first
time since the government resumed specie
payment the last of the past week the rate
of exchange on London reached in New
York point which makes the expectation
| of gold by the merchants and bankers profit
able. When it is not possible TO pay debt
Of one pound sterling in London with four
dollars and ninety cents in Wall street it is
then more advantageous to ship gold to pay
the obligation than TO purchase bills of ex-
change from the bankers in order to do so.
1t is stated that the steamship City of Ne
vada, which left New York the 31st of Jan
uary, took from this country a million and
quarter of dollars in gold. 1t is not strange
to suppose or to realize that an incident like
this would starte Wall street, and it shows
that our financial condition is not what it
ought to be. Within the past two or three
years this country has drawn from Europe
two hundred millions in gold, and still the
fact that the tide has barely turned creates
more or less alarm. 1t is estimated that
there is now gold coin in circulation in this
country amounting to $469,000,000. The
paper currency outstanding amounts, in
round numbers, to $70,O00,000. Every pa
per dollar issued crowds out and displaces
a coin dollar. After the amazing prosperity
of the recent past, if there had been no pa
per money in this country not bottomed on
coin our coin reserve, so to speak, would
now be in excess of one thousand millions,
instead Of being less than five hundred mil
lions In a country like ours, which pro-
duces the precious metals and which needs
TO buy little while it has so much to sell
which other nations require, the expectation
OF fifty times that amount ought to excite
no more alarm than would a demand for an
equal amount in value of wheat or corn,
and it would not but for our extreme wor-
ship of paper money systems
If Mr. Blaine possesses the astuteness with
which he is credited he will hereafter main
tain dignified and impressive silence rela-
tive to his recent unwarranted performances
in South America, for each explanation made
by him only serves to illustrate the extent
of his betrayal of the trusts confided to him,
and TO make more apparent the sinister meth
ods adopted by him for furthering, for some
reason which can only be conjectured in the
absence of proof, the schemes of the Peru
Wan company. IL was not until Congress
called for the correspondence that the pas
sage threatening to suspend diplomatic re-
lations was discovered by the president
When it is remembered that, in addition to
this act of personal as well as official treach-
cry, Mr.. Blaine endeavored TO make the
country believe that President Arthur was
responsible for the performance, something
like the full measure of the ex-secrctary' S
unworthiness can be realized. We rather
think that Mr.. Blaine will not get the nom-
ination for President in 1884
Gen. Sherman is only siXty-two years old,
and though his vigor is apparent there are
persons who wish him to retire. Molkte
was sixty-iour when he won his first great
battle
Attorney General Brewster was paid, be-
fore he became the head of his Department,
$4,000 for his services in the star route cases.
Col. Bliss, who has charge of the same, gets
an equal amount
Sunset Cox has just made and had extern
sively published a speech against the further
retention of the Irish prisoners by the au-
thorites of England This is but one of the
many ways that Cox has of bostering him
self up with the voters Of his district
There is much anxiety to know what the
large delegation of Mormons who have re-
Gently arrived will have to say to the speedy
settlement of the Utah question by the abo-
lition of polygamy.
Postal savings banks are now before Con-
gress for its consideration The success with
which the postal money order system has
been crowned should assure a trial at least
of the plan proposed for these banks. There
is but little doubt that they will meet the
desired end and result in benefit to the ma
ton as well as to its people.
"Gentleman George" Mr. Pendleton, OF
Ohio, says that "Young Greenbacks" has no
idea of the Presidency. The country will
be glad to hear this-the Democratic party
and the country have long since grown tired
Of Mr.. Pendleton.
Representative Urner has succeeded in
having postofilce established at Shaws
Mill, To be called "Glen." G. W. Burroughs,
the present mail carrier, is take that place in
his route at an additional pay of S64 per
year.
The quarrel between Blaine and President
Arthur, for it is idle to attempt TO disguise
the TACT that the antagonism is now promi-
nent between these two gentlemen, is the
main topic of conversation with Republican
members of Congress.
AS predicted in my last letter, il is now
said that the recent Federal appointments
in Maryland will pan out great danger to
the Republican party of that State. Those
OF the party who are opposed toa third term
are loud and deep in their threats.
The House voted, on Saturday last TO pay
ex-Sergeant Thompson, of the House, the
sum of $4,000, which amount he had incur
red by reason OF the obsequies attending the
late President Garfield.
The President will give his first State din
ner on the 14th of February. Many cards
were issued to-day to leading Republicans.
Comparative few of your readers have any
idea of the vast amount of eloquencc that is
every day wasted upon empty desks at the
Capitol. 1t is given in the daily record, and
il was thought by many few days since
that this vast amount of eloquence would
reach every voter in the land, bill having
been introduced to that effect. But Senator
Anthony has reported against the bill as il
would require an expenditure by the gov.
ernment TO the yearly amount of SIC, 100000.
The franking privilege is again agitated
and may pass the Senate, but will terminate
in defeat in the House.
NOTES AND PERSONALS.
Whilst in Richmond your correspondent