Daily Republican., 1882-11-18
Our Warrington Letter.
From cur Regular Correspondent.
WASHINGTON, D. O., J
NoveH ber 18th, 1882.


| WASHINGTON, D. O.,
NoveH Der 18th, 1882.
Congress will assemble In about two
weeks. A number of Senators and
members have already arrived, while
others have secured rooms through the
agency of their friends or by lett3r
The two halls of Congress- at the Cap
itol have undergone their annual clear
ing, and the entire Capitol has been
scrubbed and painted, and brushed to
the highest degree of cleanliness.
The coming session will be very
brief because it expires by Limitation
on the 4th Of March, 1888, and II Con.
gress takes holiday adjournment OF
the usual length there will be but lit
tie more than two months for legisla-
| tive work.
The President Is understood to be at
work on his message to Congress, and
the members of the Cabinet have their
annual reports in an advanced state OF
preparation. -.
1t il said that the President will
make civil service reform a prominent
feature of his forthcoming message,
urging prompt and positive legislation
on the subject.
Secretary Lincoln will, In his annual
report, recommend that no river and
hal boz bill be Introduced in the coming
session of Congress. Hs states that 1t
will be impossible TO experd the
amount appropriated last session dur
ing the present fiscal year, and the bal
ance, probably So. 000. 600 or $4,000, OOO,
will be carried over to the credit OF
next year. The appropriations are not
made with reference to any given year,
but are subject to drafts when wanted.
Sometimes a year or two elapses before
the work is begun for which provision
is made. There was 81, 600, 900 on hand
when the last bill was passed. The ap-
preparation Is permanent one, the pal
ance from one year going over to the
next. TIE engineer officers believe thaE
the amount now to the credit OF the
work will carry out all that is now un-
der way, unless unexpsc cted floods or
accidents should occur.
Postmas or General Howe will recon-
mend the establishment Of postal saw.
ing banks, postal telegraphy, and the
sale of stamped envelopes at three cents
each. This last recommendation does
not seem to meet with grea5 favor es
pecially from young ladies, who spoil a
package of envelopes before they get
one addressed to suit them. There is a
strong sentiment in Congress in favor
of the reduction OF postage 10 two cents
thus making it as cheap as the postage
rates of England, France and Germany.
Those who have most experience in
Congressional methods regard it as i'm
pr obable that any definite or compre-
hensive tariff legislation will be enact
ed at the coming session. Its limited
duration precludes the possibility Of
such full discussion and consideration
: Of the numerous interests involved, as
must take place before any general
tariff measure can become law. And
/. no the idea seems to prevail here among
those best acquainted that, If 1t be real
ly the desire of both political parties TO
have the tariff promptly and compre-
hensively revised and modified, the
only practical means of doing 80 would
: be to have a bill passed next session
providing for the meeting of the Forty
Gig hth 0ongress in March next for the
: purpose 0f considering and acting on
, the subject.
Naturally the first business In Orde-
to be dealt with by the House of Repre-
J sentatives will be the disposition OF
, about two hundred Senate bills now
} lying on the Speakers table. Many Of
these are simple in their character aad
are practically covered by favorable re-
ports from House committees on the
same subject. An effort will be made
to pass, at least those which involve no
appropriation of money and Others will
be sent to proper committees.