Daily Republican., 1882-05-09
wAsuINaTON LETTER.

A Diiasory ,CongE oss. s.-Uneie Sam
buying Reel EAtate.-Ths Senate
and the Whiskey Ring.
From our Regular Correspondence.
WASHINGTON, d. g. May 6, 1882.
As the summer approaches the pros.
pecs of an early adjournment of Con
gross appears to be very remote, and
the opinion among those best advised
is that there will be no adjournment
before the middle of July. Politics
first, business isst and never do to-day
what you can 90 to. o.morrow have been
the theory and practice of Congress for
years. There is no effort to pass appro-
priation bills just now. 1T these bills
should be passed, the country would
want to know why Congress should not
adjourn.
The bill referring the tariff question
to an outside committee Of experts will
probably be passed to-day, then will
come several contested election cases,
the admission of OAK ota as q State, and
the Geneva award. After these bills
have been disposed OF, there will re.
main the appropriation bills, the Ma
val, Legislation, Deficiency, and Sun
dry and these cannot be passed with.
out much debate and conference in joint
committees of tbs Senate ard the
House.
Early this week, the House passed
bills for the erection of eight public
buildings, most of them post offices in
different cities Of the United States.
1t will require two millions of dollars
to start these buildings, but no man
knO ws how muchiit will take to com
plete them.
The log rolling combination which
has been made up contemplstes the
erection Of thirty-two additional build
ings, and it is thought that bills for
their erection will be passed before the
end Of the present Congress. The thing
to be deplored is that these buildings
will cost the Government about twice
as much as they would cost a private
person, but, Notwithstanding this, the
Government will probably not lose any
thing by holding the fee simple to the
offices in which Government business
is tr nsacted. An immense number of
buildings all over the country owned by
private individuals are now rented to
the Government at exorbitant rates
There is not q business man in the
country who would pay rent for his
business place in excess Of what would
be the interest on the money required
for the erection of d building like the
one 30 rented. Yet this is the prevail
ing policy OF the Government.
If . statement we're to BIZ called for
by Congress OF all the pubic offices and
other buildings rented for the use of
the United States, accompanied by a
clearly proven statement of the value
of tn, property so leased, it would proba.
bly, be found that the money paid in
ront is double the amount that the in
terssE would be on the;cost Of Construc-
ton of buildings to take the place of
the leased property. Here in Wash
ington the owners Of private property
are reaping great benefits from this un
business-liko policy.
The Senate will soon have an investi-
cation going as well as the House. Yes.
terday, Senator Voorhees, asked for a
COMMITTEES to investigate charges that
he had been corruptly Influenced to
favor the House bill to extend the
bonded period for whiskey, but the
Senate thought his personal denial was
quito sufficient Senator Window, how
ever, declared that he had received in-
formation that large sums of money had
been corruptly used to lobby the bill
through Congress. He will to-day move
an investigation, which the Senate,
under the circumstances, cannot bat
order. CT. A.