Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1882-02-22
Iron Our Regular Correspond ent.l
Washington Letter.
WASHINGTON, d. c.. Feb. IS. 49,


The present congress is making very
fair progress with its legislative work
and is ahead of any previous congress for
some years past Five of the appropria-
ton bills have been disposed of by the
House. During the session, nearly five
thousand bills and resolutions have been
offered in the House. This is more than
twice rs many as we've ever before filed
so early in the session. The committees
are very industrously at work, and, since
Lent will begin on the 22d inst. and put
stop to fashionable nocturnal gayety, con-
gress will be able to give less divided at
tention to public business. Many mem
bers think congress will adjourn as soon
as the frs of June. but the majority are Of
opinion that the session will continue until
the middle OF July.
A large majority of the thousands of
bills that have been introduced are of a
petty, private character, and it is ridicu-
lous that our laws furnish no other court
than an unwieldy and expensive national
legislature for their adjudication. There
appears TO be an absolute necessity of
some measure to relieve congress from
the burden of private legislation in the
form of petitions and bills for the relief of
individuals. The single committee on
claims, of the House, has already had
nearly thousand bills referred to it, and
the committee on invalid pensions is still
worse off. 1t Is said that there is not Il
standing committee of the House which
has not more or less private business on
its calendar.
Among the bills providing for the relief
of the supreme court one was introduced
in the Senate by Mr.. Pugh which proposes
10 divide the court into three divisions
with three justices in each, to be known
as the Federal, Equity and Admiralty law
divisions. These divisions are empowered
to set separately, and all causes are to be
heard in the first instance by one of the
divisions, except causes in which a jury is
required; these are to be heard by the
court in banc.
Mr.. Cox, from the committee to audit
the expenses growing out of tho death anC
burial of the late President James A. Gar
field, reported bill granting pension o
$4,000 year to Mrs. Lucretia Il Garfield
Mr.. Atkins of Tennessee said he would
not object TO the bill, but he thought tina
u similar measure should be adopted t.
pension the widow of any other president
The bill was then passed
The sub committee of the House com
mittee on territories has agreed unani
mously on II bill to provide for the admis
sion mo the Union of all that part o
ID ,ko a territory south Of the forty -sixtI
aIiilltl.
bill has been introduced o mike tn
purcHu OF agriculture an executive depart
uent. placing it on an equality with tn
post "ffice drpnr mrnr, the department o
var, and the o her executive branches o
III" government that have cabinet Office
II their head. The chief of the buretl
,ould then be II member Of the cabinet
web the title perhaps, of secretary of agri
culture. The represent, atives from non
agricultural states have, heretofore, op
posed a bill of this character, on tn
grounds that agriculture has no more
right 10 executive consideration than an,
other industrial interest, and one member
some years ago, derisively proposed a,
amendment that the interests of boots an,
shoes should also have place in tn
cabinet But there is growing sentimen
IN favor of adding this department to tn
cabinet, and of following the precedent
of her civilized nations in this respect
The United States has only seven cabine
places, France has twelve, and | thinl
the other first class European powers hav
as many.