Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1882-12-13
Notes and Notions.

BosToN JOURNAL: at is well TO have
Senator Edmunds present in the senate, with
his { l object II puts quietus upon lots Of
little jobs"
THE senate civilservice reform commit
tee considered the Hawley bill prohibiting
the assessment OF government employees for
political purposes, Monday, and 1t is said the
bill has received the unanimous recommen-
dation of the committee.
SENATOR MORRILL, begins the work Of
tariff reduction by Incorporating in an
amendment to the house bill for the reduc-
tion Of internal revenue, now pending in the
senate, the entire schedule of duties recon-
mended by the commission.
THE Lounger of the New York Tribune
remarks Henry Wilson once said to me
of both Conkling and Fenton They are
smart men in their way, but you will not
fiud their names in the archives of the
country among the public acts, in laws,
progress and the transforming of this from
a provincial to a free national society, like
the two Vermont senators, Edmunds and
Morrill,, who make the best state delegation
of our period in the senate"
CONGRESS- has gone to work with kind
of lock-the-door-afte OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES en-
ergy which may be effective in preserving
what effects that body may have left, but
1t would have been more edifying and more
profitable to all concerned had a 1.-THE OF
the same energy and regard for public
opinion been exhibited year ago, and
honestly adhered to throughout the session.
The November tidal wave could never have
swept over the country had tax reduction
and the varions other reforms which had
been promised been undertaken with an
honest purpose to work them out.
PRESIDENT ARTHUR appears to have APP
precated keenly the enterprisipg spirit
which led some one to send out from Wash.
ington an alleged abstract of his message
several days in advance of that documents
publication. Hearing of the matter, it is
said, he inquired of newspaper man
whether he knew who had the abstract fol
sale. The newspaper man said he did not
"The reason why asked" said Mr. Arthur
"wss that haven't quite finished my mes
sage yet, and thought that if could pur
chase complete copy in advance it NIGH
help me out on some points which haven't
yet settled to my satisfaction"
REPORTS from Washington say the house
committee on postoffices is confident thai
their unanimous report reducing letter
postage from three to two cents will become
law and go into effect on January l, 1888
Expectations of an increase in business thai
will offset the reduction in rates and make
the postal revenue equal to the expenses in
luence the committee in their recommends
ton, which will be made a part Of the post
office appropriation bill and become law
before the holidays. Since 1868 no reduc
ton in letter postage has been made, and al
long ago as Fillmore's administration thi'
idea was urged, but never with any prospects
of success until now.
VENUS allowed curious gazers in this 10
cality to have the slightest possible glimpse
of her Irritation with Old Sol. About ont
o'clock there was burst of sunlight, but
during the remainder of the day the sur
was obscured. Some observations were
made and dark speck about the size of 9
marble was descernible upon the lower disc
of the sun. In other sections of the coun
try observations of the transit were made
with varying degrees of success. The data
secured at Yale and Princeton colleges, and
at the naval observatory at Washington, are
of special value. Excellent photographs
were taken at both colleges, and at New
Haven series of heliometric measurements
were made by Yale's new heliometer, the
only instrument of the kind in this country
As to the computation of the suns parallax
the special object of the observations of the
transit, the next generation of boys and
girls may hope to learn the real distance Of
the sun from us. There is no chance fol-
the youth of to-day to acquire true state
ment of this important factor of usefu
knowledge, for the astronomers have no
| yet completed the computations based OF
the data obtained in 1874.