The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1882-02-18
From our Regular Correspondents

and unexciting. Line re-apportloh
ment of Congress, made necessary by
the new census, is not question tha
draws popular attention. Nor doei
the $500, 100000 prodigality, now dis
cussed er post tacto, do more than ex
cite feeling of remorse that we should
have given such an immense sum into
4 the management of claim agents. BE
yond the passage of the funding bill
| little business of Importance has been
transacted in the Senate during the
week. This bill is now in the hands
of the Ways and Means Committee OF
the House, where it is meeting with
much opposition 1t is evident that
it will not be reported back TO the
Senate, until it has been amended so
that Mr. Sherman will not know it.
In the House, Mr.. Burrows intro
duced a bill, which was promptly
passed, providing that no person guilty
/ of more than one wife shall be eligible
to the office of delegate in the House
of Representative from a territory.
This bill was leveled at Mr.. George @.
Cannon, Mormon with considerably
more than one wife, who has long been
the delegate from Utah in Congress.
| During the week, Mr.. Cannon was
called before the Judiciary Committee
of the House, and asked many ques-
tions relative to the social and marital
status of his co-religionists in Utah.
Some of his replies were not suitable
for publication, but, among other Gu
rious statements, he said that spiritual
marriage, in the belief of the Later
Day Saints" meant that no woman
could attain Heaven unless married to
Mormon on Earth. lie expressed
his belief that the principles and prac-
! ticcs of the Mormon church would
finally spread over the whole earth,
and that the present prosecution of
the church by the United States could
have no other effect than to solidify
the organization, and increase the zeal
of it's communicates, for doctrines which
they earnestly believed to be reVela-
tions from God with reference to the
bill before the Judiciary Committee
preventing polygomists from voting or
holding office, MIR. Cannon said it
would be more equitable if amended
so as to disfranchlse, and disqualify,
all offenders against the laws of chas-
tity and single marriage.
The enormous number Of four thou
said bills have been introduced in the
House and there is little prospect of
an carly termination of this Congress.
Many senators and members believe
that the session will last until the mid
die of July, or until the heat and ma
laria shall drive Congress to more
| healtliful localities.
| The tariff, funding, and appropria-
ton bills will be debated at, consider
able length, but only a few of the
thousands of bills introduced will be
heard from again. A very determined
effort will be made by the friends Of
this forlorn District to improve the
Potomac marshes, with view of sup
pressing the malaria which infects
everything here, nc. excepting legisla-
ton. The District of Columbia is an
oligarchy, governed by Congress and
the President. Her citizens have nc
votes, and no influence. Congress is
chameleon that seldom reflects the
color Of the Capital. The personnel o.
Congress is continually changing, and
like nonresident landlords, they arr
, more interested in improving til,
navigation of the rivulets of their owl
homes, than in the sanitary condition
, of this fountain of laws. This is
short-sighted view Of very serion
matter, but it is the view of Congress
-
The PUBLIC DEBT.-Although tn
a United States still owes more than
billion and three-quarters of its publ
debt, it is paying it off with a rapidit,
which, having been SO long continued
has ceased to be surprising fact
The reduction since the close of til
, war has been about billion Of dollars
With extraordinary resources, the re
, public is 10 better shape, financially
!, than many Of the countries of Europ
which have not been devastated by lou
! continued internal strife. The Unite
I States owes less than one-half til
amount Of Great Bfitain's debt. Rus
!. STA, Spain and Italy owe more than th
/ republic. Frances indebtedness Is Iii
] lie less; Austria's is about the sam.
1 There is no longer the shadow of
] doubt that every penny of it will b
paid according 70 the sdue and forte
Of the bond.
4 4. IL