New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-03-04
THE WAsHINGToN PICKWTCKTlNS.

The Pickyickians are in full feather at
Washington. 1t would have warmed the cookies
of the venerable Samuel Pickwick's heart
to look in any time during the past week upon
either branch of Congress or the court presided
over by Judge Wylie in which the trial OF the
Star Route conspiratOrs is in progress. over
each of them he might lift his fat good-natured
hands and utter the benedicti0n, Bless you
my children. You understand things III the
Pickwickian sense. You are Pickwickans.'
AS all our readers know, many things have
been said during the trial of the Star Route con-
spirators by the eminent councillors ana at'or
neys who are engaged III that great snow WHICH
peace loving public wanted to believe were
said in purely Pickwickian sense. For they
were things which, if said in real dowhrlght
earnest. must certainly end i'll gore ana tuner
ala and there were reasons why the public ala
NOT desire To ace any OF the distinguished actors
in the great melodrama either Iierced 10 the
heart by steel pen or mangled beyond recog-
milton by an inkstand. The taking of OF MIR.
George Bliss by the explosion of an inkstand
with two second fuse would have taken out OF
the world the only vocal organ that was ever
endowed with sufficient stridency and persist
over the report of the Committee on Creden-
tials; and the fall of Mr.. Robert lngersoil De-
fore the murderous lunge of steel pen would
have bereaved the world of one OF Its great re-
lipions Indeed, had Mr. Merrick. or any other
of the performers, been scratched out with IN
eraser the world would have had to lament the
extinpuishment of a great luminary OF learn
ing. the cutting off in full flower of a very pink
of courtesy. IL is not too much to say that the
public, listening to the exchange OF language
between these gentlemen for several weeks, was
filed with the highest expectancy OF carnage.
And the public learns with unaffected delight
that the language was Pickwickian, and that all
the actors in the Star Route drama are Pick
wickians.
On Wednesday, in Judge Wylie's court, Mr.
Ingersoll having remarked casually that he
would consider Mr.. Merrick's regard All insult,
Mr. Merrick faced Mr.. Ingersoll and, as the
prcss report has it, said with great dstnctness,
L never give my regard to puppies" where
az, Mr. Ingersoll, the same report Dong the
authority, trembling with indignation ana
"selzing an inkstand, said, lon are dirty
adogrp Judge Wylie meanwhile Is SAID TO
have been pounding the desk the only thing
within reach that did not deserve 1t. The
court seems then TO have adjourned, ana the
Pckwick Club opened with Judge Wylie in the
chair. Mr.. Merrick SAID he had been provoked
beyond human endurance. The Judge SAID his
language WAS inexcusable. Mr. Merrick said
he retracted it from respect to the Court. Mt.
Ingersol followed with a speech OF great power
in which. after describing himself with unusual
modesty AZ "puny" In comparison with the
Deity. he eloquently asseveratcd that he would
resent Mr.. MerricK's remark even If II came
from the Deity Oh the Judgment Day. But he
also WAS n Pickwickan, and was willing to take
il all back. Then Mr.. Samuel Pickwick on the
bench said II was all very beautiful, and ex-
crossed the hope that hereafter there would be
an armed neutrality between these inkstand-
burlers. To which Mr. Merrick and Mr. lnger-
soil both said, Let it all be blotted from the
record and let us have peace"
At this point Mr.. George Bliss, who had Wit
messed the seizure Of the inkstand with the stern
ioy which lawyers feel, ETC., and had looked
upon the blOtting-Out business with calm con
tempt, arose and informed TIE Pickwickians
| tina. in this matter of dismissing things
| into obhgi he had little grudge HIM
| self that might as well be settled now.
lie thereupon read from the record some
high favored remarks which Mr. Ingersoll had
| indulced In concerning himself at the begin
ming of the trial. and asked if they were going
| into oblivion also In the bland manner of
! Samuel Pickwick himself, Mr. Ingcrsoll said,
Certainly: Let it all be bOtted out" Then
the Pickwlck Club adjourned and the court
resumed business.
Over in the House Of Representatives that
| dav, at the opening of the session, MIR. Page, OF
| California, moved that the House resolve itself
into Pickwick Club inRtead Of going into
| Committee Of the Whole. This being done, Mr..
| Samuel Pickwick Cox arose, and informed the
| club that he made personal remarks about Mr..
| Page which were TO be taken only in IA Picwick-
| ian sense. He said he WAS fond OF Page, and
! did not want him to take away an unkindly
! feeling toward himself. lie accordingly apollo
| gized, AS the good natured little Pckwickian
| always does when there is any occasion for 1t.
| The Pickwick Club rose and the House re-
.umed business. On the same day Mr.. Van
Voorhis, of New-York, in opposing the River
and Harbor bill, alluded to Mr.. Page, of Cali
fornia, as a "stage-drlyer and mnle-driver,"
and informed the House and listening world
| that no such person could crack the whip over
him. On the following day Mr.. Van VocTbia,
pursuing the same lofty line of argument,
spoke of one Of the appropriations recon-
mended by Mr.. Page as $50 outrageous and
"damnable that nobody but gambler and cut
| throat would think of lacking such a thing on
TO the BILL Certain members OF tho House,
not members Of the Pickwick Club, objected to
the language, and moved that Mr.. Van Voorhis
be expelled. The House Immediately resolved
itself into Pickwick Club, and Mr.. Van Voof-
his explained that ho meant nothing by what he
| had said that he had used the language only in
"A Pickwickian sense Thereupon the PickwiclI
| Clnp rose and the IIonse resumed business.
IL l1tn