The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1883-02-03
non;rIosolrbille ,Cbief,
Two Dollars Year.
Washington Notes.
Proceedings of Congress and Other Mat
tiers Of Moment at the National Capital.
From our Regular Correspondent.

The past week has been a busy and
interesting week in Washington. The
city is SO full of people that the largest
hotels are turning away guests, and one
can imagine the pressure upon the board
ing houses. We have also been favored
with heavy snow, the remains of which
still cover the asphalt streets and ave-
nues. The citizens sleighing carnival
on Friday brought ontan immense crowd
TO witness the grotesqne pageant of all
imaginable devices on runners, filled by
people, some of them gentlemen and
ladies: III costume.
Congress has been working with great
energy, and one can visit the Capitol
any day, sire Of hearing All interesting
debate. Two appropriation bills were
passed in Que day, and one of these, the
pension bill, appropriated SS6,0oo,0 900!
The bill now pending before Congress to
give National aid to education docs not
seem IA be progressing f;ivorably, though
;itnis IL measure of great interest to think
ing people. OF course, since illiteracy
prevails mostly in the Southern States,
among the Negroes, the measure will be
best appreciated by that section, but its
general beneficial results would be felt
NIL over the country. One reason that
this bill is not hurried forward is be-
cause there is no lobby behind it to slim
'uate Congressional action. The lobby
has become IL noxiouslJ essential agency,
and well deserves the nanc Of the Third
House.
The shipping bill which was finally
passed by the House on Friday must be
accepted as an important piece Of legis-
1ation. Whatever may be s:,sd in the
way of regret that the bill did not pass
as it came from the Commerce Commit
tee, it will still sufficiently protect the
shipping interest, which is happy over
its success. The effort made by Mr.. Cox
of New York for free ships and free ma
'terial was not crowned with success,
although there is Il modest little section
in The bill which practically amounts to
the free admission Of material used in
ship building. Whenever the business
of sailing around. the world becomes
profitable, thore will be no difficulty in
building the ships in the United States.
You have heard of the temporary oc-
cupatioa Of the Speakers chair by Mr.
S,nalIs, the colored member of Congress
from South Carolina. Eight or ten years
sentatises in Congress, it was not unr-
snal to SEQ one of them in the Speakers
chair, but such spectacle is rare now.
The Honse for IL wonder was unusually
quiet, and Mr.. Sma1ls was not once
obliged to sing out "Order, Gentlemen"
The reason of this quietude seems to have
been cpmprehended by Mr. Smalls. While
riding in Car. to the Capitol the other
day he was accosted by an old gentleman
with the patronizing remark, "Mr.
Snalls, never saw so good order in the
House as when you sat in the Speakers
chair yesterday" MIR. Smalls' reply to
this compliment was, "Whte mon don't
Ike TO be ordered by u colored man to
DO quiet" -
The prospects of q special session of
Congress are not very promising. Con-
servative Democrats talk and act as
though they do not mean to have IA spe-
cial session after the 4th of March, if they
can prevent it. Republicans are not in
allywise particular, for although they
will lese the speakership they will gain
tue Presidency of the Senate.
According to the present rate of push
ing legislation, Congress, unless delayed
by the combined action of tile Fitz John
Porter, whisky, and tariff Hobbies, will
not find any need Of il special session.
Such being the ease, the chances are that
the gentlemen who are busy working up
Speakersliip booms, i'll anticipation Of
special session, are simply fighting bat
tie which will have to be fought over in
the Fall.
The l34 Republicans i'll the next House
will quietly constitute themselves an
audience and watch the progress of Tie
fight going on in the enemy's camp Will,
40 small degree of interest. They will
have no prevailing voice in the voting,
but they tan applaud aud hiss, and make
themselves asreeabie us opportunity pre-
SCENTS itself
1t is expected that about thirty mem
hers Of thessalfonal Republican Com
mittee will be Present at the meeting to
t'e held here on Wednesday to settle the
question 1T representation on the dis
i:tct plan, i'll accordance with tile reso-
lntion OF the National convention. The
time and El"cc for holding the next
convention will probably
not be fixed u, this meeting, as one more
will ho held before the convention is
called. SENTINEL
A hermit named Edward d. Cooley. {
sh" h"canle. recluSe through disan-
continent in love, died in Il miserable
lov"l ut West Springfield, Mass, where
lie had lived in squalor aud rags for a {