Tolland County press., 1883-01-25
Washington Letter.

WasnlngtOn, b., C Jan. zO, 1858.
 Now that the session is past it's prime, congressional prognosticators are busy prophesying the fate of pending lsgisla- tion. The tariff bill was under consider ation in the committee for thirty-eight days, and weeks discussion has brought congress no nearer a settlement, and from present indications and current opinion about all tLat can be expected is that, af- ter parading the tariff in all it's bearings, and fully discussing sachsitem from guano to pocket knives, the revising experts will suddenly drop to tariff bill which will revise sugar and steel and put it through with an excellent amended law for the sd- ministration of the tariff. That would be worth the effort, and will probably be done, but to say the least it is reasonable to doubt the passage of bill which will revise up and down the entire import list.
 The bills that must have attention be- fore the month is passed are such that cannot be hurried. The navy appropri- atien bill with its cutting down of titles and sweeping away of long established privileges has excited naval officers to the highest pitch, and brought upon inhuen- tial congressman a powerful naval lobby reinforced by society in both sexes. This bill will keep congress busy for at least 8 week.
 The whisky bill will come in for it's share of discussion, for the supporters of this measure will not allow it to be for gotton. Their perseverance will not, how ever, be rewarded in this congress, al- though it may be in the next. Then there is the report of the Mississippi river special committee, against which deter mined opposition has set in to shut down on the large annual appropriations for ex- perimenting with narrow channels /; but what this opposition will accomplish can only be settled by future developments Levees and other embankments do not seem to prevent the disastrous effects of an overflow, as past floods have testified, and if money is appropriated it should be spent to better purpose than it has been spent in the past. This will be the ar gument of the opposition when the report comes before congress.
 With more than half of the regular ap- propriation bills out of the way, ,one would think there was time left to do wonders in commendable legislation, but there is not, and congressman know this too we'll.
 Washington has been dsluged for the past week with rain, snow, sleet and slush. The usually clean looking avenues are changed to streams of water, and the smooth asphalt sidewalks made still smoother by sheet of ice, rendering pe- destrianism so perilous that the middle of the streets is sought as the only place of safety for walking. There have been nu- merous accidents occasioned by slip up on the icy sidewalks. Broken legs, arms, and noses are frequent happenings, and many ludicrous scenes occur. Stately, dignifed ladies and gentlemen sit down extemporaneously on the hard wet pave. ment in all sorts of improper places and attitudes.
 The police court room was crowded thls morning on account of the great number of snow cases to be tried. The case that the most interest was taken in was that against Attorney General Brewster fol failing to remove the snow from his side walk. ''Is Benjamin H. Brewster in court ?" called out the bailiff, but there was no response, and warrant was sent for him. The officer on the beat states that the attor. ley general telephoned tc police headquarters yesterday. to know what he owed 8 policeman $2 fer, and he was informed that it was desired that he put up g. collateral for violating the snow law. Gen. Hagen, the signal officer, was also charged with not removing the snow from his sidewalk. He forfeited $2 col. lateral