St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1884-03-29
WASHINGTON LETTER.
prom our Regular CORRESPONDENT.
MARCH 18Th, 1884.

MARCH lobn, 1904
On two days this week the Senate put
aside its regular order Of business, and
devoted the time to that perennial theme,
the relief of Fitz John Porter. So far
as Congress is concerned he has been al
most relieved. The bill as passed by
the Senate has yet to go back to the
House for concurrence in an amend
ment, for which no doubt, President
Arthur is thankful The delay may
keep the bill away from the White
House until the pending campaign is
over. The Presidents intimate friends
and political advisers were opposed to
three fourths Of his party in Congress
voted against it. It will require good
deal OF courage OH his part TO sign the
bill, as he has nothing to gain by letting
it become a law. During the argument
in the case the Senate galleries were
crowded and every body who could get
upon the floor of the chamber was there.
The orators were Senator Sewell, in
support, and Senators Wilson, Mander-
son, aud Logan against the bill
Though Senator Logan's vocabulary is
proverbially meagre, his viciferous abil-
ity made up for all deficiencies of die
ton, and would have shamed the vocal
triumphs of the bulls of Bashan. When
he made some allusion to an alleged
military march Of Demosthenes, one
Senator remarked to another, soto
yOce, II thought Dem0sthenes fought
only with his tongue But the most
misplaced emphasis. When he screams
the loudest, ten chances to one his ut
terance is not one of his strong points,
but triviality. When he charged that
Porter was the cause of the loss Of the
first, as well as the second battle of Bull
Run, there was vigorous applause from
his friends in the galleries, although it
was difficult to see the relevancy of
merriment and the loss of two impor-
tant battles.
The friends of Senator Logan's Presi-
Dental movement pointed to the
throngs Of people in the corridors dur
ing his speech, and to the procession
filling down the stairways, disappointed
in their efforts to get admission to the
Senate chamber, and said "See how pop
ular our candidate isl But those who !
have watched Porter's long quest for
vindication knew that interest in his |
case, drew the crowds to the Capitol.
During the week the Senate III secret /
session ratified the Mexican treaty. 1t
also discussed the bill for establishing d t
Labor Statistics Bureau, talked about
an appropriation for graduating the
foot and mouth disease prevalent among
the Kansas cattle, and'the now pending
question, which has already been debat-
ed at some length, and which has met
with vigorous opposition in that end Of
the Capitol is the pleuro-pneumonia
bill. The Senate as is its habit Of late,
adjourned from Friday until Monday.
Business continues to accumulate in
the House of Representatives At pres
ent on the calendar of the committee of
the Whole there are ninety four bills.
on the regular calendar eighty, on the
private calendar three hundred. There
are one hundred Senate bills on the
Speakers table and eight special orders.
With this formidable mass before it the
appropriation bills are just coming for
ward, and the tariff question is ready to
demand attention, the Morrison bill
having reached the House early in the
week in shape for action. Unless rapid,
steady work follows during The remain
der of the session, at the adjournment
Of this Congress the gavel is likely to
come down like the stroke of fate on
several thousand plans and hopes, as 1T
did in the case of it's predecessor. The
House gave most of its time during the
week to the consideration of the Post !
Office Appropriation bill which has not q
yet been disposed of. The House also
refused to recognize civil pensioner in
the grand daughter of Thomas Jeffer-
son, taking the ground that the latter's
were civil instead of military,
and that Congress had no authority to
vote money for charity. Dir. Robinson,
the Father of the bill, thought there
would be Inconsistency in Members vot-
ing many thousands Of dollars to the
widows of Presidents. and refusing the 10
small pension of $500, to an INDECENT
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