The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1884-03-29
Our Washington Letter.
From our Regular Correspondent

t"tltS 1--WE names cannot be called
and responded to in much less than
an hour. Motions, amendments. and
the passage of bills often necessitate
going through this process a number
OF times during days session, and the
time thus consumed is an enormous
loss OF money. especially since Con-
gress meets every day at noon and add
journs at half past four P. NJ. Inven-
tive genius, however, always follows
close in the wake of public necessity.
and an invention that will interest
the economist, political or otherwise
is an electrical device, now on exhibit
ton in the Capitol for enabling a yea
and nay vote to be taken in the House
simultaneously. Each Member would
have on his desk a small lever, which
when turned to the right, votes ''yesn
and to the left ''no", the yeas and
mays" being taken ut the same time.
The votes are automatically counted
and placed before the presiding officer.
The name of each Member, his vote
and his state are at the same time
printed on Il record sheet on the Clerks
desk, and exhibited on an enunciator
III full view of every one.
On Monday of every week food of
new bills pours into the House, and
on last Monday more than a hundred
found resting place on the clerks
desk. | say resting place, because
they will never be heard of again
this session, inasmuch as Congress
cannot possibly dispose of more than
a small fraction Of the matter already
awaiting action, before the time for
adjournment. The House has passed
two bills this week. The first was a
deficiency appropriation bill S1,679.-
600 among the items of which may be
mentioned $50, 1000, for paying the re-
mainder Of the salaries of deceased
Congressman of the Forty-eighth Con-
gress to their widows. The Represen-
tatives who have died being Haskell,
Mackey, Cults, Herndon, and Poole
The other bill was the Appropriation
for the mail service, than which, no
measure during this session has been
more lengthily discussed, more per-
sistently antagonized, or occasioned so
many-partisan tits and offensive per-
sonalities.
The Senate passed an appropria-
ton of $4,000 for the suppression Of
the Foot and Mouth disease in cattle,
after lengthy and interesting debate,
during which Senators Bayard, and
Pendleton INDUCED in some state rights
doctrine. The plcuro-pneumonia bill
is still pending in that end of the
Capitol, and the Common schools bill
has been taken up. In addressing
the Senate i'll behalf of aid for public
schools, Senator Blair said this was
the most important measure that had
been brought before that body since
the war. He thought if common
schools had existed everywhere and i'll
sufficient numbers all over the United
States there would have been no war.
knowledge and virtue were naturally
and were essential to the
Of free institution. The
American citizen had 4 continuous
public life, even without holding office.
and as the education of the common
schools was all that twenty four of
twenty fifths of our citizens could Sc
cure, the effort of the nation should be
to promote the system in every way.
Another topic of discussion in the
Senate was undisposed Of pension
claims Senators bewailed the daily
demands made upon them by impati-
ent and wearied applicants for pen
sions. Senator Logan said he receiv-
ed them by the hundred in one mail.
Senator Blair thought if the force i'll
the pension office were trebled thous-
ands Of these people would yet die of
disease, and starvation before their
cases could be adjudicated. But Sen
ator ingalls, took the position that UNI
determined claims of more than two
years standing could only be found in
cases where the applicants have failed
to furnish the necessary evidence to
their claims; that the present
pension system was efficient in every
way, and that no nation on earth had
ever been SO extravagantly generous
with its pension list as the United
States.
The bill to extend the time for the
payment of the tax on instilled spirits
now in bonds; the measure in which
so many eminent Kentucky statemen
are interested, came up in the House
of Representatives on Wednesday.
Mr.. Morrison leading off in support Of
it. The debate was continued with
on Thursday and it is
thought vote will be reached this
afternoon. As an instance of the var
ious motives that will prompt votes on
this question, a prominent Congress
man was asked by lady friend and Il
Jealous advocate of temperance, what