Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1884-12-08
WASHINGTON LETTER.
SPECIAL CORRESPONDENCE oFTHE MONITOR
WdShinQtOD, December 7st.

Washington, December 1st.
The national flag was run up to-
day at noon on both the house and
the senate ends of the capitol. There
was the usual opening day crowd at
the capitol, and fair attendance of
senators and representatives.. Many,
however, failed to answer roll call,
but each arriving train is bringing
them in.
Long before the noon hour men,
bers and senators gathered in their
respective halls, exchanged greetings
and congratulations until the gavel
called them to order. All could not
be congratulated, however, for all
were not of the re-elect.
Visitors crowded the galleries, and
looked down with much interest on
the familiar faces of legislators, and
tried to read in them the triumphs or
defeats of the summer campaign.
The gallery gods are critical if
not profound, and they observed the
speaker of the house had a healthier
glow in his imperturbable tariff for
revenue face; that Mr.. Dorsheimer's
enormous shadow had not grown
less; that the waggish Mr.. Hort had
a"life-is-not-worth-living' express
sion; that Mr.. Randall had far-off
cabinet portfolio gaze and that the
senior senator from Kansas was as
faultlessly clothed as usual.
The members and senators from
the solid sunny south have a COM
placency and happiness of express
sion that passeth understanding.
Northern and western democrats are
cheerful, but the southern wing is
beatiiic On the republican side of
the house depression is plainly visi-
BILE, and some faces tell that
'Ther star has gone down in the darkness of night
And hope from their bosoms has fed
Barring Sundays and the usual
holiday recess, but seventy days of
working life remain to the forty
eighth congress a brief period, in
deed, when it is remembered that
most of the work begun last session
remains unfinished, and that many
important measures which have been
maturely considered in one of the
two houses await the action of the CO.
ordinate branch.
Situated rs congress is, there car
be no partisan legislation, nor car
there be any very sweeping reforms
effected in the appropriation bills
but there will be long debates owe
numerous provisions in most of these
bills, and it is probable that they vii
occupy much more than half the day.
of the session.
The Mcpherson national banking
bill. the steel cruisers, the Blair ed
ucational bill, the Utah bill, the Ia
= tional bankruptcy bill, the inter-stat
commerce bill, and number of Ian,
grant forfeitures, whole battallons O
p public buildings, and many othc
$ measures will struggle for prece
+ dence, and some of them may &C
o through, but the chances are tina
n nearly all of them will die at hig
9 noon on the 4th of March, subject t
resurrection in the next congress.
; A vigorous effort will also be mad
i by the friends of tie COMPRESSION:
v library bill to secure its passage b
: the house in substantially the sam
shape in which it came from the SCI
> ate. 1t is legislation of the mo,
, meT1tOrlOuS character; and In the IL
terest not only of valuable prope
ty, which is rapidly augmenting
Of value, but of the national honor an
:, sound public policy, the wants
Il the library should be promptly an
IN permanently provided for.
l. The hotel corridors are filled vii
ir members of congress and promine
I'd men from all parts of the countr