The Press., 1884-05-29
WASHINGTON LETTER.


 The smooth streets of the capital have been enlivened during the week by the whirling wheels of bicycling visitors who have greatly enjoyed the leagues of as phalt pavement which render Washington the wheelman's paradise. The peculiar advantages offered by this city, for the sport, have made bicycling very popular here, but the meeting this week, of clubs from various parts of the United States, gave a new idea of the hold the latest mode of locomotion has obtained on the commit nity at large. On Tuesday, ill the course of their. ten mile parade they whlrled through the white house grounds and lift ed their caps to the president who, stand ine on the portico saluted each club as it passed. After their races, banquet and speeches, they parted for another year.
 Congress has had before it this week mass of miscellaneous business. The sen- ate has passed number of bills for the erection of public buildings in certain towns and cities. The agricultural appro- priation was discussed and passed, and an | item of S15, ,OOO was added for the purpose of distributing over the country, gratis, silk worm eggs. Senator Ingalls, was strongly opposed to this. He held that m l a country which last year manufactured ghty million dollars worth of silk pro ducts, only one fourth of which was from imported raw material, there was no ne- cessity for authorizing the agricultural de- partment to spend money in distributing silk worm eggs, or information about the leaves on which the worm pastures. The able Kansas senator complained that the government was becoming altogether toe paternal, too maternal even. He quoted the old nursery rhyme,
 ssWho ran to catch me when fell,
 And kissed the place to make 1t well!
 My mother"
 to show that the government, by interfer
 ing in all matters that ought to be left tc
 private energy, and to private enterprise and industry, was turning the people into ) q race of dependents, mendicants and pau pers. The bill for bureau of labor statistics
 passed by the house of representatives, Il
 being roughly handled by the senate. 4
 democratic senator acknowledged 1t to bt one of the worst bills he ever saw. requir ing one man to do with $25, ,0OO year what cannot be done with less than mil lions. ssStrikes, their causes, effects ant remedies comes under one of the head 5 of the bill. That, the senator held, n' man ever knew eff we were to live her as a body for the next hundred years, continued he, ''and every man in this bod. , were to grow brighter every day, at tn t end of the century I do not suppose one o $ us would be able to comprehend and ex
 plain what is required of this bureau of Ia bor statistics strikes, their causes, effects | and remedies. Senator Van Wyck said within the shadow of the capitol, nativ l. laborers have been driven from publl
 u,orlys ond fboir ,,loces s11nnlied by Tta]
 ians, and others who came under systen of contract. He preferred to see the bi I to prevent the importation of foreign Ia j. borers take precedence of the one that wa pending.
 The house has passed some appropr1 . ation bills this week, talked about bank e rupt"y law, wrangled over the conteste l. election case of Peele against English, an Q given another blow to free trade, by de
 clining to reduce rates on works of art : whether the production of foreign o t American artists.
 f In this city of monuments, most ( which have been erected to warriors
 another statue was unveiled on Wednes t day. This was dedicated to religion, an c stands as the memorial of the Lutheran q to the reformer Martin Luther. An in mense concourse of spectators witnesse
 the ceremonies, which were marred b , some awkward accidents. The givin = away of the platform produced little par y ic, but no harm. The orator, Senator Cor 9 ger, was interrupted by musical part ( :, the procession, which was belated :; an ' the drapery around the figure refused = drop off in the graceful magical manne v that was intended. It hung obstinately
 and had to be torn off by force.