Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1884-03-24
WASHINGTON LETTER.
SPECIAL CORRESPONDENTS OF THE MONITOR.
Washington, March 18th.

Washington, March 18th.
This has been an unusually inter-
esting week in both ends of the Cap
itol, although few questions of uni
versal interest OF of great Importance
have been acted upon. The House
of Representative first received the
long expected Morrison Tariff bill,
with the majoity and minority reports
of the ways and means committee,
and then debated lengthily the Post
office Appropriation bill, presenting
the postal system in its various rela-
tons. Much party strife was arous-
ed over the proposition to curtail the
salaries of postmasters, and other
provisions of the bill, which the OPP
ponents of the Appropriation COM
mittee claimed were insufficient.
Mr.. Holman of Indiana, who never
speaks without saying something to
the point, said, that in but fourteen
cities was the free delivery system
self-sustaining. In all others the
burden of its maintenance fell on
people who do not receive their mail
more than once day three times a
week, or even once a week. He was
in favor of sustaining the system in
it's efficiency and in moderately en-
larging it, but was opposed to the
whole country being oppressed for
the benefit of certain favored locali-
ties. The House discussed briefly
certain other subjects, passed a
number of private pension bills at its
usual evening session for considering
pension claims, and on Friday, pri-
vate bill day, the calendar afforded
a fine opportunity for speech making.
The first bill to come was one grant
ing a pension of $500 to the only
surviving grandchild of Thomas
Jefferson, and the debate consumed
most of the days session. Sentiment
on one side was arrayed against COM
mon sense Oh the other. The fame
of jefferson, his services to his count
~, the declaration of Independence
and kindred matters of history re-
ceived due attention. Mr.. Robinson
of New York, who seldom touches sc
gentle theme, led the debate in be-
half of the lady for whose benefit the
bill was introduced, and asked the
House not to draw line across the
face of Thomas jefferson. Messrs
LYMAN of Mass. and j. S. Wise, Of
Va, also advocated the bill, but thei
oratory availed nothing against the
constitutional and practical objections
of establishing such a precedent, ant
the bill was lost by vote of one hun
bred and twenty nine to sixty.
In secret session the Senate consid
cred and ratified the commercial trea
ty with Mexico, but so amended tn
original text that it cannot be adopt
ed until the House of Representative
passes on the tariff questions involy
ed in the instrument. This indefn
itely postpones the whole matter, fo
In its present temper that body wi
be likely to accept what it will cor
= slider a tariff bill made by foreign
e ers and in their interest. The TO
4 now prominent in the Senate is I'll
< pleuro- pneumonia bill, which has II
1 ceived strenuous opposition, espec
: ally the resolution to appropriate 81!
o 900, for the extirpation of the hoo
e and mouth disease now raging
!. Kansas. Senator Hawley dealt
h blow to the paternal system of Il
V Government and made plea for sta
e rights-for the right and duty of Il
# people to take care of their loo
l. concerns. He criticised the grown
,e habit of running to Congress for he
@ in local emergencies, and held tn
!" the Federal Government was not /
J. tended for the purpose of going In
I'd a particular section of state for t
a. treatment of q disease among t
l. cattle. But the vindicatiou of Fit
t. John Porter, was by far the most e
a citing, though the least important
if ent of the week in the Senate. Not
II ing is now between Gen. Porter, a
IL his goal but the possible veto of
n President. Though private rel
II. bill of threadbare renown, de
Ter interest still attaches to the case, a