St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1884-01-19
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From On Regular Correspondent.
JANUARY 8th, 1884.

Literally the New Year opened under
"a cloud in Washington. The pitiless
storm tested the gallantry of gentle
men, and surprising large number of
calls were made considering the incle-
mency of the weather. The social OBJ
seryance of the Cay in the Capital has
an official basis that tends to give it
permanency, although the custom is
said to be losing it's hold elsewhere.
the annual levee at the White House
was all that could have been wished.
The other official receptions were sue
cessful in display and in attendance,
and many privat6'receptions were we'll
attended. Locally, Washington cannot
complain of the year just ended. Trade
has been good, and the city has prosper
ed. The health statistics are encourag-
ing, and should silence all talk about
malaria Building has continued to
a remarkable degree, and the steady de-
mand for houses shows that the increase
of accommodation has not been specu-
lative. The value of land has also
armly increased. The District govern
sInent Las given fair satisfaction, and
the city is growing more popular yearly
with Congress. Speaking of the Dis
.trict government, it is customary to
give the craftsmanship of the District of
Columbia committee to Representa-
tive from district near Washington.
In the late committee appointments the
place was assigned Hon. John S. Bar
bour, Of Alexandria Va. Citizens are
encouraged that a man of broad and
liberal views, as well as one perfectly
familiar with the necessities of the Dis
trict is to have charge of the legislation
pertaining to its welfare.
The Treasury cheerfully opened the
New Year with a table showing a debt
reduction during 1888 of one hundred |
and ten millions of dollars; and this in
spite of the tax legislation of the last
Congress, which in the first six months
operation of the new law, has cut down |
the revenues twenty eight millions of
dollars. The reduction in the debt for
December was twelve millions.
After an interval of two weeks Con-
gress reassembled Monday, and tie real
work of the session has now begun.
Among the business awaiting the House
are several interesting investigations to
be made at an early date. One is the
charge made by Republican newspapers
of reputation and good standing in the
party, that a member of the Supreme
Bench of the United States was ap-
pointed to his position to carry out the
conditions OF a bargain, made between
the President then in the chair, and un-
known New York capitalists. The rep
utati0n of the Supreme bench is at stake
as long as this charge stands unrefuted,
or until it is proven false by a commit
tee of Congress. For this reason a
member OF the House, who halls from
che same state as the accused Judge, :
told me he intended soon to offer res /
olution calling for thorough investiga- ]
ton of the charge by a committee to be
selected from the ablest members of !
both parties iu the present House. An f
Sther matter to be investigated is the
manner in which the office of the Attor-
1ey General has been conducted with .
reference to the political indictments in
South Carolina, Mississippi, and Louisi- 9
ina. Grave misconduct in office is !
charged against the Attorney General q
q the management of the prosecution 8
II these cases. The members from a
hese States are all in favor of an in
Iuiry that will show the country just Il
low the cases were tried. Its charged y
hat the Attorney General in appointing
he Hon. Richard Crowley Cat the Pres ., .,
dents request) as special counsel to aid
a the Southern prosecutions, Crowley q
eing a member of Congress, violated u
ne statute, which forbids member of q,
congress to take fee in any case in
risich the Government is concerned, Il
is stated that vouchers on file will
Aow that Crowley drew pay for his le-
a services, while he was drawing his
laaTy as member of the House. n
a third matter that Congress will q
ok into, when fairly in wotking order, m
q charge made against Hon. Geo. 2. 2.
liss special counsel for the govern
ent to the effect that he received
ousand dollars for giving the adverse %