, 1884-03-23
WASHINGTON LETTER.


The galleries paid Senator Logan a
high compliment by waiting three hours
in the mephitic air of the Senate chamber
TO hear his speech on the Porter bill. 1t
was the first time this session hat the
senate assumed that top-heavy appearance
so common during the exciting political
controversies of a few years ago, when
such orators as Blaine, Conkling, Carpen-
ter, Edmunds and Hoar were contending
with such worthy foemen as Thurman,
Beck and Ben Hill. There was some
thing almost pathetic in the last charge of
General Logan on Fitz John Porter, and
as he sat in gloomy silence listening to the
final r%oll-call which, after twenty years,
was reversing history" the stalwart
senator had the sympathy of many who
did not share his views. When the vote
by which the bill passed was announced,
the gallery vented its feelings in mingled
applause and Kisses, The bill has gone to
the house for its concurrence in the senate
amendment, but under the rules it is
readily accessible, and it is expected by
some members that it will be taken up
from the speakers table during the first
part of this week under the head Of bills
returned to the house from the senate
with amendments. No doubt President
Arthur would be very well pleased if it
would hang fire between the houses of
congress until the end of the session, for
it will be disturbing ten-days' guest at
the white house where it gets there.
Nothing better illustrates the d~ecadence
in the power of that mysterious influence
called ''the lobby than certain transac-
tons in the present congress, notably the
passage of the acts returning the land
grants of a dozen or more of the great
railroad corporations to the public do
main. The lobby was mustered in great
force and every appliance known to it was
brought to bear on members of congress
against the repeal of the grants, but for
all this the country is richer by about
thirty million acres of the best land in the
union. There is less lobbying at the cap
itol this season than at any time since 1
have been in congress, said an old mem
Der of the house to me some days ago.
THE proposed whiskey legislation seemed
to open up a big field for lobbyists, and
they set in to do some big work, but they
were disappointed, There seems to be a
determination on the part of the friends
of important measures to keep clear of
the lobby sharks. Nothing would kill a
measure quicker now than for it to become
mouthed about that it was being lobbied.
Apropos of whiskey legislation, it is
claimed by its supporters that the fight is
not ended, and that the bonded-extension
bill is not dead by any means. They say
that it came up at an unfortunate time,
when many of its friends were absent, but
that it will pass when they get to it prop
erly. On the other hand, the opponents
of the bill in the house ridicule the claims
of its friends that it has any chance of
passing. However, now that the whisky
bill has been defeated it is discovered that
no cataclysm of trade is impending after
all. There were suspicious to that effect
all along, for predictions of ruin are the
commonest of arguments when any in
terest finds itself threatened by the atti-
tude of congress. The distillers, natural
ly enough, are disappointed and vexed,
but even the whisky men now admit that
the failure of the bill, while it will cause
some inconvenience, will bring no dis
aster.
The Lasker-O chiltree- Bismarck incl
dent is again rife. The action of our gov
eminent in the business, as disclosed in
the diplomatic correspondence and by the
language of the resolution which Mr.. His
cock offered upon the transmission of the
returned resolution to the house, is marked
by temperance and dignity, and will be
commended by the country. While a
friendly tone is maintained throughout, a
refreshing frmness marks the attitude Of
the state department, and Mr.. Hiscock's
resolution is, in its way, as satisfactory.
The whole matter has gone to the foreign
affairs committee, where it has been
warmly discussed. 1t is understood that
subcommittee will report a resolution to-
day which will be in the relation of a com
promise between the extreme views of
members.
The president invested another liberal
slice of his salary in a dinner to senators
and members Of congress on Wednesday
evening. His efforts to have them all as
his guests this year will cost him not less
than SIS, OO0-a tenth of his annual salary.
There will be still one more large con-
gressional dinner at the white house, al
though it was supposed that last Wednes-
days dinner was the last of the series.
After Lent there will be a largo public re-
ception. There has been of late some
complaint at the hotels and about town
that opportunities to visit the white house
are not SO frequently offered to the general
public as formerly. The president is
aware of this, and to the coming recep-
ton everybody will be invited. He has
now both his sisters with him as his
guests. LENoX.
8HhM LEV hsa