Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1884-03-12

DIR WA&nlCTOy IETrGD.
CORRESPONDENCE ros- -UTxIIr9R0A-!
WAsHuoroS, Feb. Is. 1854.
The legislation Of this session 10. -
yet, not much advanced. The senate
has passed some twenty bills. but the
House has accomplished considerably
less in this direction. The several acts
the land grants Of certain
railroads the bill for the relief Of Fitz
John Porter, and a measure relative to
the number and pay of certain officers
and enlisted men in the volunteer
forces, about SUMS up .-s completed
business There is, however, much
work in prospect. Upon the ealendar
Of the whole H ,use on the stat. Of the
Union there are nov pending forty
bills, among which may be numbered
the bill 10 pension the veterans Of the
Mexican war, the measure to elevate the
Department of Agriculture TO the dig
nifty of a Cabinet position, the Dingiey
shipping bill and the naval appropria-
ton bill. There are also about thirty
bills upon the calendar OF the House
and one hundred and fifteen on the
private calendar, to SAY nothing Of the
three or four shousa d which have been
introduced and are nov under consid-
Grafton IN omnlittee, With the myrlads
Of bills now being perfected IN the
mental machinery OF on, energetic
statesmen.
There Is no lack Of bills to deal with
the financial problems before Congress.
but the subject has proved great in per
p!eI<les. Mr.. Potter nov notifies the
c1Iumlttee which has his two per cent.
bond bill In hand that he has decided
TO modify 1t 30 as 70 make tte interest
rate two and one half per cent, with .
reduction OF the tax on bank circulation
to ons-half Of enc per cent. Ii 10
thought that the provisions II this bill
would enable the national btpks to con
tlnus business on their present basis for
some years. A number of other propo-
sitions have been made by the friends
Of the national banks, and the OpPOsl-
! toll to the system has almost vanished.
| A Mr.. Beck said i'll the Senate: " The
| banks are ont of politics: nobody OPP
poses them. and some Judicious and
/ friendly legislation is expected from
/ Congress on tine matter. 1t seems prob
able that a bill bearing upon the relation
/ of the funded debt to the national bank
system will pass the Senate. The pecu-
liar rules of the House render it less
easy for that body u reach aud pass on
the merits Of any proposition; bnt q
| strong pressure will DO brought to bear
upon the House ON behalf of . friendly
and sensible bond bill.
| The naval appropriation bill has al
last come up in the House, and with ita
confederation Congress begins the sss-
sien's work on the supplies. The up
preparation committee has been moving
very cautiously in its task of unloading
the treasury of part of the troublesome
surplus revenue, but they have also pre-
pared a number Of other money bills
and oil show q spirit of riRid rstrench
ment The navy bill outs down the De
partment estimatee more than sever
miliiens and ignores its recommends
tons for an increase in our fleets. WOrl
on the monitors Ii also to be suspended
The debate on the bill will probably con
tinue this week.
, The fight over the forfeiture of thei
, land grants. which has been waged o.
assiduOusly III committee by representa-
; tives Of tho railroads, has vIslbly sub
sided. The various interested corpora
, lions seem t. have abandoned any hop
of stomminQ the adverse tide of senti
| ment in the House, and turn their eye
appealingly toward the Senate, wher
. they aim to accomplish moro favOrabl
legislation. They hatter the dignity o
the upper house, say 1t ID a more tenn
, perate body than the House Of Repre-
sentatives, and that it proceeds NOR
, cautiously and judioieusly in disposin
of very important matters. 1t 10 evl
dent that the railroads will wage thei
, great battle in the Senate: and. if the
. are defeated there, 1t IS iutimated tina
the validity of forfeiture legislation vii
, be strained to its utmost tension i'll tn
courts.
The somewhat delayed report of tn
3 Civil Service Commission has revive
, the question of civil service reform, an,
there liz good deal Of quiet discussion
, going on among members of Congress
With regard to the Civil Service Com
mission, what it has accomplished AN
what may be expected Of it. The ques
ton of a change in the law seems like |
to come up in Congress-. 1t is sin1uls
that the standpoint of criticism on tn
new Law has been shifted. At first j
, was claimed that the examination
would be too difficult and too book
, ish," but now it is InOoted that the
are not sufficiently rigid in these re
spects.
The White House has been all agloy
) of late. Dinners and receptions follow
each other In quick succession sine
Mrs. McElroy's advent there. The re
ceptions ars dry affairs; and, apropos,
: prominent Congressman exclaimed t.
me: How l wish Mrs. Hayes was bacl
again at the White House. We coul,
have lemonade then, but now We can
get even glass Of water" LKNox.