The Dawson journal., 1884-01-03
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From our regular. Correspondent.

evergreen and holly, and even with
its white mantle of snow. Christ
mas seems to SaiE an additional de-
gree of Significance with every year.
1t has oEerleaped all bounds OF creed
and country, until it engirdles the
globe with an almost unbroken chain
of little children anxiously peering
into stockings for the good work CT
St. Nicholas at sunrise. And at no
place is the observance of the whole
holiday season more complete and
general than here in Washington
1t is here that wealth and fashion
from all the leading cities centers
and forms social population, which,
from the fact that it is also 3 popu-
lstion Of leisure. devotes both time
ano money-two very Important re-
qulsites-to the full pleasures and
enjoyment OF the holiday Then
there Is that middle class of society.
those clerks depending upon the
Executive Departments, who, while
| they do not command the full limit
OF pecuniary enjoyment, still are
blest with free holiday from the cares
of clerical work during the greater
part of this happy sesson Even the
poorer classes seem to enter with
their full besrt and resource. and
with surprisingszest, into the celebra
ton. Decoration ,abounds in ever
greens, holly, mistletoe, and cedar at
the churches, in parlors, and, with
strange indiscrinination, about the
entrances Of saloons. Among the
novel and pleasant features of Christ
mas in Washington this year are the
Christmas Clubs, designed to pro-
vide gifts and bouutiful board to
the poor. These organizations are
governed BY young folks from the
highest social circles of the Capital,
aud the most prominent club is led
by the Presidents little daughter,
Nellie Arthur.
Congress has voted itself long
holiday, and Ms members have stol-
en- silently away to eat their turkey
at home They have done no actual
work, Dat they left enough bills upon
the Clerks desk to keep them busy
for the rest Of their official life, meas
ures covering the whole field of gen
eral legislation, from propositions to
change the organic Law of the lanl
down to the private cain of Mr.. or
Airs. Somebody. Most of these bills
are old aequaintahces, but some sa-
vor OF new loeas Bills dealing with
ths land grant railroads, he shipping
interest, the chinese question, the
silver question, the natiouSl bauEs,
The civil service, pensions, education,
homestead laws, the revenue and in-
ternal taxes, postal reforms, changes
In court jurisdiction, scientific expsr-
iments patents, indian matters, FIR
eign relations, immigration, internal
Improvements, and about q thousand
for the relief of Mr.. James Jones and
Me-. John Smith have now been ddiy
"read arst and second time" and
referred 10 committees. There the
majority of them viii die a natural
death, bat few are faied to stir the
ire and tongues of legislators after
the holiday recess. The Senate has
accomplished no more legislative
work than the House Tho s'Ansr-
ican House OF Lords" has at last du-
ly effected reorganization and the
new officers are settled in their re-
apectiye posts only to experience
the annoyance Of having patronage
to dispense. But it is understood
that removals Of subordinates will be
made very gradually, so as not to
interrupt the efficient working of
any of the departments. It is said,
too, that all the democrats viii not
be removed. The usual dignity Of
the Upper House gave way in the
discussion of the new code of rules,
one provision of which erects a Chi
nese wall of rigid exclusion around
the Senate chamber Some of the
members violently oppose this rule,
but the indications are that it will be
adopted. These rules will exclude
pretty much everybody from the
Chamber except members and ex
members of Congress and bona fide
private secretaries of Senators. This
rigid exclusion will extend TO the