The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1884-02-23
FROM WASHINGTON
Special TO the CARBON ADVOCATE.
WASHINGTON, Feb "a, 1884

Ane question: OF tue auJourbmenb ol
the present session is the subject of con.
siderable talk among members inst now,
though there are but few who expect ar
early adjournment. Indeed, the general
opinion is that il the House makes nc
greater progress than it has so far made,
the session will last until August. 1t is
known that Mr.. Randall faYors an ad-
journment at as early a day as possible,
and that he hopes to bring about an ad.
journment before the National Demo.
cratic Convention is held. 1t is thought
the Convention will be held in the latter
part of June. The political gossips
around the Capitol assert with great con.
fidence that movement is on foot to fiz
I'D o presidential slate for the Democratic
party which shall be headed by Senator
Bayard, of Delaware, and ex-senator
Mcdonald, of Indiana. Messrs. Bayard
and Mcdonald have been seen together
frequently within the past two or three
days, and it is understood that they dis
cussed the presidential situation.
From report prepared for the State
Department it appears that the total
number of steamships of the world on
the first day of September 1883 was T.
734, of 8, 1872, 096 gross tonnage. In this
the British flag enters for 4, 649; repre-
senting 5,3l9,8l9 tons. France holds
second position among European States
with 458 steamships, representing 667,-
474 gross tonnage. The German mer-
chant steam feet has total tonnage OF
476. S39. After Germany. in the order OF
importance, come Italy. Spain. Holland,
Russia and Austria, Hungary. In the
last five years the augmentation in the
number of the worlds ships bas been l.
500, having 3,052,161 gross tonnage,
The merchant sail and steam marine of
the world numbers 43,8 ships, with q
capacity of % $40, 973 tons.
The business of Congress is now as
suming something like tangible shape.
Nearly 5000 bills. many of them of a
private nature, have been introduced in
the House during the session, SO far, and
of this number less than 200 baye been
considered by the committees and re-
ported back for action. But matters
have reached that point where it is pos
sible to tell what is coming next. The
bill to prevent the spread of contagious
diseases among cattle will occupy some
attention this week, and the Ways and
Means Committee will continue to hear
arguments of business men concerning
prospective tariff legislation. 1t is not
thought that Mr.. Morrison's bill will be
reported for two or three weeks at least,
The subject Of forfeited land grants will
continue to occupy the attention of the
Public Lands Committee for some time,
and the business of the other important
committees is in such shape that there is
no reason to expectanything like a legis
lative earthquake for q week or two.
Washington has not been SO full OF
strangers since Inauguration day as it
was all last weak. The hotels were
crowded to OVERLOOKING and many were
turned away for lack OF rooms in which
to put them. The Illinois Press Ass1ci
alton and the Mississippi River Conven.
ton furnished good share of the CROW 1,
but there are swarms of lobbyists an
men interested in legislation lurking
around.
The Presidents enc reception of tie
season wns given after my letter of last
week had been mailed. and it was q
brilliant occasion. The entire lower
floor of the White House was thrown
open to the public. A temporary en-
trance was constructed in the rear OF the
Diplomatic Corps, aud an exit was made
by bridging the area in front of the
house. The rooms were decorated with
profusion of exotics from the green
house, and brilliantly lighted, while
mcsic was furnished by the Marine Band,
which was stationed in full uniform in
the outer corridor, This affair, however,
did not come up in brilliancy to the
more select and elegant fancy dress ball
given by the daughter of Senator Miller.
of California. The dresses worn by
some Of the ladies on that occasion were
really works of art, and some ladies sent
abroad for jewelry to match their cos
tunes. To even chronicle the lunch
parties, high teas, dinners, receptions
and germans, would require columns of
an ordinary newspaper, and they are, as
one OF the Chineee secretaries astutely
remarked a few evenings since, "allee
samee." There is the same extravagance
in floral decoration and in gasligbt, the
same extra servants, the same musicians.
and the same dishes on the supper table
The most magnificent affair thus far has
been t5e ball of British Minister, Mr..
West. Twenty years ago, when young
attache, Mr.. West. who was the third
son of the Earl of Delaware, married
Spanish actress. His mother, the Coun-
tess OF Delaware, was one of the unre.
lenting old dowagers that we read of in
English novels, and she refused to re-
cognize an actress as her daughter-in-
law. Mrs. West died in Paris about ten
years since, leaving three daughters. to
whom the Minister has always been au
indulgent father. The oldest one re-
sides with him here, and is great fav-
orite in society. The other two are
young girls yet. A leap year assembly
is TO be given during the present month.
by 100 young ladies. and it is proposed
that they wear dress coats, made of silk
satin, velvet or broadcloIh, while the
gentlemen wear waists of some
fashionable material, with low neck aud
short sleeves. Many of the young men
object to this nondescript costume, while
others who have handsome arms advocate
il Sfrnnuiu