The Central Nevadan. [volume] (Battle Mountain, Nev.) 1885-1907, 1885-01-30
WARRINGTON LETTER.
From our Regular Correspondent.

Tho weeks work in Congress was
varied in character, importance and
interest. There was a sensational dis
cussion about the patriotism and trait
orship of jeff. Davis early in the week,
which commanded much attention
There were dull debates on financial
questions, on Interstate commerce, on
appropriation bills, and there were
political debates in which the tariff
found chance to demand some at
tertion. A bill to retire Gen. Grant
on full pay went smoothly through the
Senate, and the Mcpherson funding
bill failed IN the House, while the old
French Spoilation bill, which has been
dangling about in Congress since 1902,
was passed. The latter bill has now
passed both Houses three times, has
been reported forty-two times, and
has been vetoed twice, once by Presi-
dent Polk and then by President
Pierce.
The struggle for right of way among
the special orders has been begun. and
will grow fiercer week by week, as the
session approaches the end. The
Especial orders" now make long cal
ender by themselves. They are SO
many that they clog legislation, and
quarrels ensue for the survival of the
fittest. The Especial order" device
has been carried too far, and some new
one must be contrived by ingenious
members who want the House to
transact some business in spite of it
self. But Mr.. Randall says Congress
is not in law making mood now.
The remaining days of the session
are 50 few, and the regular appropra-
ton bills still to he considered SO
many that this postponement to an
other Congress of all general legisla-
ton will be easy to accomplish.
Several events in the last week have
been calculated to attract attention to
the Government collection of paintings
m the Executive and Departmental
portrait galleries. The arrival at the
White House of a life-size. three
quarter length portrait of President
Hayes, gains interest from the fact
that it completes the collection of por.
traits of Presidents from Washington
to Arthur inclusive. The arrival at
the Naval Department of crayon
portrait of Cabot, the first Secretary
of the Navy, revives Interest also in
that Departments collection, the most
incomplete of any of the Executive
Departments. The White House col
lection is the most interesting of them
all; it is most familiar to sight-seers
and affords great variety of sizes and
styles and a wide range of artistic
merit. Beginning with the large por.
trait of Washington that hangs oppo-
site that Of Mrs. Washington on the
the East room, the series is followed
through the small painting IS Of Adams,
Jefferson, Madison, Munroe, Taylor,
Harrison and johnson, which line the
walls Of the Presidents library, to the
larger and more imposing portraits oi
John Quincy Adams, Van Buren,,
Polk, Fillmore, Buchanan, Pierce
Tyler, Jackson, Lincoln, Grant
Hayes, Garfield, and Arthur, that are
hung along the main corridor and in
the Red Room. The Hayes portrait
has just been assigned to a position
over the Red Room door, where it i,
too high to be seen well. The com
parison between the magnificent por
trait.of Mrs. Hayes in a position ol
honor in the Green Room, and the
rather commonplace picture of hel
husband over the Red parlor door in
the dark, will not have tendency tc
silence the unkind remarks that have
been made about the respective in
fluence of Mr.. and Mrs Hayes in the
management of the administration that
intervened between Grant and Gar
field.