Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-11-30
READY FOR CONGRESS.

Great Influx Ofstrangers Expected at the
Ma fonal Capital-SOme Perennial
Features-Increasing Demands OF the
Various Bureaus for Large ApprOpri-
atiOns
From The Ae1o York Herald.
WASHINGTON, Nov. 27.-Washington
is beginning to put on its Congressional
dress, though the crowds are somewhat
late in coming. Still, the reports are that
they are on the road. The hotels have
been put in shape for the Congressman
service. The boarding houses, which are
always ready, have been improving ana
increasing their accommodations, All
new COnrressmen start in by living at Tue
hotels, ; me remain in them, prelerIlng
hotels to private houses or boarding
houses. but large number ma ~ Dno
their way INTO boarding houses before tue
session is far advanced. Ihree-
fourths OF the regulars, VINO come
with every session to urge the passage OF
some particular bill or claim IN
which thew are interested as the principal
or advocate. find accommodations IN
boarding houses. There is an army OF
persons who are employed directly or IN
directly about tie CAPITOL. A few oil
these are annual and remain, or at least
are supposed to remain, here during the
entire wear. There will be at least 600
more persons employed about the House
in two weeks than there are now, and pro-
badly 400 mole IN the Senate. They are
clerks assistant clerks, messengers ana
assistant messengers, assistant dOorkeep-
ars, assistants to assistant dOorkeepers,
s'who pull open and close doors that open
and close themselves" folding room en-
plOyes, several hundred in number, ia
borers" and assistant lahorers and long
line of others. The salaries Of these
range from $50 to $3.50 per month. with
a few exceptions all Of these live in board
lng houses. There are several hundred OF
ssregular'' claimants who are here every
year, and even q larger number OF anna
teur claimants, who come and go.
WAITING FOR THE HOLIDAYS.
The regulars know enough about legis-
1ation TO KIN tina nothing is done until
after the holiday recess, aud they always
remain away until after that time. The
others, however, do not know this, and do
not learn il until they have paid their
board bills for six weeks. There is a most
wonderful fascination about having
claim before Congress-. IL matters not
how many times they have failed to even
secure a consideration before a committee,
they come back smiling every time, full
of confidence that justice will be done
them this time. Every one OF the six or
seven hundred "clsims" bills that have
been introduced at the opening of every
Congress regularly for the last ten or
fifteen years will be introduced on
some of the bills days between
now and the HOLIDAY recess.
These claimants find some one who
is willing to introduce their bills. and, as
a general thing. they are introduced in
both Senate aud House. This is about all
there is heard of them for the entire ses-
zion. The famous William McGarrahan,
whose claim for the New ldria Quick
silver mines in California has been be-
fore every Congress for the last twenty
years. will be here next week. A history
Of this claim in all its ramifeatiOns be-
fore Congress. departments and the
courts would I'LL book as large as the
ordinary unabridged dictionary, and yet
leave much that could not &c told. OF all
Congressional romances it mas been for
years the most interesting. 1t mas dis
Tupted and dissrranged Cabinets, elected
and defeated Senators and Representa-
tives. appointed and debarred judges. and
is Just where il was twenty years ago as
far as legislation is concerned.
CLAIMANTS.
Mrs. Gen. Gaines. having crossed over
TO the silent majority. viii not 5e On hand
any more 10 urge the passage Of hero aim
equally famous; bat ready hands Eii- -
here TO give 10 the necessary adFoc4cV.
with about as good prospects a. it ever
had. but no better. And 50 10 VIII oe with
hundreds o. other claims. TIE truth o.
the whole matter u tnat there are t-ol-
sands Of measures annually introduced i1
Congress that should Be disposed - else
where. Then, again. there are luudrsis
and hundreds Of bills Introduced t1at
should be destroyed. claims for which
there never was any foundation. instead
OF having them continually coming up.
Occu pving the attention d committees
whose time should BE- spent IL considering
current business. The difficulty f.. Woo
shall decide which should be considered
and which should not. One Maryland
member introduced in the last Congress
over 400 claim bills. Three fOurths
Of them rad been introduced
by his predecessors in previous
Congresses, only 70 die when those Con-
crosses expire. They are Of class
known as war claims for property taken
By the army from loyal people in Mary
land during the war. Probably every one
OF these bills will be introduced in the
approaching Congress, only 10 share the
same fate. Their consideration by the
Claims or War Claims Committees IS out
Of the question, for II the committee uu-
herto0k such task thOy could not do
anything else. Under the provisions Of
what is known as the Bowman act the
committee can send all claims that they
consider good" 20 the Court OF Claims
direct for consideration, but even with
this outlet they cannot reduce the volume
OF claims. for the number that come IN
arc always out OF all proportion 10 the
number disposed or
Tne Senate Chamber and Han OF the
House of Representatives are now in
readiness for occupation. New carpets
have been laid and chairs and desks are
resplendent with their annual coat of
varnish.
GROWTH OF THE BUREAUS.
II has been noticed that the estimates
made by the various chiefs OF bureaus Of
the department for the next fiscal year are
considerably 10 excess OF what was ap-
prOpriated TO- the present fiscal year. The
excess, as "A rule. Is more than the ordinary
annual increase in consequence Of the
growth ofthOse bureaus. An official in Civ
ing an explanation to-day OF the cause OF
the Increased appropriations asked for said
the rule seemed 10 be 10 ask for as much
as was possible, not with the idea that all
asked for would be ippropriated, but
that, II large estimates were made, 10
would give the Appropriation Committees
a chance % cut down considerably, and
yet stand a chance ofsecuring an Increased
appropriation. he said their experience
had been that the holder they were i'm the
requests the more they received. Some