News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1886-02-25
FROM WASHINGTON.
Correspondence the News and Citizen.l
WASHINGTON, D. c.,
Feb. Is, 1886.

Tue ulSLDdl ldCI TeLudluS luS SdIuS Gue10
Congress is to have the Fitz John
Porter relief business all over again.
The debate has actually begun, and
the greater part of the week has been
set apart for this subject. A week,
too, in the midst of the busy part of
| the session. What could be more
dreary? OF course nothing new could
be brought forth in the discussion.
The same old battles Of the war will
be fought over again. The same old
evidence, so often sifted, is all there
is in the case now. No witnesses
could be summoned who will not be
recognized as old acquaintance.
Representative Steele of Indiana,
who was the first to speak in opposi-
ton to the bill, promised with the re-
mark: ''What in thunder are we here
for? Why are we discussing Fitz John
Porter? The Democrats will vote for
it anyhow" Still the gentleman from
Indiana said he would not be deferred
from giving the reasons why he would
vote against it. He severely con-
demned General Porter's disregard of
the order to march, declaring that the
order was peremptory land that it could
and should have been obeyed.
Socially, the week at the Capital
has been unusually brilliant, notwith-
standing a temporary interruption of
the festive programme by Gen. Han
cocks death. The President held his
first card reception of the winter in
honor of the Diplomatic Corps, and
also gave State dinner to the JUS
tees of the Supreme Court. There
was a grand banquet at the Chinese
Embassy, brilliant reception at Sec
rotary Whitney's, with an abundance
of point lace and diamonds, flowers
and music, besides innumerable gave
ties of less prominence.
Both events at the White House
were gorgeously appointed. The din
ner to the Justices was sumptuous,
with seven wines and twelve courses,
satin favors, and 6outonniers while
the floral arrangements on the table
were in compliment to the guests, a
pair of scales of justice made of flow
ers, being the central piece. Over it
rested dove with an olive branch.
The card reception drew a distin-
gulshed gathering, both Houses of
Congress, the Judiciary, officers of
the Army and Navy, and officials in
Washington who hold commissions
from the President having been invit-
ed to meet the foreigners. An hour
before the reception began, the gas
suddenly went out and the mansion
was in darkness. An effort was made
to light it with candles, and when the
candlesticks were exhausted, candles
were placed all around the parlors in
bottles and saucers, their feeble flames
making very inadequate illumination.
The gas mains, which had been flood
ed for some days, had been left in that
condition. Fortunately there was
time to pump the water out before the
guests arrived, and the house and
grounds were soon brilliantly lighted
again.
An old resident of Washington re-
marked recently that the National
Capital had changed wonderfully in
the past few years. although we
have a Democratic administration"
said he, 81 notice that the tendency
of society is more aristocratic than
ever" Another replied, of course it
is. The genuine democracy of the
country went out of power last March.
Nine-tenths of the Republican voters
are too democratic to- belong to the
Democratic party. All that was anti
Republican in official society here
during the last twenty-four years of
Republican rule, has been copied this
year with exaggerated emphasis"
Attorney General G Garland, of Pan
Electric fame, is credited with furnish
ing the Jeffersonian simplicity for the
Administration, while Secretary Whit
ney furnishes the magnifcence. Mr..
Garland abjures State dinners and has
said that he will never no, never
wear a swallow-tail coat. Mr.. Whit
ney is the dude Of the Cabinet, and is
wealthy. He delights in display and
is never tired of adding to the rich
collection of artistic belongings with
which his residence here is furnished.
He bought $4,000 worth of bric-a-
brac from one New York dealer alone.
The Secretaries of State and War,
Bayard and Endicott, furnish the blue
blood of the Cabinet, each coming
from ancestral lines Of pilgrim and cav
alier. They are both dignifed in per-
son, of comfortable fortunes, and born
aristocrats. No one would think of
approaching these gentlemen with Pan
Electric to obtain the influence of
their exalted positions to give it in
trinsic value, and neither of these
gentlemen would appear on an even
ing social occasion without swallow
tails.
DEATHS RICH HARVEST. Seldom
on the pages of history will be found
such a distinguished roll of names
called by death within the space of
less than seven months. Since that
July morning when the renowned
commander of the Union Army was
released from his sufferings, the hand
of death has been busy among the