The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1886-01-28
QUE WASHINGTON LETTER.
.WAsHISeroN, D. O., Jan. %, 1886

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The work of Congress during the past
week has been Of somewhat mixed
character, with comparatively little of
special interest. The Government Print
ing Office has been deluged with work,
particularly the printing Of new bills,
and is greatly behind, although type
settlers and pressmen are working night
ard day. The call of States is not com.
pleted vet, and every time there is one,
between 500 and 500 new bills are in
-troduced.
The subject most generally discussed
among Senators and Members outside Of
the Hailssof Congress has been the rig ght
/ of the Senate to call for. the reasons"
governing the removal of office holders.
The MINORITY Of Senators are of the
opinion that the reasons" cannot be
called for, but only the information in
the possession of the President or De-
partment. This information usually
consists Of only the recommendation on
! file in support of the new appointment,
as sfto the fitness of the new appointee,
and is quite different from the reasons"
which induced the President to make
the appointment. The President in
formed committee of Democratic Sen.
ators, appointed ata caucus, that he had
no objection to submitting the papers in
any appointment, but would not give his
sfreasons" for making a selection. The
Democratic Senators will sustain the
position taken by the President.
Heretofore the sessions of the Senate
in considering nominations sent to it
have always been held with closed doors,
so that none but the members of that
body have been permitted to be present.
Ihaye frequently been present when a
motion was made to 60 'into Executive
Session. as it's called, and Immediately
when carried the galleries have been
cleared of all spectators and correspond
ehts, and the doors sealed. Some of the
Senators are now in favor Of dispensing
with this old practice of "Star Chamber"
procedure and of having open Executive
Sessions. If the proposed change is
adopted the people of the country will
get many interesting facts concerning
public servants, now withheld from them.
The House Labor Committee and
Committee on Agriculture have agreed to
report a bill establishing Department
of Agriculture aud Labor, the head of
which shall be a Cabinet officer. This
Department will be one very near to the
people, and it stands fair chance Of
beng formed this Season.
The people of the District and of the
adjoining State, Maryland, are very
much exercised just now as to what the
Senate will do on the nomination of Hon.
William M. Merrick, of Maryland, as an
Associate Justice of the Supreme Court
of the District of Columbia. Judge
Merrick was on the bench here at the
beginning of the war, when Congress
legislated the court out of existence be.
cause of supposed sympathy with the
South. Since then the judge has resided
in Maryland, and represented that State
in Congress. He and Senator German
have represented opposing factions in
Maryland politics, and it was supposed
that when Judge Merrick was appointed
last summer as one of the Judges of our
,c,urt that German was made happy by
thus getting rid of his political rival.
But German is doing all that he can now
e, defeat Merrick's confirmation. Judge
Merrick is brother of the late Hon:
Richard T. Merrick, known all over the
country as an able lawyer and one of the
Democratic counsel before the Electoral
Commission. The members of the bar
are almost unanimous for the con6rma-
,tion, and the Bar Association has ap.
pointed committee to urge upon the
Senate to confirm the nomination.
Mr.. Maybury, of Mich, has intro
duced bill in the House that will touch
q responsive chord in the breasts of those
who love to angle for the sportive black
bass, or hunt the coy duck as it floats on
the water. He proposes to set apart as
National shooting and fishing resort or
reservation the broad stretch of marsh
and oyeraowed or shoal water lands in
and bordering upon Lake St. Clair in
the State of Michigan. All nayigable
waters within the prescribed limits are
to be deemed public highways and treat
ed as such.
zsusan B. Anthony is here with the
same abiding faith in the ultimate tri,