The Mineral argus., 1886-02-11
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From Our Regular Correspondent


Eulogies of Vice President Hend-
ricks, debates over the coming COM
monwealth, Dakota, and executive
sessions have consumed most of the
time in the senate this week. An op
portunity to do some much needed
scolding was also taken advantage of
by several agsrieved senators. One Of
them lectured the senate for adjourn
ing over from Thursday to Monday,
as has been its habit of late, when there
was SO much important business on
hand. He supplemented his remarks
with a resolution providing that here
after the yeas and nays shall be called
on motions to adjourn over a legisla-
tive day, thus putting the peoples re-
prescntatives squarely on record when
they vote to waste time.
Another senator scolded the engrav-
ing clerks of the house of representa-
tives for sending over to the senate
bills made up OF bad spelling. 1t was
an offence, an insult to the latter
august body that could not be forgiven.
He congratulated the senate upon the
good spelling of its employees, and the
affair was kind of love feast at the
expense of the house.
The debate that has been inaugur-
ated in the senate over the admission
of Dakota, promises to be long and
interesting. The question has become
a party one, and the bill will pass the
senate by republican vote. The
democrats count upon beating the bill
in the house. They clam not to base
their opposition upon a denial of the
right of Dakota to statehood; they
admit that in population, wealth, etc,
the territory is entitled to become a
state; but they assert that the people
of Dakota have not complied with the
legal preliminaries. 1t is probable a
compromise will be proposed in the
senate looking to the admission of
Montana, which is democratic terri
tory, along with Dakota. One plan
suggested is to admit Dakota, Mon
tana and Washington Territories.
The proceedings of the lower house
Of congress SO far, this week, have
not been marked by any legislation of
nor by any important de-
bates. Routine business and petty
wrangles have filed its record.
The demands upon the time of con
gressmen made by their constituents
are such that most of them are under
the necessity of employing clerks.
The duties of these clerks are, mainly.
to look after pension and other claims.
1t is now proposed to employ 3s5 extra
pension clerks, (there are just three
hundred and twenty five members in
he house) one to be assigned to the
business of each congressional district
under the direction of the representative
,f that district. Many members do |
not favor this plan, however, and pre-
er to deal with the matter in the old
way.
"A congrcssman's lot is not a per
ectly easy one. as will be seen by |
some samples of information they are |
to furnish their constituents.
A western member remarked, holding
'ome freshly opened letters in his hand,
If there is anything in the world that
my people do not write to congress
men about, | wolld like to know what
I is. Here is a letter from a citizen in
my district, who requests me to write
% the American minister at Rome to i
end him an Italian queen bee. Here
5 another from woman whose hus.
'and left her seven years ago. She
'sks that find out his present address
II the census office and send 1T to her."
The question of abolishing secre,
essIons has again been up in the SEN
tie, and again met with opposition.
The opinion outside of the senate is
hat very little business is transacted .
here IN secret that might not as well ]