The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1886-03-03
WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENCE
WASHINGTON, !
Feb. 90, 1886. !

Editor Democrat
1t has been an interesting week al
the National Capital. Congress has
settled down to hard work, and has
probably accomplished, more during
the week than during any preceding
week of the session. The Fitz John
Porter bill occupied much of the time
of the House duriog the early part Of
the week, and on Thursday the bill
was passed by vote Of III to l13.-
Not one Democratic vote was cast in
the negative, and but sixteen Repub'
lican votes were cast in the affirmative
The House has thus declared that
General Porter was free from blame
when, at the second battle of Bull
Run, in 1862, he disobeyed the orders
of a superior officer; and that the de-
cision of the court martial which found
him guilty was wrong. The attend
ance of members during the debate
was unusually large, and but few seats
were vacant. Although the speeches
were for the most part tiresomey the in
terest taken by the general public in
the proceedings, was manifest by the
crowded galleries. The chair placed
little restraint upon the occupants Of
the galleries, who frequently gave
vent to applause in appreciation of the
telling points in the arguments Of the
several speakers.
The debate in the Senate upon the
Blair Educational Bill was continued
during the week. Nearly every Sena-
tor has taken part in the discussion of
the bill, and so great number of
have been offered that it
is probable that when a vote is finally
taken the provisions of the bill will
have been so changed that it will be
hardly recognized by the introducer.
War has at last been openly declar-
ed between the Republican Senators
and the administration, upon the ques
ton of removals. Senator Edmunds
on Thursday last, having obtained the
Endorsement Of his proposedreport from
Judiciary Committee, on the refusal of
the Attorney General to transmit GER
tain papers relating to the Dnskin
case, submitted the report to the Sen
ate, but it was agreed that it should
not be called up for action in the SEN
ate until Monday next, in order that
the Democratic minority could have
time to formulate their reply The
resolutions are three in number. The
first declares the action of the Attor-
ney General in refusing to furnish in
formation when called for by che Sen
ate, was reprchensible. The second
declares that where the Senate calls
for information regarding removals
from Office, and the information is not
the Senate will not confirm
the appointee. And the third con
demns the disregard of the law which
requires that in selections for Office,
preference be given to honorably dis
charged Union soldiers and sailors
Among the bills introduced in the
Senate on Thursday last was one by
Mr.. Hoar providing for the erection of
a suitable monument at Washington
to General Ulysses s. Grant. The
bill appropriates $4,000 for the pur-
pose and provides for commission of
three Senators and three members of
the House of Representatives to con-
tract for the monument. An amend
ment offered by Mr.. Logan, increasing
the amount appropriated to S250,oOO,
was adopted.
The eighteenth annual Convention
of the National Suffrage Association,
was held in this city during the week.
In the absence of Mrs. Elizabeth Cady
Stanton, the President of the Associa-
ton, the meetings were presided over
by Miss Susan B. Anthony. The
meetings were we'll attended, the au-
dience being composed of women.
many of whom were young and pretty.
Two hundred and ten of the en-
ployees Of the Washington Navy Yard
were suspended on Wednesday, owing
to lack of appropriation to longer
continue them at work. The suspen.
sious were made pending action by
Congress on the Deficiency Apyropria.
ton Bill for the Navy.
Among the Indians now in the city
who have visited Washington to pro