St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1886-01-02
WASHINGTON LETTER,
from Our Regular CORRESPONDENT
Washington, Dec. 90, 1885.

the attention OF almost everybody in
! Washington Congress is taking re-
cess, and society is forgotten for the
| time, in anticipation of the gatherings
around each tireside
On the day after Christmas the thirty
days OF mourning for the late Vice Pres
ldcnt Will expire, and the black drape-
ries will be removed from all the public
| buildings. The gay season will begin
on New Years day and the social forces
OF the Capital are well organized and
equipped for it. The winter is expect
ed to be an exceptionally gay one, even
outside OF official circles. 1t cannot be
otherwise, since each year adds TO the
number OF distinguished and hospitable
people making their homes here.
President Cleveland will inaugurate
much needed reform at the White House
10y making early hours fashionable.
Ills leVees are to begin at eight instead
OF nine O'Clock in the evening, as here
tofore. State dinners are to be served
at seven p. NJ, and New Years day re-
ceptlons are to begin at ten o'clock in
The morning, although eleven would
suit most OF those in official life much
better.
Ten o'clock was the hour during the
last Democratic administration, Buc
hanan's, but Mrs. Lincoln tixe d one hour
later. Mr.. Cleveland takes the stand,
that as the day is an unusually bnsy one
for both visitors and visited, it is better
to begin early.
The President devoted considerable
time during the week to signing his
name to lists OF nominations to be sent
to the Senate. All of his recess nom-
nations have been sent in now, and they
number about twelve hundred. On 60
ing into his office few mornings since
and seeing an avalanche of papers on
Have | made all those appointments !!
The President went to a photograph
gallery during the week and sat for his
picture, in a group with his Cabinet of
ticers. He also took time to dine with
Secretary Bayard on Wednesday even
ing. / his is the first time he has diDed
i'll Washington outside of tne White
House since he has been here. Oliver
Wendall Holmes was Mr.. Bayard's guest
on the same occasion, and also the mem
bers of the Cabinet.
The week was busy one in Con gress.
The Senate debated and passed the
Presidential succession bill talked about
prohibiting the sale of liquors in the
Senate restaurant, which it did not do
discussed Dakota's late action in elect
ing State Senators received bills and
acted upon some minor question. Both
Houses passed the bill granting a pen
sion OF $4,000 year to Mrs. Grant. In
the Senate it passed unanimously, in
the House there was one vote against
it, that of Representative Pierce, of
Wisconsin.
The House spent most of the week in
discussing a change OF rules, and de
cided by vote of 226 to 70 to adopt the
new Morrison code in relation to dis
tributing the appropriation bills among
the different committees. Mr.. Randall
being so badly beaten, politicians are
wondering now what he will do. Will
he or not again accept the chairman
ship of the Appropriations Committee,
shorn of SO much OF it's authority which
he fought earnestly to retain.
The action Of the House in revising
the rules has started afresh speculation
concerning Committee Chairmanships
The make up of Committees will be
greatly affected by the new rules, and
Speaker Carlisle has not been able to
consider the matter definitely on ac-
count of the uncertainty that has pre-
vailed in regard to the change. He will
arrange this troublesome part of his du-
ties during the Holidays, and be able to
announce the standing Committees
when the House meets again on the
fifth of January. The Presidential sue
cession bill, which the Senate passed
will be taken up by the House imme-
diately after the recess. There will be
opposition to it from nctnbers of both
parties, and several substitutes will be
offered, among them plan by Mr. Ran
dali, and another by Representative
Dipple of S. Carolina.
Up to this time the Senate has not
acted on any Of the Presidents nomina-
tons sent to it since the present session
opened. Western Senators have been