The Bozeman weekly chronicle. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1883-1889, 1886-01-20
Washington Letter.
Editor of the Chronicle:

washington JhnI Ii A0oV'
While congress has done nothing start.
ling since it assembled, almost everything
that has occrred on capitol hill during
the week has been fraught with interest
and importance. The senate has dis Z
cussed and voted against the Mormons
and incidentally against woman suffrage.
Steps were taken towards overhauling
the street railways of Washington. as
we'll as the U. S. pension Office, and the
congressional record was embellished
with considerable eloquenee on silver
coinage Senator Beck exonerRted nim-
self from his recent alleged antagonism
to the president About one thousand
new bills were introduced In the house.
and the speaker completed the organ
ization of that body by formally
announcing where he has had assigned
his 1926 men on his forty-eight commit.
tees.
There is no more than the usual
amount of dissatisfaction among mem
bers on account of their positions on the
committees. Indeed l think there was
less complaint than was expected, and
the general verdict of those who nave
no personal interest IN the greatquestions
with which these committees are 10
deal, is, that Speaker Carlisle has
arranged them with wisdom and fair
ness. .at
There are so many new members in
the present house, that their assignment
had to be made somewhat blindiy, -
their special abilities had not been
tested. But the speaker profted by his
experience in the fortv-eighth congress
in placing the old members with view
to their qualifications. The more prom
inent committees which have the mosf
important work to do. are strong. VI
With each congress the task Of organ
izing the house is becoming q more
delicate and burdeusome one. The
question has been raised, whether the
labor should any longer be thrown upon
one man.
Both branches of congress are neS
ready for real work, any amount OF
which is waiting for them. 1t is thought
the session will continue until August
About three thousand bills have been
presented in the house alone Among
those that have been introduced IN the
=, l0rfxoV aQaaiOzA
of congress, SO that the country can
have more work for the same money.
The sessions ought to be CONTIGUOUS, with
| only such short recesses as other blIsi-
ness men take from their labors. The
paw of congressman goes on whether
Z, they are in session or not. While u Is
very agreeable arrangement to them for
congress to sit only ten or eleven months
out of the twenty -four, public business
suffers from neglect.
| The list of bills with which congress u
| flooded. furnishes undeniable proof OF
| American inventive genius. No possible
subject of legislation has been slighted-
Among them are many old-timers that
come ap and die out with every neW
congress. One bill asks that for the
remainder of her life the widow of Gen.
] Grant may correspond with her friends,
and that her friends may correspond
with her without paving postage. The
most popular measure is one for t4e
establishment of agricultural experiment
stations. Nearly all the members from
rural districts have introduced it in one
! form or another. About dozen civil
service bills have been presented, and
new bill asks FOR the establishment Of
national university here. 1t provides
/ instruction in the higher branches OF all
departments of knowlet ge. with facilities
for research and investigation. Space
forbids me to give the full terms of the
bill. but will mention that the govern
ment of the institution is to be vested in
a board of regents. consisting of one
member from each state of the union, TO
be appointed by the governor. Each
state and territory shall be entitled TO
scholarships in the ratio of one foE each
representative or delegate and two for
each senator. These scholarships shall
secure free instruction for FIVE yeara- /,
The republicans in both branches OF
congress are after the pension office, ana
the senate has passed resolution for an
investigation of its management, palai
and present. They complain that Com
missioner Black does not treat them
with sufficient Difference when they cal
on business, and then they have to dc
something in retaliation against the
recent charges in Gen. Blacks annual
report, about the pension bureau hayips
been political machine, run by repub
liean partisans. BUD BAKER.
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