St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1886-01-23
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From Our Regular Correspondent
WASHINGTON, Jan. 18th, 1851

LII uulluS tHC Ntch Has ucCI IiauSH
with interest and Importance. The
Senate has discussed and voted against
the Mormons, and incidentally agains
Woman Suffrage. Steps were take1
towards over-hauling the street rail
ways of Washington as well as the
y. S. Pension Office, and the Congress
sional Record was embellished Will
considerable eloqucnce on Silver coin
age. Senator Beck exonerated himself
from his recent alleged antagonism to
the President. About one thousand
new bills were introduced in the House
and the Speaker completed the organi-
cation of that body by formally an
nouncing where he has had assigned
! his 32j men on his forty weight Commit
tees.
There is no more than the usual
amount of dissatisfaction among Mem
bers on account of their positions on
the Committees. Indeed | think there
was less complaint than was expected,
and the general verdict OF those who
have no personal interests in the great
questions with which these committees
are to deal, is, that Speaker Carlisle has
arranged them with wisdom and fair
ness.
There are so many new Members in
the present House, that their assign
ments had to be made somewhat
blindly, as their special abilities had
not been tested. But the Speaker
profited by his experience in the forty
eighth Congress in placing the old
Members with view to their qualifica-
tons. The more prominent commit
tees which have the most important
work to do are strong.
With each Congress the task of Or
ganizing the House is becoming IL more
delicate and burdensome one. The
question has been raised whether the
labor should any longer be thrown upon
one man.
Both branches of Congress are now
ready for real work, any amount of
which is waiting for them. It is
thought the session will continue until
August. About three thousand bills
have been presented in the House |
alone. Among those that have been t
introduced in the Senate is one de-
longer sessions OF Congress,
80 that the country can have more
work for the same money. The ses-
'ions ought to be continuous, with only
such short recesses as other business
nen take from their labors The pay
It congressman goes on whether they
ire in session or not. While it is
cry agreeable arrangement to them
or Congress to sit only ten or eleven
months out of the twenty-four, public
BUSINESS suffers from neglect. II
The list of bills with which Congress
) flooded furnishes undeniable proof
f American inventive genius. No
ossible subject of legislation has been
lighted. Among them are many old /
mers that come up and die out with
very new Congress. One bill asks
nat for the remainder of her life the
idOw OF Gen. Grant may correspond :
18th her friends and that her friends
lay correspond with her without pay
lg postage. The most popular mea-
Ire is one for the establishment of
gricultural Experiment Stations,
early all the Members from rural dis
lets have introduced it in one form or
,other. About a dozen Civil Service il
lis have been presented and rev
ii asks for the establishment of a
atlonal University here. 1t provides =
struction in the higher branches of
lowledge, with facilities for research :.
ID investigation. Space forbids me
give the full terms of the bill, but |
i'll mention that the government of
e institution is to be vested in board
Regents consisting Of one member
ON each state Of the Union, to be
pointed by the Governor. Each
lte and territory shall be entitled to i,
holarships in the ratio of one for b,
ch Representative or Delegate and HI
o for each Senator. These scholar W;
lps shall secure free instruction for II"
G years.
The Republicans in both branches of
ngress are after the Pension Office
q the Senate has passed a resolution A
an investigation OF its management. 4
st and present. They complain that wi
Black does not treat no
I'm with sufficient Difference when s ri'
" call on business, and then they in
We to do something in retaliation lai
alnst the recent charges, in Gen.
lck,s annual report, about the Pen