Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1885-1890, 1886-04-03
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From our Regular Correspondent.
D. c., Mar. 10, 1886.

WASHINGTON, ID. c., Mar. 10, 1886.
Within a week congress has had
two opportunities to suppress q cus
tom that has been criticised by the
whole country.
refer to the custom Of junketing
funeral excursions whenever a sena-
tor or representative happens to die.
It is n against which public senti-
ment has long manifested itself. Yet
the junketing goes on. It is estima-
ted that the expense Of transporting
the remains of senator Miller to Cali
fornia by special train and sending
with it q congressional committee
which will return in the same way,
will be $4,000. The expense Of the
funeral train and committee that have
gone with the deceased Hahn to New
Orleans, will cost at least half that
amount.
One member of congress has had
the courage to declare himself against
this senseless way Of spending the
peoples money. It was Mr.. Oates, a
one armed democrat from Ala. He
offered a resolution to amend the
Pouse rules SO as to prohibit the APP
pointment Of funeral committees to
accompany the deaf bodies of mem
bers beyond the limits Of Washington.
II it should,be adopted, then the pro
posed plan Of confirming the delivery
of eu1ories over deceased members to
special Sunday sessions would he next
in order.
It is carrying the matter further
than either duty or good taste de-
mands to lay aside the nations bust
ness for q whole day when a mem
ber's death is announced, and for
another whole day toshonor his mem
DRY with panegyric oratory. No pa
triotic member Of either house of con-
gress would wish to have his demise
stop public business or desire q junk
citing expedition to celebrate it.
Death has been busy in the Forty
Ninth congress, having taken already
two republican and two democrat
members from the the lower house,
and from the senate, one republican
senator and democrat vi%ce-president.
The Lsudden Hdeath of ex-governor
Hahn of Louisiana, a prominent re-
publican congressman from that state,
was ascribed to the bursting of
blood vessel from violent coughing.
In his private pa~lor at Wizards ho-
tel, he was found outstretched on the
floor, ~lifeless, attired in his night robe,
and covered with blood.
Among the other changes proposed
in congress is one substituting the
thirteenth of April for inauguration
day in the place of the fourth of
March. 1t is held that the latter day. |
which was selected by the continental
congress for the installation of the
new government, now causes public
Inconvenience by c~urtailing and linn
1ting the second session Of every con-
gress. The first President was inang-
ugated on the thirteenth of April and
it is proposed that the one hundredth
anniversary of the inauguration of
George Washington to be commemor
ated by the Inauguration of his sue
cessor in 1889 upon the sameday, and
that this shall be the day hereafter
for the beginning of successive adj
ministrations.
Interest in the senate debate on
the papers question had tagged this
week until a sharp tilt occurred be-
senator's Beck of Kentucky and
Of Vermont which gave
life to it.
Nh. Edmunds accused Mr.. Beck of
senate secrets by allus1sng
the Duskin cas in open session.
and q question of honor was finally
between these two senators.