The Penn's Grove record., 1888-06-02
Washington Letter,
Washington, May got

s'''
given much Of its t%imeduring the week
10 the consideration Of Appropriation
bills, and the Senate has been most of
the time in secret session with the
Fisheries treaty. The bill to establish
a department of labor has been passed
by both houses. Senator Reagan,
of Texas, spoke lengthily in opposition
to this bill. He said IL the founders Of
the Republic could hear the way labor
questions are discussed in Congress
these days, they would blush for shame
on account OF the degeneracy and lack
of manhood of their descendants in
dealing with them. Upon hearing this
an i~rreverent, waggish scribbler added
that no doubt this is 80. Ii ghosts
ever blush, doubtless it is when they
visit the United states Senate Cham
Der.
The Senate onvsnes daily at twelve
O'Clock NJ. On Wednesday it adjourn
ed at two O'Clock in order to attend the
funeral of the wife Of Senator Sawyer,
Of Wisconsin, a mark Of respect which,
it Is said, has eve been paid to any
Senator before.
The Senate has passed a bill increas-
ing the militia Appropriation from
S1O0 nnn tn GOO nnO
The house has had an unusual
amount of fun during the week, not
w~ithstandiug the fact that prosy APP
preparation bills have had the right Of
way. Just before the Postofice Ap-
preparation bill was passed the Western
Republicans told all the bad things
they could think of about the new Dem
ocratie pOstmasters out there. Mr..
Perkins, of Kansas, told tales about
the postmaster out in his country who
send out the mails only when they &C.
cumulate a sack full. He related for
a fact that a certain postmaster called
upon the administration for some post
age stamps and they were sent to him
in large blocks or sheets. He had
never 6 them In that form before.
the two or three that he had occasion
to buy during the course of his life
had always been separate ones, and
when they came in that form he thought
they were circus posters, and pasted
them up OH the door of his office. He
called his wife to what the 'durned
fools had sent him from Washington,
when he writ them for postage stamps"
He said the circus riders were all alike,
and no place Was given where the show
was to come off.
Over a section of the Legislative APP
preparation bill the House INDUCED in
so nush laughter that the COMPRESSION
al Record mentioned, in brackets, that
an hour OF the session was devoted to
laughter. Much of the fun was over
the proposition to increase the Chap
lain's salary from $500 to a larger fig
ure. Mr.. Springer said the House
Chaplain was old and needed money.
Mr.. Browne, of Indiana, inquired if
there was increased necessity for pray
er. Mr.. Springer replied that members
had no idea of the great power needed
to bring salvation to a body like this.
Mr.. Grosvenor opposed an increase on
the ground that the next House will be
a better M than this and will not
need so much praying. Mr.. Strube In.
quired if it was necessary 10 have n
very able man for Chaplain. Another
fiippant member, Mr.. Allen, of Michi-
gan, answered that it always required a
high order of ability to deal with an
mind, therefore the Chaplain
the House should be a man of con.
siderable ability. Then Mr.. Holman,
the old watch dog of the Treasury, said
$40 a day was too much for the House
~ Ply IVA pAoysA, aAu VIC uldJUkll}
with him, for it voted down an
increase.
There was more hiIaIity overthe wa.
ges of the employees of the Botanic Gar
dens. One member proposed to abol-
ish the whole thing, aud another in
quired what would then become of Mr..
Springer and his daily bouquet. THE
latter always wears a bOutonniere),
and the latter replied that he never got
a boquent from the Botanic Gardens
in his life. Mr.. Cobb said that at pre-
sent beautiful flowers were sent daily to
favored members, but whence
they came he did not know. He only
that they were not sent to mem.
.ers whose wives we're here with them,
Oh?