The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1888-04-26
Correspondence FLokID1Ax.i
Letter from WashingGon.


Editors F7oridl1n Emancipation Day was
celebrated by the colored people here in grand
style. At early hour they commenced
gathering from the four quarters OF the city and
10 q few hours they swarnei on Pennsylvania
avenue like the locus,s of Egypt-a dense, i'm
penetrable black mass Of humanity. eager to
witness the procession, which IN ,rchei thou Oh
the streets 70 Lincoln Park, where they pail
their devotions to the brunz- statue OF Lincoln
breaking the shack'es from a crouching slave
and restoring him to liberty. The celebration
was continued in the evening at the colored
Bsptis; Church, where an ad lress was delivered
by Fred D ,uglass. II his ire-s he state that
the 80 cal'el emancipation OF the negro was
stlpendous fraui. AMI in,nt'el tina, the negro
would again return to slavery This mula,to
who has a white wife, is seekn. for the social
equality OF the negro with the white race and is
not conien,ed with civil rights.
The debate on the tariff bill was opened By
Mr. Mills On the 17ih inst. in a speech delivered
II t.mpors fortified b.' statement, of facts,
incontroycriible, IN logical AMI argnmenta'ive
manner TIA, should fash c,nvic'ion of their
truth to any mind not warped by partisan preju-
dice or sordii interest He was followed by Mr..
Kelly on the Republican sle, who spread on
his desk huge 49, If m,nuscript that he had
no doubt been preparing for months. l could
not stand the inhic,ion. Of such a speech and
gracefully retired.
A very animated and exciting debate occurred
on the Dakota bill in the Senate, from Mr. Vest
having incidentally alluded 10 the fraudulent
election Of r. B. Hayes, and quoted Mr.. Conk-
ling on having sail in substance tina, he
elected by fraud. This brought Mr.. Edmunds
| TO his feet who stated tina; he did not believe
Mr. Conkling had ever said it, and that Mr..
| Conkling believed that Mr. Hayes was lawfully
elected Mr.. Vest quoted Justice Strong as hav-
| ing said the same thing in substance. Further
debate was postponed until the next day but
| Mr. Edmunds being engaged in a suit pending in
the T. s. Court Mr.. Sherman he'd to supply his
| place, who stated that Hayes was honestly
and fairly elected and that Packard who had re
| ceived the same vote was deprived Of the Gov
| ernorship by democratic fraud and violence
| Mr. Vest replied by reading extracts from
| speech of Mr. Blaines in which he said that
| Hayes and Packard were ndssolubly connected
and to discredit one was to discredit the other.
Senator Butler made a vigorous protest
against the bill and said il was trick to get
| supremacy in the Senate; that he willing
TO vote for The admission OF the whole Territory
| az y State in the Union.
The bill passed the Senate by vote Of 26 to
| g. one Democratic Senator being ;absent with
out being paired.
| Senator Call made a speech on the bill but
confined his remarks to statements that had
| been made Of frauds in the South, and proving
| from statistics that there was larger per cent
age OF votes in Duval county. Florida, in proper
ton TO the voting population, than there was in
| Barnstable county, Massachusetts,
| The Senate has passed the resolution introdu
| ced by Senator Call some weeks ago instructing
the Committee on Public Lands 10 inquire into
alleged illegal fraudulent conveyauces of public
| lands in Florida
| Mr.. Phelps, our Minister to England is here
the guest Of Secretary Bayard, and his name is
prominently before the people as the successor OF
| Chef-Jnstice Waite. 1t is said that his great
| legal attachments eminently qualify him tor the
position, but there is strong opposition to him by
| Western men who say that he is under the influ-
| ence of the British aristocracy, and who prefer
Mr.. Scho6eld, OF Illinois. He is also charged
| and his appointment, it is thought, would Cause
| the loss of the Irish vote in the State of New
| York 1t is we'll known that Mr.. Bayard has
| strong English proclivities, and it was through
his influence that Mr. Phelps received his ap-
| pointment.
1t was Mr.. Blane's :avowed hostility to Eng
land and his being in favor of Home Rule in
Ireland that gave him IS 900 of the Irish vote in
| the State of New York at the last Presidential
election. Being of Irish descent myself, l pro-
| fess to know something of the Irish character,
and think it would be well fer Mr.. Cleveland
not TO appoint Mr.. Phelps or any other Demo
crat who is opposed to Home Rule in Ireland
The House has passed the Indian AMI Pen
| sion appropriation bills, the latter amounting to
| $50 $50 600 The River and Harbor bill is again
before the II 'use, but little progress has been
| made in it.
The following appropriation bills have been
| reported by committees to the House, which will
have precedence, over the tariff bill whenever
they choose to take them up: The District of
Columbia, the Legislative. Executive and Judi
cial, the Consular and Diplomatic and the Post
| office Department. Ion