Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1888-06-01
WASHINGTON LETTER.
WASHINGTON, May &c, 1888.

part ol CiiiS week In making llnal
preparations for the lawyers convcn-
ton, which began its session Tues
day afternoon, with the view of form
ing national bar association. The
gratifying attendance of lawyers
from "ll parts Of the country wos Sc
cured by correspondence with bar
associations in every state and terri
tory. The red paflor of the EbRitt
House was engaged rs the head
quarters Of the convention, where ar
irving delegates were expected to
report, register and tcceire tickets
emitting them to seats in the con
vcntion. AS each delegate arrived
he registered III the book prepared
for the purpose and was simultane
ously supplied with delegates
ticket numbered to correspond with
the number of his register. Some of
the delegates arrived Monday, but
Tie greatest number did not reach
here until noon of the day of meet.
ing, so that, while business in the
morning Hhs somewhat slack, it grew
brisk rapidly as the hour for open
ing the convention approached, and
the headquarters were filled with the
hum of greetings and general CONVEX
salion among prominent members of
the bar from all sections Of the coun-
try. The Importance CT the object
OF the convention was SO generally
recognized that the bar associations
We'd with each other in sending as
delegates some of the brightest lights
OF the legal fraternity, so that the as.
scmhlagc was n notable one. One
of the earliest to register vas Semi
tor Dawes, who represented the bar
association of Berkshire county, aiass.
The Mills tariff bill is to he held
open for amendment and considered
clause by clause, with the usual five
minute debate, instead of being voted
on unamendcd and at once as was
proposed. The protcctionist leaders
who seemed so favorahly impressed
with the idea Of the direct vote when
it was first suggested, have changed
their minds on the subject since
making norc thorough canvass.
Instead of the three majority against
it, ON which they counted, the chances
favored its passage if brought TO an
outand-out vote. The Democrats
have been marshaled into line much
more skilliully this season, and
their party discipline has been bet
ter maintained than ever before since
shcy became the majority in the
House. The Republicans take the
position that they cannot afford
merely to make party issue dis.
tinct, to throw away any chance of
discrcditing or defeating Hesitation
which they view as threatening ma.
terial injury to their constituents.
Major Powelfs scheme for damn.
ing the tributaries of the Mississippi
and Missouri rivers, and using their
waters for irrigating about million
square miles Of arid land lying. cast
of the Rocky Mountains, suggests Il
means Of preventing the annual
ircshcts, one OF which has just work
ed such injury to the Mississippi
Valley, and at the same time making
the work OF prevention pay for itself
i'll the increased value of the irri
gated land. If the vast volume of
water which now not only goes to
waste itself but lays waste to every.
thing else within it's reach, can be
turned into reservoirs, and thence be
distributed by canals in such wov
that the farmer can make use of il as
he wants it, the result ought TO be
the raising of the value Of the public
domain NJ least twenty fold. Major
Powell TanSs an appropriation Of
S25o'OO0 whcrewith to begin work.
Senator Quay is modern in his
tastes as we'll as progressive. lie has
discarded the old fashioned, square
seated, leather covered chair which
was for so long the regulation chair
OF the Senate, in favor of cane scat
revolving chair. There are remaining
in the Senate just fifty of these old
leather covered chairs. Twcnty-six
Senators haze substituted revolving
chairs for the old style. There is no
uniformity IN the revolving chairs
brought iN each Snuntor o,;yin,r M