Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1892-08-11
WASHINGTON LETTER.
What was Done During the Last
Week of Congress.
Financial Condition of the United States
Treasury.
From our Regular Correspondent
WASHINGTON, D. c., Aug. 5. '92.


Indian war pension bills, few measures
of much public interest have been
passed by this Congress at its first ses-
sion. Several tariff bills have gone
from the House to the Senate, but it
was not expected that they would re-
ceive action there. Free silver got the
favor of the Senate, but not of the
House. A full review of the legislation
of this Congress is not an impressive
record as to either the number or the
greatness of the measures adopted.
"a great many American citizens
who live long way off from Washing
ton have funny ideas of how Congress-
man conduct themselves" said one of
the best known members of the House
last night. "One of the commonest
notions is that Congressman drink an
immense amount of whiskey in the
committee rooms, and the impression
has got abroad that each and every
committee room lacks nothing but
bartender to distinguish it from first
class saloon. They give us credit for
pouring out our own drinks. Now, |
have seen ten years of Congressional
life, and I have yet to see drink of
liquor taken in any committee room.
The present Congress is an extremely
temperate one. know dozens of mem
bers who never touci the ardent, and l
have never seen Representative in
toxicated on the floor. Yet it looks as
if we were bound to be considered by
the public as a lot of very dissolute
statesmen
With all of its faults of commission
and commission admitted, the present
House is hardly as fair a target for the
moralist as some of its predecessors.
The body probably does not get worse
morally as it gets larger, following pub
lie opinion, or trying to do it as nearly
as possible. Now, public opinion is
progressive, so far, at least, as outward
morality and decorum go. Nomember
of Congress could do much "reeling"
from the use of intoxicants in the at
tempted discharge of his public duties
without such scandal as would drive
him from the public service. The criti-
cal judgement in this generation is
abler and more fearless, and has more
facilities for its efficient expression, than
ever before.
The compromise Worlds Fair bill,
which will doubtless be passed by Con-
gress, is similar in terms to the bills
reported to the Senate and House by
the Committee on the Columbian ex-
position and afterwards incorporated
in the sundry civil appropriation bill,
with two important changes. One of
these is reduction of the amount of the
appropriation from $4,000, 900 to $2, $780,
600. The other is the commission of the
section that provides for a return to the
United States of pro rata share of the
profits of the fair, SO that as it now
stands the appropriation will be an alb
solute donation. The Sunday closing
paragraph is retained in the bill.
The final adjournment of Congress
will almost to certainty be reached
this week. kilograms received at the
White House from Loon Lake announce
that Mrs. Harrisons condition is not
improving to the extent anticipated,
and, indeed, their tenor is such as to
cause the President some uneasiness.
During the past few days as many as
three and four telephone messages have
been received daily at the Capitol from
the White House, all indicating the
Presidents anxiety. 1t is safe to pre-
dict that he will leave Washington
within a few hours after Congress has
adjourned.
The fiscal operations of the Govern
ment during last month, as shown by
the monthly public debt and revenue
statements issued from the Treasury
Department, present gratifying results
| for the first month of the current fiscal
year. There was net decrease of 81,
1877, ,S15 in the public debt, and an in
crease during last month, compared
with July, 1891, of quarter of millio1
in receipts and decrease of SO, 500,
900 in expenditures. The surplus in the
treasury, including S1OO,OOO,OOO gold
greenback redemption fund aggregates
Sl27, ,O50, 1856. The total debt, less sur
plus cash in the Treasury, amounts t.
SS40, 1928, ,64S.
Third Assistant Postmaster Genera
Hazen is preparing the designs for ;
set of stamps to. be issued by the Pos
Ofnce department In honor OF the 1oul
hundredth anniversary of the discovery
of America by Columbus. tits not thu
intentionof the department. to retire per
manently the current issue of stamps
but it is likely that the issue will b,
suspended for year and that at tn,
end of that time the dies and plates fol
the jubilee stamps will be destroyed
The intention now is to have only on,
portrait on any of the stamps, that o
Columbus. Gen. Hazen expects to hav,
them on sale on January 1.
The members of the House are hopin.
that it will be a long time between