The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1894-12-27

| 1t is very probable that Immediately after
the holidays an attempt will be made t
pass the bill under suspension of the rules
| The committee of commerce will probably
ask the house to pas the bill to reduce the
salaries of the steamboat inspectors.
Mr.. Mallory will take up the inspection
bill instead of the marine revenue bill
and he will try to succeed in securing in
dividual recognition on suspension day
in order to pass the latter bill.
He has no doubt but that a two-thirds
vote necessary to pass the bill on sus'
pension can be secured. 1t is important
to get the bill through congress soon and
must be considered by the senate and be-
come a law before March or pass over to
the next congress.
Washington, Dec. 22.-(Special Cor
respondence. THE introduction by Rep
resentative Richardson of Tennessee of
a bill in the house providing for the pur-
chase of suitable site for residence
for the presidents of the United States
afforded an opportunity for the funny
men of the house and those who have
little or no reverence for the head of the
nation. The bill was read by caption
from the endorsement on the back. The
clerk in making his endorsement had
been rather chary of his words, and the
result was "a bill to purchase a site for
the president" That was too good an
opportunity to be lost, and at once the
inquiries began to shoot in whether it
was a burial site, q gun site, hind site
or a foresight the president wanted.
A duplicate of the bill introduced by
Mr.. Richardson was at the same time
introduced in the senate by Senator
Quay. The bill authorizes the secretary
of the treasury to acquire the site men
toned, it being beautiful tract in the
northern portion of the city, on the
edge of Washington's most pop
ular and fashionable suburb,
Mount Pleasant, known as
Columbia Heights. The square contains
3S1, 1903 square feet, and it is proposed to
appropriate $1,000,000 for its purchase,
the secretary being empowered to pur-
chase the square or such parcels as he
may be able to purchase at u price not
ton proceedings are also provided for the
value of the property to be assessed by
the three commissioners of the dis
trict and when the values are thus de-
termined on shall be paid to the owners
or into the supreme courto the District of
Columbia.
The United States needs a new house
for the president Just as badly as Texas
needs n new mansion for it's governor.
The present White House is an ancient
edifce that has long OutgrOwn its useful
ness, it being necessary every year that
it undergo extensive repairs to make it ac-
tually safe for habitation. Last fall before
its annual renovation it was almost Il
daily occurrence for large pieces of plas-
ter or stucco to fall from the portico at
the north entrance, the one through which
the public is received. Several people thus
had narrow escapes from bodily harm.
The present building being erected when
the best of architectural IDEAS gave re-
suits that were announcement
and uncomfortable, the house has
always been an undesirable
place of residence. The present selec-
ton of site for Il new dwelling is most
excellent one. 1t is high and healthy,
far enough out to be away from the noise
and hustle of the city, yet not too far to
consume too much time in reaching. 1t
seems to be the intention to retain the
present White House in its present his
torical shape to be used as the executive
office of the president. There within easy
reach of nearly all the departments and
his cabinet officers he can transact the at
fairs of state yet at the same time be able
to enjoy family quiet and seclusion ut his
home on Columbia Heights.
Representative Walkers quaint and Wig
orous way of putting things always com
mands the closest attention when he gets
on his feet in the house. Here are some
gems from his currency speech, which has
lust made its appearance in the Congress
sional Record:
"Men are now about the same as they
were hundred years ago. They may
be more honest under an electric lght,
but not on dark road"
Everybody does business on the doc
trine of chances. The man riding IN
carriage is not safe as man lying nat
on his back; yet men ride"
"The immensely of the financial system
can hardly be realized, and the secretary
of the treasury and comptroller have
no one to counsel with. No man who runs
the bushes of that position four years
and does not die has done his duty
\
The new statue of Daniel Webster,
given by the state of New Hampshire,
to the national capitol is not satisfactory.
No one has looked at it without remarking
that it is not at all like preconceived ideas
of the great New England statesman,
as obtained from other existing statues,
busts or pictures. 1t comes very far
from fitting into eulogy pronounced in
the senate chamber by Mr., Hoar, in which
he extolled the facial characteristics of
Webster as being a combination of those
of some of the greatest men of modern
times. There is nothing of this in the
statue presented by New Hampshire.
1t is the smallest figure in Statuary hall,
and the head seems to be small compared
with the body. Among those who spoke
contemptuously of the sculptor's work
was Congressman Tim Campbell of New
York, who remarked: THAT feller's
a welter-weight; he's no heavyweight like
dey wuz tellin' about in de house yester-
day.
SECRETARY MORTON RETORTS.
Washington, Dec. 24.-Secretary Nor
tons attention was today called to the
fact that he was criticised, especially by
some of the grange papers, for the state
ment contained in the following para
graph which appeared toward the close