Show FROM THE CAPITAL our national naJ legislators have not yet quite recovered from the effects of holiday relaxation congress reopened opened re as per ac adjournment on the 2nd and dinst but has so far done business without a quorum it is feared that this will be a common condition during the remainder of the fee fiftieth congress and therefore little important legislation will be effected unless members of both political parties are agreed upon the measure the republican minority can block them the 1 wheels of business by the cry of no quorum if their opponents ponente op do not show up in better force than ap peare probable at present by this means it is thought the way will be hedged up against the admission of territories as it Is well understood der stood that the republicans prefer no action at this session if they can avoid it without appearing to oppose and and that they want the prestige of mating making four new states early in the fifty first congress mr springer s introduction of bills to admit idaho and arizona was a mere matter of form the bills going to the committee tories where they will probably repose in peace there is not any likelihood of action upon those territories during the present session and not much probability of anything definite being done for then them in the next it is amusing to we see how the rival candidates for the speakers bip of the next congress watch each other and keep within sight eight and earshot when there is any appearance of canvassing or button holing with personal designs reed beed cannon and burrows are the most alert and each avows himself desirous of the place without any humbug denials or delicate protestations this is at least honest and so far preferable to polite pretense the bill introduced by urspring er for a constitutional amendment to make the offices of president and vice president elective direct from the people is a worthy proposition but stands no show for passage gaenge at present and as it contains some cumbersome provisions as to the ratio of presidential votes it is not very likely to receive strong support sul the electoral college arrangement is a clumsy method metho dand and a popular ular vote in all the states and territories ought to elect the chief magistrate of the nation without any intervening body or machinery the bill makes the presidential term six years and forbids a second term mr springer wants new fiew names for new states south dakota he would call winona new mexico montezuma and washington Jaco tacoma he does not propose any change in the case of utah but oklahoma as he entitles the new state he wishes to carve out of the indian territory is his pet project and his especial hobby horse which he be trots out on all possible occasions he will probably not ride it to victory this year one petition asking that utah be not admitted as a state has bas been presented and of course more will follow it was introduced in the senate read and sent to the committee on territories which was tantamount to putting it in a pigeon hole or a waste basket and like other documents of a similar character was simply a waste of time and paper it only served to give the cold fouled edmunds the opportunity to make a sarcastic re mark about the improbability of anything of the kind protested against occurring at this session of congress it is well understood how these petitions are prepared and signed and they have no more effect than blank sheets sheet tied up in a bundle the weather that inexhaustible subject of intellectual conversation te Is and has been splendid except an occasional rain it has been charming clear skies warm sunshine and balmy air new years calls were numerous and the leaders of fashion kept open house with refreshments ad heum and a stereotyped smile for all 0 well dressed comers the ladles ladies receiving in full dress most of which was on the floor the supreme court of the united states as is well known is overcrowded with work and the cases before it are so numerous that in the ordinary course of adjudication the latest cases on the docket will not be considered for several years the docketed cases now number 1463 about is the average number disposed of during each term and the average increase is about a year there is no remedy for this but by act of congress and little disposition is manifested in that body to afford relief A bill introduced by senator and ex judge da davis vis passed the senate at one time but went no further it proposed eighteen additional circuit judges and to raise the minimum limit of money involved in a case before the supreme court to george ticknor curtis once proposed to relieve the supreme court of all patent cases and send them to a patent court of appeal that was a good suggestion but jim has never beep seriously and practically considered the davis bill would answer the desired purpose and may be revived during the next session of congress when the republicans expect to have their own way in legislation A large number of school barms in excursion parties visited washington during the holidays they were a bright intelligent looking body of women and went about their sightseeing sight seeing in a businesslike business like manner during their inspection of the capitol one party took seats in the house of representatives senta tives it was during recess and all but two sat on the republican side and commenced to make fun fan of the twain on the other but these pointing to the picture of george washington on their side of the chamber said they were in good company and with the father of their country thought they were on the right side after all A little five year old girl in the party went around reading the names on the desks such as hon S S cox hon thomas B reed hon john T caine etc and seemed considerably puzzled running up to a gentleman she asked can you please tell me why all the boys in this school axe are named hon the little miss was duly enlightened her informant being hon ezra B taylor who is always in the house except on sunday after half put past 9 welock in the morning and until the evening shades appear there is quite a breeze here over the negligence in the state department concerning the pardon of prisoners at the white house everything acted upon is promptly forwarded to its proper department and a perfect record is kept of the disposition of each case but frequently papers are mislaid millaid and cases delayed in the state department causing no end of trouble and distress pardons are granted and instead of the looked for release being made at once the warrants are held in a heartless way and sick and dying prisoners are detained in confinement because of the tardy unwinding of official red tape one poor cripple pardoned december was still in prison in virginia at new yearns year Is day and other similar cases are coming to light which arouse a good deal of indignation by the by it should be understood that the release of bishop A A kimball was brought about by the kindly intervention of judge judd who passed sentence upon him he imposed but a light penalty considering si the charge because he saw that the defendant was in bad health and learning by a dispatch from ma marshal 1 dyer that mr kimball was in a dangerous condition the judge promptly wrote a personal petition for his pardon which he forwarded to delegate caine who at once endorsed it obtained the signature of attorney general garland waiving further formalities and presented it to the president who acted upon it without delay the department of justice telegraphed news of the pardon and as the marshal and warden in utah hagemore have hav more emore humanity than devotion to dry formalities he was liberated without waiting for papers that might be detained through official lethargy here of course the dispatch from the department of justice was reliable authority judge judd is eu entitled titled to credit for this act of kindness to a suffering ring prisoner and marshal dyer also for his share in the proceedings those idaho prisoners recently pardoned and released from sioux falls received executive clemency to relieve them from the shameful and illegal punishment of two penalties for one offense ofie nsf they were convicted of unlawful cohabitation and adultery when the latter offense was really covered by the former this is how it is understood here the department of justice and the executive of the nation agree on this whatever the wise judges of utah and idaho may A think to the contrary it was not designed by the framers of the law to inflict double punishment on an offender even if he is that terrible irritant to pharisaic puritanism a mormon polygamist every 1 l lawyer here whose opinion is asked 41 as to the legality of this piling on of penalties is emphatic in condemning it utterly the same with that cruel and inexcusable utah judicial practice of forcing a woman under threats of imprisonment to disclose the paternity of her child when she is liable to prosecution herself or the testimony would expose her to public reproach this excessive zeal in the enforcement of a special law it is thought has been carried to the verge of official fanaticism and the appearance of judicial spite bishop J P newman known in uth as leviticus 18 1 formerly pastor of the M E church with the chimes has been revisit re visit ing his hie old particular sphere and has been cordially received among his friends he and his wife have been the guests of senator and mrs stanford of california at whose house bouse a reception was held in his honor yesterday the new bishop wears wean his honors proudly and fills his office with much ability he is 18 a popular preacher and for far above the average the district of columbia is reducing its public debbi its Ite sinking fund being something more than a name since July 1878 it has been I 1 shaved down but those who think a bonded debt a benefit to a town or a nation need not be discouraged at this the district still owes the comfortable sum of which would make a number of fortunes for several reasonable individuals a simple twentieth would be quite satisfactory to X A WA washington aton D cjan 4 1889 |