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Washington Letter

Washington Letter image
Parent Issue
Day
13
Month
February
Year
1884
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

X1 UU, JiU. The toilers ou Oapitol liill have been wrestling with the intricacies at Mexican land giant tilles during the week, and talking about copyright ; the suppression of pleuro-pneutnonia amoug cattle ; the erection of a Congressionul library building ; ind a removal of tlie naval monument on Pennsylvania ave. at the west entrance of the Capítol groutíds. to a more suitable locality. As usual on bill day, a number of new and and old measures were presented in the Hoii3e, ind the introduction of the long expected Monison tarlff bill inarked the week in that branch of Congress. It came under the title of " Ati Act to Reduce Import Duties and War Tarifl' Txo?," ind miikes a twenty per cent. reduction on numeroua artioles. while in a few cases the reduction is jjreater or less than this rute. While on the avenue the other day ray ittention was called to men weariug conspicuous blue badges. The close scrutiny of thelr gilt lettering proved that the wearers were delegates to the long heralded Mississippi river convention, and I set out tor Lincoln hall, airiving in time to see the opening proceedings. The scène in the auditorium was striking Placards bearitig the name of States divided the liall uto sections, and the delegates were ranged aecording to their States. They repiesented a population of twentyeight nilliiins, the area of country between St. Paul, and New Oileans, Pittsburg md Denver, and were a Ha er, more snb■stantial luoking body of men tiran that ín st9sioii on Capitol hlll. In the rear of the stage was stretohed a large canvas bearlnif a record of the amount of tonage carried by a Mississippi river steamer followed by the words " If you teil this to Congress be supo tn -i,1d that with n ïmproved eliannel this record of work could be increased forty per cent. without increase of expense. This means benefit to the producer." Mr. Ford of New Orleans called the meeting to order. The secretary read the cali of the convention, a. ehairman was selected, Commissio::er West of the District of Columjia welcomed the delegates In a brief address, and theconvention then proceeded to business. The reception tendered the Illinois edtorial parcy by the Illinois State Association of this city at the Rifles Annory, was in every way a brilliant affair. It was characterized by an unusual "flow of soul" and a beautiful feature of the decorations of the hall was a bird cage suspended from each gas bracket projecting Trom the walls, the birds joining their volees to the rnany others of welcome. ""ïiong those ligured prominently in uiaking addresses and eulogizing their state iu general, and the pic-o o mrh state in particular, were the Illinois Sen■itors, Logan and Cullom, and Secretary Lincoln. President Arthur's flrst levee or public reception of the winter, held at the White House, drew three thousand people to that building between the hours of eight and ten Tuesday evening. The usual arrangemente had been made for the reeeption. The parlors were decorated with plant, the conservatory was lighted and open, a number of policemeu were on duty, and the Marine band dispensed music in the entrance hall that drowned the buzz of voices. One of the most interesting features of the evening was the picíence of six Flathead Indians in charge of Delégate Muginnis of Montana. They wore ftill native costumes of gaudily stripod blankels, bear claw, and shell necklaces, moccasins and othcr headed accoutrements. They stood for some time in line against the wall of the Blue Room, facing the President and the receiving party of richly dressed ladies, presenting the antithesis of barbarism and civilization quite dividiug the attention of visitors. They were then conducted into the East room where they held an Impromptu reception, many of the guests crowding around tliein and sJiaking their hands. The original lords of the forest looked good-natured, but bored with these ocratic attent ions, cornplained that it was very hot, fanned themselves with their feaiher trinimed bats, and wiped their brows with their hands. One of tliem, Charles was the chieftan who faced Senator West in controversy when he visited the reservation last summer. The crowd was thought to bethelinest represenutive gatherinit of the people seen In the White House for seyeral years. Xearlj all of tlie dolegates to the Missp] river eonveutlOn were pieseut and muny raembers of Illinois Presa AiSocialion.

Article

Subjects
Ann Arbor Courier
Old News