Washington Letter

Froin onr Regular Correvpondest. Washington, T. C, June, 21, 1884. The Denioerats in UoMgreag are ;ivin tlieir time Iargely to dlscussing the l'ie.sidential situation, anü cotisultlng as lo thn best man to Domínate at Chicago. It is just as well, perhaps, tor the record of the l'orty-eighth Congress, f indeed, it can be said to have a record, is airead y made tip, and a few more feverish weeks of BUm mer wil] add notbing to the sum total. The sensation of the week in the Senate was a duel of words between Senator Ingalls, of Kansas, and lirown of Georgia, wlio continued to tire at each other at intervals for two days. Mr. Ingalls said the Georgia 'Senator had committed u forgery on a manuscript of the official reporter. Mr. Browu said he had not, and Mr. Ingalls insisted that he had. Many unkind cuts followed, and auother lite long feud has been eslablished In the by no means happy family, the United States Senate. By a decided vote the Senate wants to suppress polygamy in Utah. Before the bill passed, Senator Van VVyck proposed that the Utah Commission be abolished. Criticising the commissioners severelv he said they were getting a salnry of $5000 a year for performing duties that a justice of the peace coultl readily do. JBef'ore the holidays, he said, these men will visit Washington for instructions andafter the holidays they will again vlsit Washington for instructions. They will have railroad fare, sleeping car fare, hotel bilis, street car tickets, tickets for washing, tickets for lunch at the Capítol restaurant, for lager beer at the Arlington, and vvineatRigg's. Then they will have a meeting at Chicago with the same round of expenses, then a journey to Salt Lake, and long repose there. Senator Hoar, who was in charge of the Anti-Mormon bill said as the Utah commission had no hearing on the pending measure he feit in no way called upon to defend it, or attacU it, and t as kft nnliarmed. The ívísoluüon providing foran Itiquiry into the condition of the New York national banks has met with some opposition in the Senate. Seuator Blalr, said f one tenth part of what is daily seen in the" papers about the condition of the banks is true, he did not see how any Senator could withhold his assent to the resolution. If the comptroller of currency was now doing his duty in this matter he had withheld his activity too long. Senator Vest also wanted to know what that office had been doing wliile certain New York banks were plling up their swindling operations, and making false statements ander the eyes of the Government officials. Senator Morrill thought no good could be eiïected by the investigation caUed tor, and that no member of the Senate could leave Washington now. Senator Plumb also held that Congressional investigating conimittees could not keep banks from foiling; and Senator Sherman thought tho fact that there had been so few failures in the last ninety i'ays, after the nstanees of defalcation shown by high bank ofticers, was a compliment to the nationnl banking systeni. Notliing that Congress could do, wou ld prevent a bad man having charge of nioney from stealing it, it could on))' punish hiin after he liad stolen. Senator Hill of Calorado says he utends to press his bill in the Senate for a government 'telegraph to a vote. Many Senators would prefer to avoid this question, but Air. Hill says he is determined to have a t-quare vote, and to forcé every Senator to go upon record. Senator Ingalls did not want a model of Bartholdi's statue of Liberty placed on exhlbltlon In the Capítol bullüfng. He .¦,., T-,u(-ricd one proposition as au advertisinr scheme for New York. He said we liad alremly, in the Capítol a miícellaneous assortinent of bric-a-brac, and wbat Mis. Mnlaprnp called "objects of bigotry and virtue" which could be remoyed without injury to the public taste. Senator Lapham of New York replied that tliis wal no advertising scheme, but a work of patrlotUm In which manj-good men weie engaged without piotit. The Senator fiom Kansas prererred tliat the citizens of New York, should draw their cliecks for the necossary $250.000, as many of them could (o so without straining their bank accounts. He proposed to guard the public Treasury from tbis d-e mand awbile longer, at least.