All Sorts Of Pen-scratches

- The cost of living at Washington is the great stumbling block ia the way of a reduction of salaries. As house owners and hotel and boarding house keepers know just exaotly the contenta of every office-holder's pocket - that is the exact aiuount of nis salary - and calcúlate to get it all, it muy about as well be small as large so far as the aforesaid oflice-holder is concerned. A sliding-scale tariff is n't to be compared to the co8t-of-living-sliding-8cale at the national capital. Runts and board go up and down with salaries and not with the price of provisions. And so the House need u't toar that the Governnient will lose its servants, or the servanta be starved, if salaries be reduced. Anyway let the experiment be tried. - And now, af ter all the Republioan abuse of Mr. Clymer and his Democratie associates on that investigating comniittee, for " driviug Marsh to Canada," Mr.Marsh comes and swears that his first fright was caused by the speech of Mi. Basson the impeachment resolution. He swears that Mr. Clymer assurud hhn before he left Washington that no harm could come to liini because of his testiinouy before the committee. And Mrs. Marsh swears that she had no conversation with Mr. Clymer, touching the case or the charges against Pendleton when in Washington before the Belknap expose, as charged. This squelches two Republican slauders. - A correspondent writing from Washington to the New York World about the coming impeachment trial (oi Belknap), says " a new Chief-Justice will preside." He should have said no Chief-Justice, as that ofiicer presides over the Senato as a court of impeachment only when the President is on trial. He also names Senator Ferry as one of the thirteen Senators who were members of the Johnson court of impeachment. Senator Ferry did not take his seat in that body until the 4th of March, 1871, nearly three years after the trial of Johnson. The World should require either more care or knowledge on the part of its Washington correspondente. - It is now in evidence that Marsh, four years or so ago, or after the lYibun publioation of 1872, exposiug the extortion at Fort Sill, and alleging as the oause of it the contract between Evans and Marsh, asked Secretary Belknap who he supposed caused the publication, and was told that it was Gen. Hagen. This leaves no doubt of Belknap 'a knowledge that Marsh was bleeding or robbing the soldiers through Evans. He did not interioro to right the wrongs of the soldiers simply because he was a a party to the frauds and shared the blood money. There can be no doubt of this conclusión being correct. - A " first class " party or " reception " costs the Washington givov $10,000, which don't leave inuch margin out of the salary of a cabinet officer (only $8,000), and wben repeated whittles it down to " the little end of nothing." And as offieers of less salaries mustimitate the show of their suporiors, as near as may be, it is n't to be wondered at that dishonesty and corruption run through all grades of the public service. Large salaries is n't the reuiedy, but more frugal living and just a little old-time but out-of-faskiou honesty and honor. - A little "onpleasantness " is reported between the President and his Attor ney-Geueral, that lotter that Babcock, being a better lawyer than Pierrepont, saw was a valuable weapou in his behalf and forwarded to his counsel, being the cause. Pierrepont says he wrote the letter by Grant's request. Grant denies the request, and also denies ever seeing the letter before it was in print. But it was written and a copy sent to Grant. How carne it on Babcock's table ? That's the " pint " in dispute. Could n't " Col." Fred. teil ? - It is to be hoped that the glimmer of reason which dictated the platform of the Demócrata of Punnsytvania will have its effect upon those Onio Deinocrats who have taken the aoft-money craze. The Indiana Democrats, having had their convention, may be beyond the influence ot even a thunder clap ; but the Ohio Democrats should be careful and not put themselvea outaide the pale of a hsalthy publio sentiment. - Montgomery Blair (the ineinber of the Blair family who waa oae of Lincolu's Cabinet) has written a letter favoring the nomination of Tilden for President : by the Democracy of course. As the Blairs have for a long time been noted for spoiling avory pie they put their fiugers in, as marplots in fact, Tilden has no reason to rejoice in Montgomery's backing. - $1,000. : that is just the sum it cost Evans to get au introduction to Secretary Belknap ; and all tho satisfaction he got was the iniormation that his po8t-tradersbip was given to Marsh. The Jlon. E. W. Rice, of Iowa, was the lucky go-between who bagged the $1,000. Did he divide with Bulknap 'i - We suppoae that Fred. Morley, laie of the Detroit Post, has decided not to go to Cairo, Egypt, the Seuato having on Monday contirmed Elbert E. Furnum, of Kew York, as Agent and ConHul-Geueral to that post. Morlay did n't relish the reduced salary. L. K. Lippincott (better known as the husband of Grace Greeawood), Chief Clerk in the Land Oöioe, and at the time Actiug-Commissioner, was summarily removed on the 24th inst., and glosa frauds are hinted at as the cause. - President. White, of Cornell, is one of tho delegates at large the New York Republicans Bend to the Ciucinnati Conveutiou, and ia expected to boar aloft that banner with a strange device, " Conkliug." - " A rusolution in favor of B. H. Bristow, as the Bopublican candidato for President, was received with derisive laughter, and was placed on the table:" that was in a recent meeting of the Bo8ton Republican Committee. üne hundred and eight years : that was the age of Michael Edwards who died at Moundville, West Va., March 27. Senator Hamlin still wrestles with the tbird class postal ratea, and on Monday reported a bilí whioh waa a sligbt inodification of his previous " curiosity." iMoantiuie, univeiaities and colleges and religious associationa and scientific bodies and the people generally are paying sixteen cents a pound for the transportaron of catalogues, reports, anuuals, quarterliea, magazines, and newspapers. The University of Michigan has to pay eight cents apiece on ita annual catalogue, and the " Cornell Annual Register " comes to us omaniöiited with five two cent stamps. And this to gratify this Mr. Hainlin who played into the hands of the express conipanies in the last days of the laat Coiigress. Will not some Senator move a substitute for Mr. Hamlin's bill of complicationa and extortion. Give us a law tixing the transportation of all transient printed matter now knuwu as third class - including papers, magazines, catalogues, and bound volumes, at oue-half cent an ounce or eight cents a poünd - fractional ounces to rate f all, and leave seeda, fruits, vegetables, roots, vines, dry gooda, boots and ahoes, hardware, etc, to take the chances in another bill regulating the postage on fourth class matter. There is neither reason nor oommou sense in clasaifying legitímate mail matter with such truck ? If no Senator has wisdom enough to druft a bill such as we have indicated, won't some member of the House report one, put it through undsr a suspension of the rulea, send it to the Senate, and let Hainlin and his dog-in-the-manger associatea Bmother it or delay its progreas if they dare. The Payne currency bill was defeated in the House on Monday : that is a motion to suapend the rules and put it on its passage waa lost by a vote of yeaa, 81 ; naya, 156. The yea votes, all but Bagby, of 111., Ind., were given by Democrats. The Republicana voted solidly with the soft-money Domocrats, under the lead oi Holman, and their numbers was swelled by a few hardmoney Democrats who could not even comproniise on the Payne bill. Gen. Williams, of Detroit, waa the only Michigan member voting for the motion to üuspcnd. The members of the IIuuso ought to be able to understand that the country is heartily tired of their attempts to tamper with the currency, - a queation about which not a corporal's guard aeem to know anything to apeak of. If they will pass a bill prohibiting the sale of gold by the Seoretary of the Treasury, provide a cheap bond to be exohanged for greenbacks of the present issue, instruct the Secretary of the Treasury to radeein tho ragged and greasy fractional currency or shinplaaters in silver (making ailver coin a legal tender for sums of $20), and supplement these meaaures with economical appropriation bilis and a revised tariff bilis, adjourn and leave the people to manufacture platforms and raake Presidenta, the country will breathe freer. With every effort being bent to gaia a little political or partisan advantage, either upon the currency or any other question, necesaary legislation is being daily neglected and the business interests of the country sacrificad. It is time for a chango of base. It is now understood that the Republican majority in the Senate has determinad to plant itself like a rock agaiust the reduction of salaries and officials aa propoaed in the several House appropriation bilis. The overtaxed people will keep an eye on that wing of the capitol. TnE Judiciary Committee reported articles of impeachment against ex-Secretary Belknap on Thursday, accompanied by a resolutiou for the appointraent of seven managers. Definitu action was not taken. TllE Connecticut State election takes place next Mondáy.