The Daily Herald

Correspondence of the N. Y. Courier and Enquirer.

Washington, April 16.

The general appropriation bill was taken out of committee last night at 8 o'clock, and is now waiting the action of the House. There has been much less delay than was anticipated. The sittings of the last week have been laboriously protracted, but the time has been well bestowed. The Senate was not in session to-day; they keep so far ahead of the House in matters of business, that they can still afford to give themselves one day out of the seven as a holiday.

The present bill appropriates the sum of three hundred thousand dollars for the Custom House at New York. An attempt was made to strike out the appropriations, and then to reduce the amount one half: but in both instances it was a failure.

There is also an additional appropriation appended to the bill since it came from the committee on ways and means, of two hundred thousand dollars for the erection of a Custom House at Boston. Both these appropriations have gained but little favor among the western men (more especially,) and it is manifest that there will yet be trouble in relation to the surplus revenue, even in the ranks of the most faithful and most deluded disciples of democracy, unless something or other is done to conciliate a continuance of their meek submission to the powers that be. Mr. Underwood, a representative from Kentucky, and an opposition man, moved to amend the Boston appropriation so as to require the foundation of the house to be of stone, and the superstructure of brick. Mr. Lawrence, an able and vigilant representative from the state of Massachusetts, replied that, from the very composition of the soil, the foundation of all the buildings in Boston were of granite;—with them, granite was as cheap as brick. Mr. Underwood moved, then, that the superstructure should be either of brick or granite; and said that, after the example of the marble palace at New York, he was convinced that a provision of this kind was indispensable. Mr. Lawrence expressed himself quite willing to acquiesce in the amendment. Mr. Underwood then pressed his inquiries a little further, and wished to be informed whether a suitable custom house could not be constructed according to his amendment, for one hundred thousand dollars, in addition to sums already appropriated. But this inquiry was put to rest by the assurance from Mr. Lawrence, that the site alone would cost from $125,000 to $175,000.

Up then rose that great Eusebius of democracy, Mr. Hawes, of Ky. hand and foot—body and soul—fore and aft—head and stern, an imperturbable democrat. You will remember the speech he made the other day.
on the resolutions from his own state on the distribution of the proceeds of sales of public lands, and how he consigned to irrecoverable damnation every one who advocated such a plan. He said he thought it altogether unnecessary to make any opposition to this appropriation for Boston, because the house had already determined that the custom house at New York should cost $750,000. He hoped that after granting that, they would not refuse a little sum to the people of Boston. For himself, he would vote for a similar sum, because he was now well satisfied that his friend, the chairman of the committee on ways and means, was resolved that the whole surplus revenue should be taken out of the treasury.

Oh! Mr. Cambreleng! Mr. Cambreleng! how canst thou live under these reproaches from the dearest and most loving members of thy family? If thy earthly tabernacle were not moulded of cast iron, ten times proved; if thine heart had not been ossified, and the fountain of thy tears been long since dried up, thou would'st not now have been alive to witness the wayward obstinacy of thy thankless children. Glory!

Well, Mr. Wise inquired if there really was any custom house in the United States that was built of marble? Several voices cried, New York! New York! and Mr. Wise said, it appeared then that there was a project for distributing the surplus revenue; and he was glad to hear from one of "the party," the intention charged on the chairman of the committee.

Among other proposed amendments to the bill, there were several providing for a distribution of a part of the surplus Revenue, which of course were negatived. There is a feeling on this subject daily growing in interest, which all the might of party and party machinery will ere long be unable to control.