The Sun.
London, England, 1866-12-24 00:00:00

THE PRESIDENT AND CONGRESS?.

No sooner did the Thirty-ninth Congress meet
at Washington than it displayed the spirit with
which it was animated against the Executive, or,
more properly speaking, against the PRESIDENT
personally. During the last session the representa-
tives of the people acted throughout with the wish
not to widen the breach between the two branches
of the Government. Congress foresaw the strong
and growing hostility of Mr. JOHNSON, and feared
he would use the power left in his hands during the
recess to damage the ruling party by whom the vast
majority of the members were returned. The Con-
gress was Republican. Mr. JouNsoN had become
violently opposed to the measures that party had
determined to carry, and his opponents feared the
use he might make of his power while unchecked
by the legislative body. The question was unde-
cided whether the nation would support the Execu-
tive or the Legislative branch. The principles put
forth by the Philadelphia Convention were favour-
ably received by the nation, and tended much to
strengthen Mr. JOHNSON in the course he had decided
on. When the members separated they could
scarcely predict under what circumstances they
were likely again to meet. The interval was
used by Mr. JOHNSON to damage Congress in the
eyes of the nation. He entered personally into the
task, and abused without measure both Houses.
There was no compromise, no halting, in his course.
He availed himself of every favouring circumstance,
and staked all on victory or defeat. The appeal to
the nation was, whether the PRESIDENT or the Con-
gress was to give way. The nation replied deci-
sively against Mr. JOHNSON. And now the PRE-
SIDENT reaps the fruits of his defeat. The
Representatives on the first day of the session passed
a bill repealing the section of the Act of July, 1862,
authorising the PRESIDENT to grant pardon and
amnesty, on the motion of Mr. ELIOT, of Massachu-
setts. The Senate, however, referred the bill to the
usual committee. It is a question whether the PRE-
SIDENT has not authority under the Constitution to
pardon offenders either before or after conviction.
The Representatives have also passed a resolution
insisting on the adoption of the Constitutional
Amendment before the admission of Southern mem-
bers to Congress, and instructing the Committee on
Territories to inquire into the expediency of pro-
viding territorial Governments for the States which
took part in the rebellion. A bill has likewise been
passed which provides that when a loyal citizen
of the United States brings an action to re-
cover damages for injury to person or pro-
perty no such action shall be defeated, or
any defence allowed, by virtue of the authority
of the late so-called Confederate States, or any
State declared in Rebellion. Bills have also been
introduced (1) to regulate the Executive appoint-
ments; (2) To establish a new bureau in the
Treasury Department, to be called the Internal
Revenue Bureau, its head to be appointed by the
Chief Justice, with a salary of $5,000, and this head
to appoint hie own subordinates; (3) Directing

the sale of two millions of gold every week. by the
Secretary of the Treasury at New York, under due
notice ; (4) To equalise the bounty of soldiers,
sailors, and marines. The Bill introduced in rela-
tion to appointments to office is directed against the
PRESIDENT. The power exercised by Presidents
in reference to these appointments, and especially
by Mr. JOIINSON, are inconsistent both with good
government and the spirit of the Constitution.
The system has resolved itself into a struggle for
place and a scramble for emoluments, giving rise to
wholesale bribery and corruption, and reflecting no
small scandal on the Government. Any measure
which tends to check a practice so pernicious, what-
ever may be the motives of Congress, can scarcely
fail to have a beneficial influence. The PRESIDENT
holds that he has the power to remove an
officer confirmed by the Senate, and to appoint
a successor without reference to that, House. If, as
he believes, he can re-appoint that person after the
Senate has rejected him, then the Senate's power is a
mere farce, and a reference to the Upper House is a
ridiculous form. The antagonism between Congress
and the South will now assume a definite shape.
The entire South either has or will reject the Con-
aitutioaal AmenduLult, and the PRESIDENT, hi his
Message, has distinctly declared his continued ad-
hesion to the hostile opinions towards that amend-
ment he had throughout expressed ; while Congress
has returned to the subject, even in a still more un-
compromising spirit. Congress is in the ascendant,
and will lose no time in reducing the PRESIDENT'S
power to a mere cipher. Morally, his influence is
gone, and legally what pertains to his office will be
materially reduced. During the War the power of
the Executive had grown to threatening proportions
—proportions that would have been dange-
rous to the public liberty had the PRESIDENT
been a popular man. The contest between
the Legislative and Executive may eventu-
ally be productive of good if the present
Congress, aware of the great responsibility with
which supreme power has invested it, uses that
power for the national good, with moderation and
conciliation, and not to gratify the hostility and
enmity generated by hot party strife. Nor should
it be forgotten that Parliaments are as capable of
usurpation as individual rulers, and perhaps even
more dangerous. The nation will narrowly watch
the proceedings of the Legislature, and so also will
all the civilised world. The late PRINCE CONSORT
said of England during the Crimean war" that re-
presentative institutions were then on trial," but
this could now be said with much more force of the
Congress at present assembled at Washington.—
A nglo-America 11 7 bites.

New Postal Arrangements between England

and America.

The Report of the Hon. A. W. RANDALL, Post-
master-General of the United States, for the year
ending June 30, 1866, is an able and interesting
document. It is not our intention to follow this
functionary in his elaborate account of the whole
postal system of the United States, but to select
from the well-arranged materials some facts of
moment to those interested in the postal communi-
cation between England and America. On the 25th
of last July the British Government gave notice of
its purpose to•terminate the existing postal conven-
tion on the Ist January, 1868, on which day the
contract would expire with the Cunard line. This
notice was accompanied with an assurance of the
earnest desire of her MAJESTY'S Government to
conclude a new convention on a more liberal basis,
reducing the present rates of international postage,
and granting enlarged mail facilities. These com-
munications were received by the Government of the
United States in the same spirit in which they were
proposed. As both Governments were equally de-
sirous of securing for the people they represented
every facility of postal intercourse they quickly con-
cluded a liberal convention. During the last year
the number of letters exchanged between the United
States and foreign countries amounted in the aggre-
gate to 9,430,556. Of these the United States de-
spatched 4,886,916, and received 4,543,630. Almost
all this correspondence was exchanged with Euro-
pean countries, the letters being 8,564,817, and of
this we may safely state that nearly the whole
passed to, or came from, the United Kingdom.
From these figures it will be seen that the balance
of letters sent was in favour of the United States.
The increase in the number of newspapers for-
warded from the United States contrasted with the
number received is still more decisive. Out of the
total of newspapers exchanged of 4,186,166,
2,804,442 were sent from the United States, while
those received did not amount to one half, being
1,381,724. These figures show a large increase
over previous ' years ; in newspapers alone the
difference being over a quarter greater in the
last than in the previous year. Under the
existing arrangement, as the United States
forwarded a larger correspondence, the balance on
adjustment between the Post-offices was against
that country, amounting, in the aggregate, to
$278,714. The system now proposed, and which
will come into op3ration on as early a day as pos-
sible, will embrace the following improvements :

" 1. A reduction of the international letter postage to
one-half of the existing charge.
"2. The removal of all restrictions upon the exchange of
printed matter in the mails at reduced postage charges.
"3. The compulsory pre-payment of postage upon letters
and other mail matter, avoiding entirely the keeping of
complicated postage accounts upon international correspon-
dence.

"4. A reduction of postage with all other countries to
and from which correspondence is transmitted in the
British mail, or in closed bags thsough the United King-
dom.

".5. The establishmentof uniform and reasonable charges
for the sea and territorial transit of correspondence in
closed mails; and granting to each post department the
right to make use of all mail communications established_
under the authority of the other, for the despatch of cor-
respondence, either in open or closed mails, on the same
terms as those applicable to the inhabitants of the country
providing the means of transmission.

"6. The postal of all international letters to belong
wholly to the despatching country, and no charge what-
ever to be made by the receiving country on delivery.
"7. Each post department to make its own arrangements
for the despatch of mails to the other, by well-appointed
ship; sailing on stated days, and to pay the owners of
such ships for the conveyance of the mails which it de-
spatches."

Though the time has not yetbeen fixed for the new
regulations to come into operation, it rests with the
British office, and it is confidently expected that
there will be no unnecessary delay in giving the
public the benefit. Indeed the arrangement has
only been concluded in time to prevent an agita-
tion and remonstrance on the part of those inte-
rested. Already a movement had been inaugurated,
and in our columns of to-day will be found a letter
urging people to combine for this object. In
this letter a curious fact is stated. The carriage of
a ton of goods by the mail steamers between New
York and Liverpool amounts to but £6, while the
charge for the carriage of a ton of letters is £3,584.
It is true that mail steamers are bound by the
strictest regulations to start at certain hours, to run
at a certain rate of speed, and on no account what-
ever to deviate frotn the destination named. Never-
theless, the difference is so enormous, and the car-
riage of the mail so profitable, that we need not
despair of seeing the postage yet reduced to a penny
per half-ounce letter. If the convention agreed to
be delayed till the contract between the British
Government and the Cunard line has expired it
cannot come into operation till the Ist of January,
1868, by which a whole year will be lost. What
that loss will involve will be best seen by consider-
ing what the prospects of 1867 are. The greatest
exodus ever known in America will probably take
place in the spring of next year. Europe will be in-
undated with American tourists, and mail bags will
be pursuing the citizens of the United States from
city to city over the continent. The increase in the
letters and newspapers exchanged is cettain to be im-
mense, and the loss by this reduction, though
amounting to one-half the present postage, will
almost be made up by the increase in the corre-
spondence. If that reduction be not effected in
time to give the travellers the benefit of a cheap
postal communication that increase will receive a
severe check; neither of the Governments will bene-
fit in anything like the degree that the delay will
injure the interests of the inhabitants of both Con-
tinents. 130 more especially will the citizens of

the United States feel the restrictions which the
present postal arrangements will impose on a free
communication between those who proceed to
Europe and those who remain at home. It is above
all things desirable to encourage the travellers to
write their impressions at the moment those im-
pressions are received. Travel will thus not only
tend to remove the prejudices of the writer, but in
a still wider degree to influence favourably his own
circle of friends. Prejudice is born of ignorance ;
and the more intimately both countries know e ich
other the more they will like and respect each other.
The subject is of deepn- importance than can be
estimated by the mere postal arrangements, and as
it now remains with the British Government to fix
the date when the new regulations are to come into
force, we have every confidence that no paltry con-
siderations will be suffered to interfere with the
great gain which the citizens of both nations will
obtain from the immediate adoption of the reduced
rate.—Anglo-Anzerican Times.