Literary cadet and Rhode-Island statesman. [volume] (Providence, R.I.) 1827-1829, 1829-01-07
WASTE OF TIME AT WASHINGTON.

cd Of Too Hundred and sisfy-one Members,
has now been in session moro than four weeks,
and what have they doDs' Nothing at sii.-
No bill Of Importance has been introduced no
reports from Committees have been submitted.
Receiving 90 per day. for merely assembling
two or three hours . day three or fsur tines =
week. presenting q few petitions and adjourn
ing until the mex, day at IL O'Clock. comPos-
e. the whole routine Of business. which has been
a. yet accomplished.
There il in the manner in which business 10
conducted at Washington, something wrong.
The people do not send their Representatives
to that city to waste time and money. Great
and important questions are before Congress.
but they remain on file. Why 10 it sol We
arc told that nothing can be done until after
Ch:istmas Holidays. Congress meet on the
FIRST Monday of December. but cen do no bust
ness until after Chrtstmas Holidays. They arc
not ready for public duties I'll. then. That they
must adjourn four or five days between The 25th
of December and the New Year. has now be-
come a matter Of course. How and in what
manner is this time spent! The members are
not occupied in deeds Of charity. nor are they
dsina the Business for which they were sent to
Washington. Their time 10 spent in dissipation
lin rounds Of pleasure. OF what use 10 this
to the nation! Do the people who pay their
Representatives for their time, derive any ben.
eft from q months time spent in this manner
is q question Of serious import. There is no
excuse for such conduct. The Annual Message
of the President. and the Reports from his Sec.
~rstaries, are ready the moment Congress as
sembles. II tho members want information on
any subject from the different Departments, it
is instantly communicated. No delay 10 made.
No Holiday excuses are given by these faith
full servants-the documents which are called
for one day are in many instances eommuni.
Gated on the next, and on the same day print
cd for the use Of the members But what fol-
lows! After the. nation has gone to an OK
penss Of some hundreds Of dollars for printing,
The Reports are suffered 10 lie ON the table,
aod in nine cases out Of ten are never called
up or noticed afterwards. and in most eases the
call is made for no other purpose than TO graf.
iy SOM Qauking member, BY seeing bis name
inserted in the newspaper. -,
That tho time Of Congress should DO spent
in this manner 10 wrong, no ono can doubt
All the consolation " have. 10, that while the
members do nothing. they do no mischief.
which to DO sure, 10 some partial relief, but
S20ss q day for doing ~Rs,hing, 10 rather an OK.
travagant price to pay to two hundred and six
ty-one individuals. There must be some RENE
dy to this evil-;he people must put their faces
against such wilful expenditure Of tho public
aHah.sasy, and the sooner it is done the better.
:, i has now como to such a pass, that some
members do not consider il worth their while
10 take their seats until the middle Of the sess-
ion, and some not at all. The last We heard
" Mr.. Livingston, Of Louisiana, he was trav-
cling in the Western States on his way to New
Orleans. We believe Mr.. Webster has not a.
yet taken his seat in the Senate, or at least he
did not arrive in season 10 have his name plac-
ed on any Of the Standing Committees. Some
members arc employed half the winter in pro-
pairing the cases that are to be argued before
the Sup rene Court, and during the sitting Of
that body, no more think Of visiting the Halls
Of Legislature, than the Grand Seignior would
the capital of the Russian Empire.
We expect. il our mode Of Legislation con-
tinues to degenerate a. fast a few years to come
40 it has for FIVE years past, that we shall
have our sessions Of Congress held during the
night, after the fashion Of the British House Of
Commons. and that the whole business will be
done by q few members, and that the House
will DO called merely for the purpose Of awak-
ing the Members from . sound sleep, to pro.
vent their making mistakes in voting for the
side which they had pledged themselves the
previous day to support. The spirits Of the i'm
mortal Adams. Franklin and jefferson, have de-.
parted from our Legislative Halls. We can
no longer find any traces of their sterling worth
and merit. What would the master spirits Of
the first Congress which assembled after the
adoption Of the Constitution, have thought, il
they had been told that in the year 1928. tho
assembled wisdom Of the nation would have
neglected the interest Of the people, BY ADJOURN
ing q whole week 10 keep Christmas Holidays.
They could not have been made to believe il,
but such 10 the solemn fact.
Since writing the above. We have read the
Proessdings Of Congress Of Monday. Tuesday
end Wednesday. During this time the House
Of Representative discussed the Oregon Bill,
and received the petition Of Cornelius T. Hinck-
y 10 "bsy a Portrait" and then adjourned
| a. rv;dsx. for tbs purpoes Of e~njoyias Thur.