Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1842-09-15

From he NatioNal Inteiagencer, Sept. 2.
THE LATE SESSION,

From The Natio.al Irteiageaesr, Sept 2.
, THE LATE SESSION.
The present Congress, particularly the
House Of Representatives, having been re.
peatedly accused by the official organ,
and BY other kindred presses, of having
been negligent and inattentive to business,
it is due to them that few facts should
be presented TO the Public from which
they may judge of the truth of the accu.
sation.
The rst ground OF complaint against
them was Of the delay in the passage oil
the General Appropriation Bill for the CT
vii and diplomatic expenditures of the
Government. The time of passing said
bill by the House for the last ten years,
at each long session Of Congress, has been
as follows:
10 1882, on the 9Th OF May.
In 1894, on the 9th Of June.
In 1896, on the 9th OF May.
In 1888, on the 9th Of April.
In 1910, on the 9Th Of May.
The average time, then, taken TO pass
these bills, for the last ten years, was to
the 18th of May. AT this session the
General Appropriation Bill passed the
House on the Goth of April that is, TWEEN
ty seven days earlier than the average
time for the last ten years, although, ow-
ing TO the duty Of inquiring into and cor
recting errors and abuses which have
grown up during the last twelve years in
the administration Of the finances, much
more time than usual was necessarily con.
sumed in examining and debating the de.
tails Of this and other appropriation bills.
In relation to the general charge that
this Congress has done but little business
in comparison with the length Of its ses-
sion, the following facts will enable tho
Public to Judge how much truth there is
in the accusation
The present session Of Congress 10 the
longest ever held under the Government,
extending through period of 269 days.
The session of Congress next to the pres
ent 10 duration wus the second long ses.
sion under Mr.. Van Buren,, which lasted
229 days.
If the business done by the House at
these two sessions be contrasted, it will
stand thus:
AT the second long session under Mr..
Van Buren,, there were:
Reports made, 7l6
Bills reported, 524
Bills passed the Honse, 2ll
At the present session there we're:
i Reports made, zoos
Bills reported, Clio
Bills passed, 299
In addition to the bills passed, it may
also be stated that there are about one
hundred private bills Of the House which
have been engrossed, and are now ready
for their final passage, and most of which
would have passed if the Senate could
have acted upon them, and which were
purposely retained in the House because
these bills would be in better position al
the next session for early action than if
they had passed the House, and been laid
aside in the Senate for want Of time TO act
on them. In addition to these, numerous
Joint resolutions have also been passed !;
and the general result of comparison is,
that this Congress has made more reports,
passed more public laws, and done more
important business than any Congress
which ever convened since the formation
Of the Government.
The bills passed al the las, long session
preceding the one just closed averaged
not quite one day. The bills passed by
this Congress at the late session averaged
more than one per day.
This is despatch in the transaction Of
legislative business greatly surprising
that in the Brit sh Parliament, as appears
by the following statement
LIST session of 18th Parliament, 1885, in
ITO days, passed s4 bills.
I'd session OF 18th Parliament, 1886, in
l66 days, passed III bills.
LIST session of 18th Parliament, 1878,
in 252 days, passed 100 bills.
I'd session oi 18th Parliament, 1889, in
l64 days, passed 81 bills.
4th session of 18th Parliament, ls4l,
in 90 days, passed 81 bills.
From this statement it appears that the
average time Of passing bill in the Brit.
lsh Parliament, during the last five years,
has been two DAYS and one-third Of a day !;
more than twice the average time occu-
pied by Congress.
During the late session, moreover, Con.
gress has passed two very important bills,
which have always required great delib.
Grafton, and occupied much time, viz :
the Apportionment Bill and Tariff Bill.
The four previous Apportionment Bills,
viz: those of 1901, 1911, 1922, and 1882,
occupied the House, on an average, Just
thirty days each.
The average time required to pass the
four great Tariff Bills, viz those Of 1916,
1924, 1928, and 1912, was six;y-nine
days each.
If the usual time spent by preceding
Congresses in the discussion and passage
Of similar bills be deducted from the time
during which this Congress has been in
session, il would leave ITO days as the
length Of the session fairly applicable TO
the transaction Of the other business OF
the session. This is about the average
time Of the long sessions under Mr.. Ad.
ans Administration, is thlrty.two days
shorter than the average length Of the