Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1840-1842, 1842-09-09
THE LATE SESSION.

The present Congress, particularly the House OF
Representatives having been repeatedly accused by
the official organ, and by other kindred presses, OF
is due to them that few facts should be present.
ed to the Public from which they may judge of the
truth of the accusation.
The FIRST ground of complaint against them was,
Of delay in the passage OF the General Appropria
ton Bill for the cival and diplomatic expenditures
Of the Government. The time Of passing said bill
by the House for the las: ten years, at each long
session of Congress, has been ns follows:
In 1882, on the 9Th Of May.
In 1884, on the 9th OF June.
In 1886, on the 9th OF May.
In 1888, on the 9th OF April
In 1910, on the slh OF May.
The average time, then, taken to pass these bills
for the last ten years, TO the l7,h of May. At
this session the General Appropriation Bill passed
the House on the 20h of April: that is twentyseve
days earlier than the average time for the last ten
years, although, owing TO the duty OF nquiring in
TO and correcting errors and abuses which have
grown up during the last twelve years in the ad,
minisiration OF the finances, much more time than
usual was necessarily consumed in examining and
debating the details OF this and other APPROXIMATION
bills.
In relation TO the general Charge that this Con-
gress has done but little business in comparison
with the length Of its session. the following facts
will enable the Public to judge how much truth
there is in the accusation:
Tho present session OF Congress is the longest
ever held under the Government, extending through
a period OF 269 days. The session OF Congress
next TO the present in duration the second long
session under MIR Van Buren,, which lasted 229
days.
II the business done by the House ut these two
sessions be contrasted, it will stand thus:
At,he second long session under Mr. Van Buren,
there were
Reports made. Bills reported. Bills passed the House
7l6 524 2lI
A, the present session there were
Reports made. Bills reported, Bills passed.
l09S Clio 299
In addition to the bills passed, il may also be
stated that there about one hundred private
bills of the House VIII CHI have been ensrossed. and
are now ready for their final passage, and most OF
which would have passed il the Senate could have
acted upon them, and which were purposely re-
tanned in the House because these bills will be in
better position at the session for early action
than IT they had passed the House, and been laid
aside in the Senate for want of time 10 act on them
In addition 10 these, numerous joint resolutions have
also been passed; and the general result OF n com.
parson IL, that this CongCess has made more re-
ports, passed more public laws, and done more i'm
portant business than any Congress which ever con-
Vened since the formation of the Government.
The bills passed at the last long session preceding
the one just closed averaged not quite one day.
the bills passed by this Congress al the late session
averaged more than one per day.
This is dispatch in the transaction OF legislative
business greatly surprising that in the British Par
lament, as appears by the following statement: