Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1843-03-17
THE LATE CONGRESS

The LATE CONGRESS.
: The able correspondent Of the New Yor
| American Or. NJ. Il. II. in summing q
the history of this Congress, writes
The Wing Congress is remarkable 70
many peculiar circumstances, distinct am
apart from political characteristics or acts
1t has been in actual session more than ON
year and quarter being now in the six
teenth month of its legislative labors N,
: other Congress ever sat twelve MONTHS
This has sat more months, more weeks
more days, and more hours than any othc
: since the beginning of the Government
1t has made more speeches, done more
business, received more petitions, examined
more cases, made more reports, printed
more documents, acted on more resolutions
passed more private bills, rgectm more pri
vate bills, passed more public bills into act,
and laws, rcjectcd more public bills, hac
more bills Uet0cd, effected more and greater
retrenchments, caused more reforms in the
parliamentary rules, lost more members by
resignation, lost more by death, than any
previous Congress. Thirteen have died
Seven have lost their wives by death during
this Congress. Nine have married since
their election. Twelve or more have lost
their children by death during that time
Seven Senators and twelve Representatives
have resigned OF the twelve Represen-
tatives so resigned, three have been re-eec-
ted to the same seat in the same Congress.
Several have been very i'll and very near
to death. One had his leg broken. One
(Mr Sprigg of KY has had his ear bit of
in fight. Three have lately been report
ed as dead and published notices to that
effect have been generally believed through
out the country for time.
"Of the distinguished men in the Twen-
ty-Seventh Congress, one has been Presi-
dent and one Vice President of the United
States two have been Secretaries of State,
one Secretary of the Treasury, one Sccre-
tary of War, one Secretary of the Navy.
one Postmaster General, two Attorneys
General, four Ministers Plenipo,eniiary,
two Speakers of former Houses of Repre-
sentatives, fifteen Governors and 1t. Gov
ernors of States and Territories Six more
have been candidates Of their parties for
Governors of States. Three have been
unsuccessful candidates for the Presidency.
Two others have in former periods been the
candidates Of their party for the Vice Pres
ldency of the United States.
"Of the members of the two Houses of
this Congress, three were members of Con-
gress more than forty years ago. Others
have been Members for more than twenty
years in unbroken succession. Several
others were Members more than thirty years
ago. Several others more than twenty wears
ago. There are three more than seventy
years old. One is only twenty-eght."
"Of those who have been Members of
this Congress aud have been eminent in the
public service, and who will not be Mem
bers ofthe next, | need only name Claw.
Calhoun, Preston, Sergeant, Granger, Fill |
more, Saltonstall, Morrow, (among the liv-
ing,) Southland, Lewis, Wiliams, and Law
renee, (among the dead, ITO show that the |
next Congress cannot replace to the coun-
try what il loses in this. / might lengthen
this list by the addition of many faithful,
devoted, distinguished, honored and be-
owed patriots who now leave the public
service, some for brief interval, no doubt.
nut too many forever. The aggregate of
anne, stability, fidelity and worth which this
congress has exhibited to the country. has
'een rarely cqualled-never excelled."
but of those incidental and accidental
'eculiarities and distinctions of this Con-
'ress, the various circumstances above de-
alled from a memory especially inclined to
reasure singular facts and condolences.
nay but serve for the entertainment of the
dly curious. For graver characteristics,
Igher distinctions, more active virtues, and
positive results-form the more solid me-
norlal OF this Congress and its lasting claim
the respect and gratitude of this Nation
This Wing Congress has sat tom ham
RED and fJty days-has passed more than
our hundred bills into Acts, (nearly twice
S many as any previous Congress, made
iore than two thousand Reports occupying 4,
'ore than twenty-five thousand printed pa
es, and circulated several hundred thou !.
and copies of valuable documents among u
ne people for their information on public
fairs"
Having thus done and suffered, thus
'ng labored under the abuse as unparal-
lied as their patience and industry and he
olsm, the Wings Of the Twenty Seventb
congress, from serving their country here
this evil day and generation, return to
leir rest, to renew their labors no more |
hey came forth to this mission amid
loutings, popular Civilizations and triumphs.
hey return to obscurity and oblivion, in
PROV, disappointment, sadness and silence. o
ut the peoples hearts will return to them Il
gain when the cry of hireIing dictionaries n
as died away, and when the harvest of these h
nrequitted tolls is reaped by renovated Il
alton in calmer years. Though history u
enal and false as it ever has been should Il
Pgect and belle them as it does the great
ld. good of all past ages, the faithful mem
y and discerning Judgment of the grateful Il
I'd the lust shall cherish thnm nmnnn nat d