Wheeling times and advertiser. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1839-1849, 1846-05-01
From ne National hateiiigencer
TUESESSION OF CONGRESS

action OF the two houses, tn review their acts.
OF speculate upon the progress which they
were likely TO make in public business dur
IN the remainder ot the time before thcm.-
At length, however, at the close Of the Fifth
Month OF the Session, we have arrived. noe
at o stopping place, but at a starting poiut.
at which the ordinary aud usual bussurxs az
the session may be said to be about to begin.
That point was not reached: aud can hard
y be said to have been in sight. until the great
stumbling block OF the Oregon question had
been removed out of the way of Congress, %
" has been by the passing III The Joint Rcso-
la ionon that subject. That r solution, il gives
us pleasure to- understand from the government
paper, will receive the signature oi the Prcsi.
dent as soon a. the forms Of legislation will
allow ii TO b. placed before him; so that the
measures which IL proposes of cessation Of
JOINT occupation and intermediate amicable
adjustment OF boundary between the United
States and Great BritSin may be regarded ~
the settled policy OF the United States, and
oil course for the present no longer matter fos
debate or controversy at the Capitol. Nor do
We expect the subject to be kept alive, dur
ing the remainder of this session. still furthey
Ia distract and divert the attention OF ConRresu
from the proper duties OF legislation. in sny
other form in which il may be presented. We
take IL for graalcd that, after the recorded an
probation OF the policy OF peace by more than
three iourths Of both Houses OF Congress, we
shall hear no more Of adopting in snticipatiou
measures which only the termination Of the
JOINT occupation OF the Oregon territory con
afford any sufficient reason for. and which
could, IN the mean time, il sanctioned by
Congress, do nothing effective but what might
be also mischievous.
We sincerely congratulate Congress on be-
| mo xaltaNoA from, th,u nhxsa-t~ a., ,b.s. -
gress in such legislation rs tho general inter.
est and the various wants and grievances Of
the different classes OF industry and the differ
cnt regions OF our country invite and require.
We only repsat what we have said before,
when, rejoicing as we do in this result, we
know that we express a sentiment which will
find a response in the bosom Of the great msss
of the people OF this country, OF every degree.
Nor is there as the Government paper Ia
pleased TO i~inegine. any inconsistency in our
having, as IL says, lever since the Appearance
OF The Message, condemned the policy Of the
Executive az a policy OF war" and now de-
clsring the late decision By Congress To be "a
vote highly suspicious TO the preservation Of
peace" The Union" mistakes. in the first
place, our position in regard to the Message.
We never Tor a moment have supposed, since
our first deliberate personal oi the Annual
Message OF the President, (the message" to
which that piper %reiers.) that the policy Of
the President was n policy Of War. We said,
on the contrary, aud maintained il against the
government paper itself, that the President
inteRdod Prsce; which we inferred from the
terms OF the Message. and from the utter alb
sence rom that paper OF any recommendation
of preparation, either financial or military.
for impending war. We did believe, and we
do yet believe, that the measures recommend
ed by the President in his Message, literally
iollowed out, would have tended To bring on
a war, II they had not rendered. il inevitable"
decidedly. therefore, were we opposed
Ia the giving at a naked notice" which,
though not Ia itself cause OF war, nor even Of
offence, would have become 80 by the meas
ures with which IL was proposed to accom-
pany II. X which in ullprohahility peouid have
accompanied II, aud had a majority Of both
Houses been found ready To take that desper.
ale hazard. But, happily. most happily, things
took a different turn. The Joint Resolution
thanks TO the Senate) avoids the hazard, and,
whilst II seeks an early termination Of the
controversy, seeks il in the spirit Of %concili.
a'ion. and with the expression Of full conf
dence IN an dmicGblc settlement of the diHi-
Guilty. All honor for this To the wisdom and
enlarged patriotism OF the Senate Nor let
u withhold from the House OF Representa-
'ff' wv tfVtNt Wv ~ III ~ = Cltt
with a good grace that assent TO the Senate's
modification, which there is every reason TO
believe il opposed from the first only for forms
sake, and was at any time willing TO have
given had the members ieltatlibeity to indulge
their inclinations.
To come back, however, to the Starting
point" Beginning upon its regular business
so late, il would be diIicult to say when this
Session, which has so long detained the mem
bcrs OF Congress from their homes and their
affairs, may he expected to close. Judging
from the experience OF many years, we should
say that il is quite possible that the dog-days
will find them still at their posts. We found
this probability upon the supposition thai there
u a serious intention on the part OF the Adj.
minIstTation party in Congress to persevere in
the purpose Of a revision and reduction OF the
Iarilf, aud IN other measures OF a kindred
character, intended TO effect a radical change
in the Domestic policy OF the country. The
F%repioUs Question is, We know, in the House
ol Representatives, a powerful engine in the
hands oi all assured and disciplined majority.
IL has already been made effective in the snp-
preston OF debate upon the Sub Treasury bill,
Zone Of the measures referred to1 Just as il
was FIX years ago.
But the Previous Question will fail OF It's
usual stringency when IL comes in contact
with the Tariff. IN the bill on that subject
there arc too many and too important inter
ests at stake 10 be crushed OF ssihed by any
such appliance. The Members who represent
those interests On the 400 must and will be
heard. In the senate, besides, there IL no
such instrument oi coercion as the Previous
Question. In that body debate will have ius
course. aud every form Of amendment will
a>srri It's liIht. before a final vote eau b. Va
hen ON tlc Tariff bill should the bill depend
ing IN The House oi Representatives ever reach
the Senate. 80 that we consider ourselves
within bounds Ia s~llotting two entire months
TO the Tariff question alone,
The annual appropriation bills also viii
probably consume a great deal of time. Five
mouths OF the Session are gone, and 9 bill TO
pay arrears OF expenses incurred for various
objects during the last twelve months has not
set got Though the two Houses, though the
House of Representatives " consequently