The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1847-03-06
The Adjournment or Conxress-Thc Princi-
pal Measures of the Sessl0n--Waste OF Time
and the Peoples Money.

pal Measures of the Sesslon--Waste OF Time
and the Peoples Money.
Congress has finally adjourned, or rather the
twenty Congress has expired, for had it not
been Terminated by the Constitution, it would
have been in session until mid summer. The two
sessions OF this Congress have sat than eleven
months, the first term having been eight months
long, and the last--that just closed-having been
three months long. The pay of the members and
their mileage for this session have not been much
less than one million OF dollars And what has
been done for this large expenditure, which could
not have been done in less than one third of the
time7 Not more than one. quarter part of The
time consumed in Congress is actually devoted to
the business of the country; the other three-auar.
ters being devoted to fighting, quarrelling, per.
sonal explanations; to the discussion of subjects
which Congress have nothing to do with; to the
manufacture of political capital for some presi-
DENTAL aspirant, and to the increase of sectional
disccrd and petty malice.
tis fortunate thing for the country at large,
that the term of many members comprising the
tventy-nnth Congress, expires with the last ses-
sion; II IS fortunate for the country that it has got
rid of the services of some of the bitter anti
slavery and anti-everything else that is decent,
any Congress ever was inflicted with. We may
lind similar spirits in the next but we trust they
may be few and far between
we have respite of nine months, and during
that time we shall breath freer and deeper than
we have Tor the past year. During the session of
Congress, everything connected with our finan-
cial and commercial affairs remained in a very
fsversh and unsettled condition There are ALWAYS
under consideration measures affecting to a
greater or less extent commercial matters, and
we never know how things stand until Congress
acJorrns. The recess between the short session
and the long one, gives the public an opportunity
10 become reconciled to the measures which have
passed, and everything has a chance to become
settled.
The commercial classes have a great horror of
long session, and well they NAV, as they are
kept in hot water from the commencement to the
close As an evidence of this, it is only necessary
TO refer 10 The movements in relation to the tariff
question, every session OF Congress since the com.
promise act run out. That question has been
brought up at the opening Of every session, and
kept in continual agitation until the end. Not
outstanding the passage of a bill creating com
piete change in the act OF 1872 the close of the
last long session, proposition upon proposition has
been made during the sion just closed, for al
terations and notifications, and an adjournment
hastaken place, without having made the sghtes.
change-the act OF 1916 remaining the same az
when it passed.
The independent treasury act has been simi
larry situated Before the present act went nto
operation, resolutions were introduced propos
Ing alterations. It's opponents could not wait for
the act to be enforced, before they wished its
most important features annulled Soon after II |
wentinto effect, supplementary bill was intro
duced into the lower house of Congress, making |
radical change IN the operation of the origna,
act, and the public mind was kept in an excited !
state until the close OF the session, without tho |
bill having passed. BY these two movements cur
financial and commercial affairs have been very
much unsetted-we knew not the actual policy
OF the government in relation to either of the Sc
departments.
We have lost the bill for the establishment of a
mint in this city by having it tackled to the sup
Elementary Independent treasury bill, so that the
loss of one carried The other with it, BY connect
lng the two, the object no doubt was to concen-
trate the friends ofeach; and il it had been taken
up season. there is very little doubt but that
both houses would have passed IT, We cannot
conceive what objections Congress can have to
the establishment of mint in th city but so
long so much time is spent in wrangling, and
upon business in no way connected with the
duties of members, the passage of any measure
really required for the good of the country will be
matter Of mere chance.
Several very important and very valuable bills
have passed, and become laws; among which
that authorizing the construction of four new
steamers, for the establishment of a mail line
between this city and Liverpool, is by no means
the least. The three millions bill may amount
10 something, and1t may not 1t is our impres-
sion that it may not. We do not believe that a
peace with Mexico can bs purchased, for the
bes, reason in tho word-there is no one
to sell it and guaranty it. Santa Anna
may sell it, and very likely would, for a good
round sum but he cannot guaranty it. If we
boy peace OF Santa Anna, we must make him
permanent dictator, and sustain him in that
position, or the money advanced is worse than
thrown away. In all our future negotiations with
Mexico, the greatest difficulty we shall have will
DO to know who TO negotiate with. or all the
leaders in Mexico Santa Anna is the most Slip
perry, dangerous man to deal with. He may
make treaty to-day and break it tomorrow:
and even III the event oil his keeping faith so long
~ he IS IN power, he may be deposed any mo-
mcn', and all his treaties would fall with him.
La relation to those measures proposed to en-
sure more vigorous prosecution of the war, the
only item to which we have any objection, is that
connected with the appointment of the Major
and BrigadIer Generals and that is, the strong
party complexion which it bears, and the com.
plete and marked neglect OF the office rs OF the
AMY, in making these appointments However,
10 " Lhe yiclors belong the spos,n is q motto
both parties understand pretty well