New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1848-12-08

sential moral honesty-is even more depioraoie
Characteristic Of the exercise Of power.
Some two hundred and ninety men are elected
and well paid by the People Of this country to per
kru the duties of Federal or National Legisls-
rare. They are paid for each day they work.
with a clear implication that they shall work for
each day they paid, though that by no means
folIows Nobody expects or wishes that each
Member shall be in attendance every day and hour
Of session, on pain Of submitting 10 reduction
from bis pay; but there IS general and neces-
sary mplic alton that no man shall take pay for
tune when he wilfully neglected his duty, aud
thereby DISTRACTED and prevented the transaction
OF business. Is not this undeniable
On Monday, the two Houses Of Congress met
and went through the usual preliminsries on
Tuesday they received and endured the reading Of
the Presidents Message; on Wednesday, the
House elected Chaplain, and, within three-quar
tiers Of an hour after meeting, by vote of 90 10 49,
adjourned dozens sitting in their seats and not
voting, and only nineteen rising in support Of de-
pand for the Yeas and Nays The Senate did not
even succeed in forming a quorum out OF fifty
seven or eight Members, who are all sure TO be IN
for their pay and mileage, only twenty nine sp-
pesred in their seats and the annual hypocrisy OF
eleoting a Chaplain had to go over and waste an
other day If either House had Chaplain who
dare preach TO it's Members what they ought b.
hesr-of their faithessness their neglect Of duty,
their inquitous waste Of time and robbery of the
public by taking from the Treasury money which
they have not even attempted 10 earn-then there
would be some sense in the Chaplain business
bat any ill-bred Nathan or Elijah who should
dertake such job would be kicked out in short
order go the chaplaincy remains thing OF
grimsce and mummery, nicely calculated 10 help
some Aockless and oompsisant shepherd 70 few
hundred dollars and impose on devout slmpletons
au exalted notion Of the piety OF Congress Should
not the truth be spoken1
The pretenoe for similar faithlessness IN former
instances hes been that the COMMITTEES ~ere a0t
appO,nted-and that neither House could properly
apply itself TO business until 1t had Committees 10
which Executive communications, bills, resolu-
tions, &c. might be referred. Flimsy as this ex
cuse was 1t utterly fails in the present case since
this 10 the same Congress that adjourned only
few months since, after a Session of some two
thirds or three four,hs of year and which, before
adjourning, WAS very properly brought to resolve
that the bills already matured in Committees
should stand good and hold their places on the
cslendsr--in other words that the public business
should be taken up at this Session Just, where 1t
was broken of by the close of the last Each
House has therefore at least a hundred bills |
on its calendar, ready for conclusive action, with
the Chairmen and other Members who have re-.
ported them ready to explain and advocate them
-. 10 rim hair
rejection as it ever can be. Yet Senators stay
away from even the short sitting Of one two
hours per day, under the pretext of seeking lodg
ings, some other equally empty, and the House
adourns in hrty five minutes after assembling,
only nineteen Members calling for the Yeas and
Nays Not even the death of MIR. Lewis of the
Senate, or of Mr.. Sims OF the House. is announced
these are studiously kept back in order to form
prctexts for wasting two more days when the
Houses may not venture to adjourn without pre-
text. Do the People ever look into these things
There is unfortunately school Of politics now
considerably in vogue which teaches that the per-
lection OF governing consists in not governing,
and that the Congress or Legislature which does
nearest to nothing merits the highest testimonials
Of public gratitude. If the disciples of this school
could always be found pressing early adjourn
ments, lower pay for Legislators and less frequent
sessions, we could more easily respect their posi-
ton. Unhappiy, they rarely resort to those or
kindred modes of giving efficiency tn their dec
trines. which are too generally made to serve as
varnish for Incidence and unfaithfulness. But
majority Of the House and powe riul minority OF
the Senate are elected as opponents to the do
nothing school, and these disgrace and stultiy
themselves when they permit day to be wasted
which they have power to save. Every day thus
lcst at the outset is equivalent to the defeat OF ten
bills at the close OF the Session-some OF them
doubtless Of the highest Importance and clemest
benefcencc.
But in truth the great sorrow is that o. many of
the Members of Congress, as of men in high sta.
ton elsew here. are merely dextorous iugglers or
the tools Of dextcrous jugglers with the cup and
balls Of politics shufied into responsible places as
a reward for past compliances in the hope OF
being there made useful to the inventors and
pstentees of their intellectual and moral great
ness To such men, the idea OF anybodys coming
TO Congress for anything else than the distinction
and the plumber, unless il be IN the hope Of in
srisaing their way up to some still sEier and more
hibition Of iolly creenness-thst they cannot con-
template 1t without danger of explosion. just So
long as the People choose to shut their eyes ard
elect such men as party csucsses, such as they
VIGOROUSLY are shall see nj to pick out Tor them
they viii be served as they now are-snd will
richly deserve 1t.
S"''e"es-lao e aels Of rue,as wors CoaEe,s the
~" q Legislature aaa consres. msprmted
~nofnns'es We meant ~ rensctoa
Iht WARRINGTON GLOBE RkvIvEp.-Messrs
biAir and Rives who formerly published TAs DAD,
GRo<. and nasly cold out to Nessrs Richie A Hes.
four years ago. have established new paper indepeu
dent in politics under the came name The FRS, pum
Der which hss Just reached us foe .is Of the old
Globe in everything save It's politics
Tai AsssICsS RKrUBIIc.--Mr C. J. ] lnser.
soil Of Greenfield who conducted the "Free SOIL with
much ability during the late polite campaign hss e
tablished political and family paper at Greenseld. |
called the <~o,oas Rsfsslio
" Point CouPee lLa.l paper states that
Nor Bhss recently unitsd IA marriage In Ma