Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, IA [i.e. Ind.]) 1839-1854, 1848-12-27


Should not the truth be spoken!
The pretence for similar faithlessness in
former instances has been that the Com
m'ffces were not appoinied and tina,
neither House could properly apply itsel
TO business until it had Committees &c
which Executive atoms. bills
resolutions, &c. might be referred. Fliinsy
as this excuse was, il utterly fails in the
present case; since this is the same Con.
gress that adjourned only few months
since, after Session Of some two thirds
or threc-fourths of year. and which. be-
fore adJourning, was very properly brought
to resolve that the bills already matured in
Committees should stand good and hold
their places on the calender-in other
words. that the public business should be
taken up at this Session, just where it was
broken off by the close Of the last. Each
House has therefore now at least hun
dred bills on its calender. ready for con-
elusive action, with the Chairmen and
other Members who have reported them
ready to explain and advocate them-in
short. everything as ri pc for their passage
or rejection as it ever can be. Yet Scna-
tors stay away from even the short sitting
Of one or two hours per day. under the
pretext Of seeking lodgings. or some other
equally empty, and the House adjourns in
forty-five minutes after assembling, only
nineteen Members calling for the Yeas
and Nays! Not even the death Of Mr..
Lewis of the Senate, of Mr.. Sims ofthe
House. is announced; these are studiously
kept back in order to form pretexts for
wasting two more days when the Houses
70 ,I,
text. Do the People ever look into these
things!
There is unfortunately a school Of poll
tics now considerably in vogue which
teaches that the perfection Of governing
consists in not governing, and that the
Congress or Legislature which does near
est to nothing merits the highest testi-
monials of public gratitude. If the dis
ciples of this school could always be found
pressing early adjournments, lower paw
for Legislators and less frequent sessions,
we could more easily respect their posi-
ton. Unhappily, they rarely resort to
those or kindred modes Of giving efficiency
10 their doctrines, which are too general
ly made to serve IS a varnish for Incidence
and unfaithtulness. But a majority of
the House and powerful minority of the
Senate are elected as opponents to the do
nothing school. and these disgrace and
stultify themselves when they permit day
to be wasted which they have power to
save. Every day thus lost at the outset is
equivalent to the defeat of ten bills at the
close of the Session-some of them doubt
less of the highest Importance and clear
est benefcence.
R.t in tr,"'' III" a.rea' sorrow is Thar so
many Of the Members of Congress, as OF
men in high station elsewhere, are merely
deSterous jugglers or the tools of dexter
Gus Jugglcrs with the cup and balls OF
politics, shuflled into responsible places as
a reward for past comPliances or in the
hope of being there made useful to the in
ventors and patentees of their intellectual
and moral greatness. To such man, the
idea Of any body's coming to Congress
for anything else than the distinction and
the plumber, unless it be in the hope Of in
triguing their way up TO some still laZier
and more lucrative post, is SO irresitibly
comic-such an exhibition of jolly green
ness-that they cannot contemplate it with
out danger Of explosion. Just SO long as
the People choose to shut their eyes and
elect such men as party caucuses, such as
they VIGOROUSLY are, shall see fit to pick
out for them. they will be served as :hev
now are-and will richly deserve it.