The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1853-02-12
The House of Representatives..

FROM the Neic York Courier and ENQUIRE
| N we 90 not wonder at the anxiety of the House of
representatives to expunge from its journal the
; eooi % lis ridiculous and disgraceful proceed
ings on tuesday evening 1t is too plain and foo
durable memorial of their unfaitbfnInessS and
ony: Wedouot whether there is boys debating
cup IN the country which would not be ashamed
~ 49, .ohuuo.' Inc body spent its whole sit
slng. Two hours and hall in DURATION in point
less Jokes, idle laughter, cries to order and me
rlle chickering's; and adjourned without hoyino
secured a quorum at any time during the even
lng, and without having transacted ma rtiole Of
public business was farce tbroughont arJ
will stand upon the Journals of the House as :
caricature of legislation. For the credit Of the
country we regret that this scandalous memorial
cannot be effaced. The decision that the House
does not possess the power to cancel its own pro
ceedings was correct but in that case its operation
is certainly unfortunate Not vcstige of that
eyenn g's history can be preserved without bring
ing shame upon republican legislation.
The only possible mode in which the House can
In any way relieve itself of the dshonor it has in
Cured is TO devote itself with vigor to the trans-
action OF Its legitimate business during the re-
nainder of the session. We do not sa y with re-
newed or redoubled vgor, since it would imply
that something of the kind had previously been
manifested. The session has thus far ELAPSED
without the passage BY the House of single
important measure. Ii has been employed in
empty talk and worthless trivialities The coun-
try, 1t is true, has not loudly complained for it has
long since learned that complaint is useless and
Witus tnat lis nohor ls perhaps safer in the mac.
ton OF the House than in its action Apathy is bet
ter than turbulence, and chld's play more toerable
rhan brawl. 1t may be said of the present House
that though the most inefficient of any in the histo
~ OF our Government it has not exhibited as many
scenes OF violence some of Its predecessors and
this fact alone has saved it from uumitieated obi
uni 1t has been owing mainly to the absence of
party spirit, and any peculiar agitating public
question; but this same circumstance really makes
1t the more inexcusabe that the public business
has not been better discharged There never has
been more favorable period for clearing the ia
eles OF the great mass of papers which constantly
cucumber them, to the detriment of the public
interests and the denial of private justice. 1t has
been frittered away in shiftessness; our only con-
ISOLATION is that it has not been sormed away in
violence. The Senate has been comparatively
faithful to its duties. Ii has entered into the dis
cussion of the gravest questions with great zeal
and ability. Though its debates have not gene
rally been upon measures of direct practical
bearing, they still have been none the less SER
viceabe to the country. They have had great
influence in shaping the public ideas upon most
important matters affecting foreign policy,
and that influence, we believe, has been throughout
in the right direction. The fact, strange as it
would seem to foreigner, is unquestonable that
the Senate now stands immeasurabiy higher in the
estimation of the people than their own Immediate
representatives. -