Daily evening star. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1852-1854, 1854-07-08

wEsHHafoH NEWS AND GOSSIP.
The End Of the session.-A strong disposi.
ton exists among members of both Houses Of
Congress to rescind their action, by which the
4th Of August was fixed upon for the termina a.
ton OF the session. This is the result of the
hourly increasing impression that hardly .nv
thing can be contaminated before that period
arrives except the enactment of the regular
appropriation bills. After to-day, there will
remain but three and half legislative weeks.
and our experience assures us that the con-
fused pressure Of some thirty or forty gentle.
men to amend the public general appropria.
tion) bills, which always takes place as the
session draws to close, can hardly fail to de-.
feat the proper transaction of almost all other
business Nevertheless, we are not at present
OF opinion that the House will consent, under
any circumstances, to an extension of the ses.
sion beyond the 4th proximo. There are some
fifty or sixty Democratic members who think
that the majority are voting the public money
very wildly, and that the longer the session
continues, the more mischief will be done.
They, OF course, will Sc: their faces against
changing the time agreed on, if the public
bills only can be enacted by August 4th, prox.
limo. Many members of both political parties
begin to feel, very sensibly, the injury their
private affairs are sustaining through their
prolonged absence from home, and being ner-
vsusly anxious to shake the dust of Washing.
ton from their feet, will stoutly resist any eor,
to prolong their sojourn here
Again. moro or less of the opposition are
certainly quite willing to have it in their DOW.
OF to charge tho dominant party with having
accomplished nothing this session but the
enactment Of the ordinary appropriation bills.
and the repeal of tho Missouri compromise.
They are aiming at political effect, of course.
Now, under such circumstance, we care not
what may be left undone, We regard it as
morally impossible that the duration of the
session can be extended beyond August 18th
next.
Custom Houses, &c.-The amendments to
the Civil and Diplomatic Appropriation bill
over which the pother in the House hall oc.
curing yesterday and the day before took
place, appropriated SAL 900 for the compile
ton Of various custom houses, and for the
construction, completion and repair of various
marine hospitals in the West, an aggregate of
Sl61 600. The original bill as reported from
the Committee of Ways and Means contained
an appropriation of $4,000 for the compile
ton Of the Charleston, S. G., Custom House.
by-the-by.
We have, at this time, one hundred and
twenty mine ports of entry and delivery in the
United States, and actually but twenty-five
finished custom houses, with eleven more under
construction. Tho Committee on Commerce.
(of the House) have instructed their chair
man, Mr.. Fuller, of Maine, to report a bill
making appropriations for tho construction of
eight more, viz, at Ellsworth, Me-; Gloucester
Mass; New Haven, Conn; Detroit, Mich;
Toledo, Ohio Buffalo, N. T.; Milwaukee, Wis.
and Wheeling, Va. This bill, we learn, has
been so drawn up as certainly to make the
appropriations to be made under it pay the
whole cost of the respective works, which will
range from $4,000 to $50, each 1t will
also be proposed 80 to construct those at BUT.
falo, Detroit, Milwaukee and Wheeling, as that
they shall furnish permanent accommodation,
for the U. s. District Courts and Post Offices
in those cities.
while We are as strenuously opposed as one
can be to the extravagant or otherwise unne.
cessary use Of the public money, we realize
the full force Of tho so-rapidly growing neces-
sites Of our country in every quarter. What
we're fair accommodations quarter of a cen.
fury ago only, are already almost every where
nut meagre apologies, indeed, for the require.
msnts of the times. The fact is very evident
in the vekemence with which members of Con.
gress from various quarters press the necessi.
ties Of their immediate districts, on their fellow
members who hesitate upon such questions.
The Embarrsssmsnts Of Legislation.-A
very bad habit on the part of members, a
committee men, is producing much Of the con-
fusion and delay in the transaction of the bust.
ness before Congress which the country is wit
Messing. 1t is simply inattention to commit.
toe duty early in the session. It is the result
of heedlessness only. Many members fail
promptly to mature their reports and recon.
mendations until late period, which, with
energy on their part, might be made ready
for presentation much earlier. To every public
appropriation bill which comes up, more or
less of them move amendments under instruc.
lions from the committees to which they be-
long, many Of them involving very large ex-
penditures of the public money. Nssrly all of
them fail to inform the House beforehand of the
character and merits of their several promo.
sitions 50 brought forward, in such a manner
as that all their fellow members may have
time to thoroughly digest (examine) them
There is no reason why every gentleman who
has an amendment to offer to general appro.
priation bill, under orders from his COMMITTEES
may not present it with written report when
tho bill in question may be reported A re-
quest for liberty to ''give notice. of an amend.
ment to be proposed at the proper time under
the rule: and for the printing of report OK.
planning the amendment in question, never
has been refused. under ordinary circum.
stances, and, we presume, never will be- We're
such amendments required to be 80 reported
and explained, three-fourths of the time of the
House expended in their consideration would
doubtless, be economical