Daily evening star. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1852-1854, 1854-07-19
WASHINGTON NEWS AHD GOSSIP.

VASHIH6f0N NEWS AID GOSSIP.
The Army and Navy Reform BilIs.-We
regret more than We can express to have to
announce the apparent utter impossibility Ct
the enactment of either of the propositions
for the reform Of these important branches Of
the public service, before the session closes
Frsm the 4th of December last to this hour,
the necessity for prompt, efficient aud thorough
changes in the details of these arms Of the
Government Of the United States, which can
only be elected through Congressional legis-
lation, have been felt and acknowledged not
only by the country speaking through a thou
sand presses, but by Congress itself The hope
has been very generally entertained that the
present session would not terminate without
their cousummation. It has vanished, how.
ever, or the signs Of The times are deceptive,
indeed.
We are satisfied that largo majority of
both Houses are most anxious to legislate on
the subject. Nay, that upon none other Is
their wish to take efficient action so general OF
more earnest In this state of things the
country will ask tho question-how comes it
that the session is to end without the enact.
ment of something of the sort? To close OBJ
servers here, the reason is obvious: il Is owirg
to the condition Of the rules of Congress- which
actually render the consummation of efficient
legislation almost g god-send, as 1t were. The
actual Legislative business Of the country in.
creases pari passm with the increase of every
element Of onr country's material power and
prosperity. Yet, annually, new readings Of
old legislative rules seem to obtain, which in
crease the confusion ruling in either Hall
and serve more and more to elobarrass the
trans action Of real business, by making that
give place to matters which are merely per.
pnsl to individual honorable members of Con-
gress. The observer is requested to cast his
minds eye over his recollection of the time
spent in the House hall this session in per-
sonal explanation" and in the delivery OF
speeches not referring to business actually
being considered, which are Of course intended
for one Of two purposes either for political
effect, or to defue the position of the particu.
lar member upon some question wherein he
conceives his own future to be somewhat in
volved. which could be quite as we'll accom-
plished by resort to the Congressional Gus.
| tom Of times past, when tho members we're
accustomed to address what they may have to
say to the country at large or their immediate
constituents, to those parties, through the me.
dunn Of printed circular addresses. That
habit was essentially good one. Thus thew
performed the part of vigilant sentinels or
the political watch tower which it is certainly
their duty to perform, without charging the
expen Sc to the National Treasury, which should
not, of right, bear it. and without interfering
with the due transaction of legitimate public
business. | ..t
We presume that the country already un.
derstands that the leading inducement for all
the bad practices to which We refer above, il
the indiscriminate publication for popula,
dissemination, Of any and every thing, at the
cost Of the Treasury, that honorable member,
may choose to say on any subject.
With the growth of this system of official
publication, all the practices in the halls Of
Congress have grown up, which interfere with
the proper transaction Of business there
Gentlemen make speeches not bearing on bu
siness actually being considered, which they
would not make if they were not to be scat
tersd far and wide at the cost of the Nations
Treasury.
While We are satisfied tina. it will DO wise t.
publish record Of the proceedings Of Con
gress, quite as elaborate and much more accu
rate than that at present put forth, for i
members are permitted by the rules to max,
their speeches as published different in an,
respect from thei. speeches as delivered
the record is not faithful one,) We rscog
nizs in the publication of every thing sait
and done in the hall at the peoples expense
for popular circulation, the Pandora's DO,
from which nine tenths of tho evil explained
above emsnate.
The practice is Of recent growth. THROWN,
aside its enormous expense as point not to b.
considered, it has done much, indeed, to tur,
the halls Of Congress into debating clubs
whereing abstract questions are discussed i,
essays. It has beggared thousands Of homes
claimants whose business has necessarily bee,
thrown aside to afford time for the delivery o
speeches Of no practical utility, 20 far as tn
public interest Is concerned.
1t has stretched nearly all gentlemen i,
Congress upon the Procrustian bed of intel
leetual and business equality. That is, it pre-
SCENTS to the world those who have powerful
minds, fine legislative and statesmanlike at
tsinments and qualifications, and who neve
fail to command the ear Of their fellow mem
bers on those accounts, as being just about ,h
Congressional equals of gentlemen who ar
really incapable Of evolving from their intel
lec.s an original idea. There are, undoubt
eddy, men Of both these classes in Congress
yet it would puzzle Philadslphia lawyer t
classify them, with their appearance in tae of
6cial publications of Congress as the guide i,
making the classification. This is the leas
evil thus generated, howeyer-that of the ef
feet OF this pernicious system upon the public
interest, in divers ways, being much more i'm
portsnt. It is useless to dream Of the Con
srsssional reforms so necessary to secure JUS
tiee to the public interest, until the axe shall
Do laid at the root Of this greatest of all ex
listing legislative evils. ..
The California Military Debt u Understand
ing that an effort is to be made to-day to oh