The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-06-16

| was scarce and in demand, o great number of Eu-
ropean vessels being at Port au Prince.
A disastrous conAagration occurred at Worcester,
Mass, on Thursday afternoon. It burned over q
space of four acres, including the principal manu-
factories of the city, located on Union, Exchange
and Cypress streets. The loss is estimated at from
three hundred thousand to half million dollars,
about oye-third Of which is covered by insurance.
bill similar in its provisions to the Maine Lii
quor law was yesterday passed in both houses Of the
| Connecticut Legislature.
Affairs at washington-The Do-Nothings of
Congress.
The resolution of the House of Representa-
tives, providing for closing the present session
of Congress on the l4th of August, has been
| rejected by the Senate, and that learned body
insist upon recess covering the interval from
the 18th of July to the 10th of October, which
may probably be adopted by the House.
This arrangement will enable the members to
be among 'the rural districts" through the
fiery ordeal of midsummer and the dog-days,
and it will give them the privilege of taking a
hand in their August or October elections for
the next Congress. Doubtless this last con-
sideration was involved in Mr.. OWNS mo-
ton, for the spoils policy of The administration,
the Nebraska bill, the movements of the
Know Nothings, the temperance movement,
and other causes, promise to make sweeping
work of the estimates of the small-beer politi-
clans Of both houses at Washington. A large
number of members, wings and democrats,
hards and softs, especially of the North, hold
their chances of reelection upon very slender
tenure and hence there is something of bro
therly magnanimity in the kind and accom-
mOdating resolution of Mr.. Gwin. A Con.
gressional recess, from the middle of July to
the middle Of October, will give to every mem
Der plenty of time for "selfvindication" before
his beloved constituents; for if, in the interval
proposed, any man who voted for or against
the Nebraska bill shall fail to. define his po-
sition to the satisfaction of his district, the
fault will be his own, or the result of circum-
stances beyond the control of the two houses
of Congress. Their generosity cannot be i'm
peached.
There is another feature in this plan of re-
cess, which is almost irresistible in its appeal
to the patriotism of every member Of Congress
interested in the matter of extra pay and mile
age By the law of ls19 if one session of Con-
gress shall extend to within ten days of the
next session, the members are not allowed their
mileage. Mr.. Gwin proposes recess, and that
the meeting in October shall be but the con-
tinuation of the present session. the pay of the
members to go on through the recess the same
as if they we're in session and doing nothing,
which is equivalent to a recess, in q practical
view. The advantage, if anything, lies with
0le recess, including the continued per diem of
the members !; for recess would cut off o large
d II of contingent expenses. Thus far, then, be-
tween continuing the present session till Octo-
b r, and the proposed recess with continuance
I pay, the latter expedient is best for itwould
| be an intolerable infection upon the country to
be bored with the twaddle and humbug of Con-
he whole summer, and into the middle of next
autumn. The very idea of such thing
is oppressive and sufocating. Human
nature, outside of Washington, could not stand
it, except in the event of war. If there be no
other hope of relief, therefore, let US have q
Congressional recess, including the continued
pay of the members. The people may consent
to it as an act of charity, for doubtless very
long recess will occur before many of the satel-
| lites of the present Congress are returned to
Washington again, after next December.
| Mr.. Dawson, of Georgia. said, (and he is o
| practical business man, that by having an ad-
| journment over till October, the session might
10 r1>or
receive mileage. Only think of that. The pub
lie interests apparently had nothing to do with
this business. It was simply matter Of pay
and mileage. Mr. Gwin had made it all straight
for the continuation of the pay; but should the
session extend to December, when the next one
will begin, the members would be cut out Of
their mileage by an existing law. Mr.. Badger
is the man, however, for overcoming such i'm
| pediments TO the spoils. The difficulty sug.
| gested could be remedicd by an amendment to
one of the appropriation bills. So it could
Happy thought A shrewd man, that Mr..
| Badger. Mr.. OWNS motion for q recess was
finally adopted, rs to 16; and should the House
concur, the pay of the members will 90 on from
the adjournment on the 18th of July to the re-
sumption of the session again on the 10th of
October, the contingency of the mileage being
still an open question.
Having thus elucidated the paramount SUBJ
jects of the pay and the mileage of the men,
bers of the two houses, we are constrained to
passing consideration of the secondary and
merely incidental question Of the public bust
ncss-the foreign and domestic concerns of this
great confederacy Of twenty-five millions Of
people. In this connection, the question which
is first suggested, is why this recess till 0cto
Der, and the resumption of the session then To
be continued till December2 Why cannot the
necessary bills for carrying on the operations
Of the government be passed, so as TO close