The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1859-03-08

superiority the remande are very unfavoabe TO the
whole administration in fne II is evident, that gov
eminent 10 the principal departments OF which there ia
neither wisdom virtue cannot endure beyond its
first legal Hn,aion The prospects OF the Vice President
have declined greatly indeed In general estimation in
this State and in proportion to this decline seems TO be-
the elevation Of Mr. Clay, whose popularity is evidently
increasing
The result somewhat falsfed the vaccinations of
the shrewd correspondent, the administration of
Gen jackson having managed to "endure beyond it's
first legal limitation (" and the expected elevation of
Mr.. Clay having failed to take place. Gen. jackson,
we repeat, survived these assaults of editor aud
journal long forgotten and venture to predict that
the memory of Mr.. Buchanan will also be cherished
by the country long after the present defamers of
his character and policy have sunk into the Oblivion
which awaits them.
| THE 'PRfvILEGED' QUESTION or THE HOUSE.
| Mr.. Grow and the republicans, got an idea by the
tail when they determined that the postal system of
the United States revenue system. All the
country were debating the question whether it is
| possible and desirable to make the post Office
| adjustment scfsustaning service notI The
Senate thought it ought to be done and appended
an amendment to the appropriation for that depart
ment increasing tire raten of letter postage. They
had the right TO do 50 but the dignity of the
House was offended. They thought they half
concealed in the proposition plan Of increasing the
| revenues to the wants of the treasury. If they
had been able to prove to the country that the 1--WE
| cent postage proposed by the Senate would even
pay the necessary expenses of the establishment,
| they would have performed good work. But, in
fact, there is not, and there will not be under airy
system which is likely to be ordained cent Of le-
ultimate postal revenue for the treasury. The Patent
| Office is regulated by law, and fees required in
nearly all the departments which so into the treas
ury Is it the constitutional right Of the House to
originate all such bills Fees are collected by con
suls aud paid into the treasury. May the Senate not
introduce consular bill I? The absurdity of the
| House pretepsion was abundantly exhibited by Mr..
Richie and Mr. Phelps The latter gentleman quo
| ted the constitution in these words
'iAll bills for raising shall originate in the
House of Representatives. but the Senate may propose
concur with amendments other bills.
Now was The bill named revenue bill The 9Th
section of the constitution defines what was contem-
| plated by the limitation thus
Congress shall have power to lay and collect taxes
| duties mposts, and excuses =
|
bill changing and raising the rates of postage
revenue measure within the meaning of this law
We do not believe that the House so considered IT,
They had other object in view then, than the
| vndicaton of their constitutional rights rdg-
nifty was not surely so wounded that they could not
be satisfied by the rejection of the Senate's PROPOSE
ton. They proceeded not to vote upon that propo-
sition disencumber the bill Of its objectona
BILE feature but 10 send il all back TO The Senate,
pronouncing Judgment against the entire nppropra
tion account of the alleged fact that the upper
house had assumed to originate revenue measure.
They went further They framed a new bill through
| conference committee, and proposed to violate the
rules of both houses by passing it without reading,
| which presented TO the Senate few minutes
before the adjournment, too late for deliberatiye
ton upon it by the latter body. Did this remedy in
dictate q constituencies concerning the integrity of
| the government? re the Senate had invaded the
constitutional rights of the House in particular
was the evil to be cured by open disregard Of
| all settled rules of legislation? 1t would appear
| from the facts Of the case that the House inf
nitely sensitive and alive to individual than to
| high political considerations. They snubbed the
Senate for an alleged violation Of the organic law
and then proceeded in the coolest manner to set
aside the rules of both houses, which were ss
binding as the provision giving them the exclu.
sive right to originate revenue measures. But
we return The postage system is no revenue
system, and Mr.. Crows resolution was intended
in judgment, only to involve tho two houses
in controversy, and thus defeat the postal ap-
preparation bill, and stop the mail service That
is all there is Of it. The new bill sent to the Senate
could not be passed without clear violation of legs
ative duty: They bad but forty minutes Of the SEES
sion left to read the bill and consider it-a measure
involving the expenditure of twenty millions of dol
ars-and the time insufficient for even the first
service. The bill might have contained an appro
praton of five millions of dollars to Mr.. Grow him
self to pay him for his efforts stop of the most
important branches of the public service. Yet Mr.
Grow say the Senate defeated the House bill
To make the latter responsible for such defeat would
be to copy the wisdom of the Spanish officials at
Havana, who hold witness of crime responsible
for the deed until the real perpetratcr is appre-
hended.
BrcovERrp Thomson, of New Jersey, confined
for several days to his by iodposton has
r recovered TO he able to his seat in the