The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1859-02-27
Congress and its Four Days Grace-The De-
mOcracy and the Administration.

mOcT6Cy Administration
There are four days grace yet remaining to
this memorable and Improbable Congress. Its
convulsive dissolution is fitting termination of
its miserable existence. Its history is record
of political defections party treacheries section
al conspiracies, factious rebellions and conflict
ing Presidential intrigues without a parallel in
the annals Of the country. We congratulate the
American people, accordingly, that this discord-
ant, demoralized and impotent Thirty-dfth Con-
gress will cease to exist on the 4th of March.
There is one measure, the necessities for which
are admitted in all quarters-a measure for in
| creasing The insufficient resources of the Trea-
sury. There is but one way short of direct taxa
| ton by which this thing can be done, to wit, by
| an increase in the tax upon foreign imports.
The President has recommended, in this view,
plan whereby the treasury can be relieved, and
through which some encouraging incidental pro-
lection may be given to our home manufactures
at the same time. But the Southern free trade
democracy have rebelled, and factious conlro-
versy in the House, upon some half dozen diff
ferent tariff schemes, has been the consequence.
The ENHANCEMENT thus created appears to be be-
yond the reach Of q compromise. 1t is deemed
all important by the Southern democratic lead
ers, in view Of their approaching Congressional
elections, that the low tariff of 1857 shall not be
touched; and thus, should any bill making
any advances in the duties Of the law of
1857 be passed by the House, it will,
we dare say, be suffocated in the Sc
nate. On the other hand, the republicans aud
the Pennsylvania democrats Of the House have
notes" no song no supper" 1t appears, too.
that they can command the numerical strength
necessary to carry their point
Thus there is every reason to fear that there
will be neither q tariff bill nor Treasury note
bill passed during these last four days grace.
Of course, all the appropriation bills, involving
some seventy odd millions of expenditures, will
be passed but how is the administration to pro-
vide the means for these appropriations upon
fifty millions Of money and seventy-five millions
Of public debt? In default of tariff bill, new
loan and new issue Of Treasury notes, the
Executive must either abolish or suspend certain
branches Of the regular government machinery,
resort to the alternative of an extra session of
the new Congress to provide for deficiencies.
Within the next three days the question will be
settled and, from all present indications, it will
be settled in favor of an extra session.
This is melancholy picture in reference to the
! public finances. Nor can we present more
agreeable report concerning the great Issues af.
fecting our foreign relations, upon which the
President has so clearly and forcibly indicated
the positive and decisive American policy which
should be pursued The contest of Friday in
the Senate, upon the Thirty Million Cuba bill
versus the Homestead bill, continued from
noon till night, and from night till halfpast
one the next morning, resulted in showing
that there was handsome majority in favor Of
the Cuba bill but the bill remains hard aground,
| and is now postponed till the next Congress
In reference to our Mexican, our Central and
South American affairs, and the Presidents
earnest and seasonable special message concern
ing the present threatening local complications
and foreign intrigues in those countries, nothing
has been done, aud nothing probably will be
done by this Congress. There u.s. we suspect,
some underground 6libustering at work upon
this subject in the democratic camp, which will
cut off any efficient party cooperation.
Among the good things of omission on the
part of the Senate is the omission, thus far, to
pass the new military pension bill of the House,
which would CALL If law, for at least five, and
perhaps ten, millions Of dollars and the omission
to pass the House Homestead or free farm bill,
which, if passed into law, will at once cut off
the three or four millions now yearly received
into the Treasury from the sales Of the public
lands The House, meantime, appears to have
given the FIVE million French Spoliation bill the
80 by, and the lobby il doubtless in despair