The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1859-03-12
Adiournu emit of Congress.


reer at u O'Clock on the 4th inst. by the
expiration CT its constitutional term. Its
prominent acts during the first session were
SO thoroughly canyassed during the election
contest IN this State last fall, that any refer
encc to them now would be superfuous-
THAT it did or failed to do at the late short
session, however, is not yet so well known,
and Of this we propose to say a word.
! The late session will be held in remcm-
berance hereafter much more for what it
failed to do than for whot it did. GLOW not
to do it," seemed to DO the chief study of its
members. Many questions Of the gravest
importance were presentcd-many subjects
urgently demanding immediate legislation;
but they were all swamped in the maeIstron
of discord that seemed to possess the mem
! bers like q spell,
| At the commencement Of The session. the
President in his message, and the Secretary
of the Treasury in his report, depicted in
| the most lugubriouS terms, the ;mpoyerish-
cd condition of the Treasury Two plans
were proposed Ior bringing the revenue on
! level with the expenditures. One was the
! old wing plan of high tariff with specific
( duties; the other was the democratic plan
| OF a reduction of expenditures and tritling
/ increase of the tariff on the ad ralorsm prin.
| ciple. Had the democratic members stuck
together, the matter could have been ar-
ranged in a week without difficulty. But
Pennsylvania has great iron interests, and
iabors under the hailucination that those in
terests need congressional protection. The
President, frightened at the result Of the
last election in that State, humSrs this Penn
sylyania whira by Recommending a remod-
cling of the tariff on the anti-democra,ic
principle Of specific duties and protection
TIE democratic members from Pa, support
cI him in this recommendations, and thus
the party became DIVIDED. The rosu,. was,
| of course, that the s.:ff remained untouch-
ed, and no provision was .-a4e 10 bring the
revenue up TO tie expenditures.
F., The lamen;ab!e Cuba project Of The Pres
dcnt also died a natural Death. As the
President had asked for ;hiG!y millions, pre-
tending that he could 60 something towards
buying CIr,s If such sum was placed at
his d.>.osa', tie Senate were disposed 10 let
him Try !: o.. Bat before ,hs close OF the
session tie righteousness of the pretence
became 50 apparent, that IL. matter WAS
dropped He.t. cen.
/ Bat the NEST serious ia..u.c Of the ,a:e
session was that 10 7a~s the pos: Office a.
preparation I'LL. Tbs included provision
for some very important new routes, and
al the appropriations for the old. The re-
suit may be the temporary s:oppags of the
mails or many important ard uniIaportant
routes in the country. The bill was defeat
ell on a mere point Of etiquette between tie
two houses. The Senate had added an
amendment pretending to abolish the franz,
ing privilege, and raising the postage on let
tiers to > cents. Tie House struck out the
amendment on the ground that II was pro
vision to raise revenue, while all bills foI
that purpose must originate IN the house
The Scnaterelused to recsde from lis amend
Acknowledgment that the position taken by
the house was correct. So between the tWc
the bill was lost.
mus much as to what Congress did not 90
What it did do, can be briefly summed up
Itpassed all the appropriation bills, CXccp
the one named and Is the appropriation!
amounted 70 some So, 600, 900 while tn,
Secretary Of the Treasury protests he car
raise but, SIS, o0O,00 revenue, they au.Aor
izs are-issus Of go, 000,0 600 treasury notes
All the other public acts passed, besldes the
appropriation bi!ls, amount TO but about %
of which the Oregon bin is the only one
worth naming. The session was consumed
in talk-;alk--talk. Seven hundred bills
were left Enacted upon, and al the work
done in and out Of the committees towards
perfectins them must be done over at future
sessions.
In view of the little work done by the late
Congress, and especially Of the failure TO
provide for SO important an arm OF the SER
vice as the Z. y. Department, the question
IS already agitatcd, will the President call
an extra aesson. We imagine not. There
are still IS members Of the new congress
to elect, and nearly al Of them froro the
| Southern States. OF the members at prvs-
ent elected, two thirds are Republicans
/ When the House is full the chances are there
/ will be democratic majority. We do not
think the President will call together this
/ incomplete congress OF republican members