The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1860-06-27

of gratuitous Invitations to the ball.
TIE TumrYSuu CoaoRxss-
TICS OF THE Fnsr 8xssIoS. We ought to be very
thankful to the genius who invented the law
under which members Of Congress are paid
yearly salary instead Of q per diem allowance, as
under the old regime. The difference in the
manner of accompanying our servants saves us
at least month in the long session, which has
just now been concluded to the infinite relief Of
q long suffering country
In looking over the record of the Thirtysixth
Congress we are forcibly impressed with tho
popularity of its main characteristics first the
manner in which the members conducted the
public business, 80 far as they conducted 1t ct
all and second, the studious way in which the
how not to do it rule was practised when any
important measure was to be acted upon.
The republicans, who had the business Of the
House in their hands, stood pledged 10 the
country in favor of postal reform; of modidca-
tons in the tariff; of the Homestead bill, and of
the Pacific Railway. That these measures were
introduced simply for the purpose of manufac-
turing political capital, every one familiar with
the secret springs that govern the opera
tons of partisan organizations was fully
aware long ago. Now it is apparent to
all. The Tariff bill was 80 clumsIy con-
structed that the committee which concocted it
could not explain its provisions, and it fell
through, as its originators intended it should
The Pacific Railway scheme was another bubble
intended to catch few votes in the Western
and Pacific States. The Homestead bill, patch
ed up between the House and the Senate, was
passed, to be sure, but in such form that 1t
would have done more harm than good to the
parties for whose benefit it was ostensibly
enacted. The President promptly put his veto
upon it, circumstance which should gain for
him the praise Of every sensible man in the
nation. The most important measure Of those
we have named was that in favor of the extern
sion of mail facilities and general reform in
the Department, including the abolition of the
franking privilege. The Post Route bill pro-
vidcd for daily overland mail from the
Mississippi to the Pacific, measure which
would have released the people of California
from the clutches of the Panama monopoly, and
paved the way for the Pacific Railroad; but this
was too much to expect from Congress, and the
House, at the latest moment, refused to pass the
bill
Thus we have seen that Congress spent all the
public time in President making, in partisan
quarrels, in such silly and stupid investigations
as that of the Covode Committee-which only
proved what everybody knew before, that the
politicians of all parties are utterly corrupt and
altogether unworthy Of public conhdence-or in
endeavoring to blacken the reputation of one
of the purest statesmen that has ever sat in the
chair of Washington.
We need say only few words as to the per-
sonal character, the manners and behavior of
o majority of the members of the Thirty-sixth
Congress. The session commenced with q row;
the ensuing contest for the Speakership was
diversified by several disgrscsfal scenes on the
Hoor of the House; the course of debate was in
terrupted very frequently by the blackguard-
ism of certain notorious members, and the Con-
gross broke up In the same delightful way in
which 1t had commenced, the very last words
that were said before the Speaker laid down the
gavel he has handled so feebly being
q request that the Riot Act should
be read. The members of Congress,
as general rule, have been as noisy, as turbu-
lent and as ungentlemanly in their conduct as
the strikers and blowers who have been saving
the country, according 10 their idea, or trying
to ruin it, according 10 ours, at Charleston and
Baltimore. II Is very hard TO say these things
of an important branch Of the government of a
republic from which the friends of free institu-
tons all over the world have right to expect
80 much. But they are solemn truths, and they
must be made known, as the first step towards
the reformation of the abuses to which they
refer.
The CAMPAreN AND THE WAsHEGroS ORGANS
The Washington party organs are among the
last remaining excrescences of that ancen re-
gine in our political affairs which ruled the
country before the independent press, railroads
and the telegraph were brought into the general
service of mankind. But these excrescenccs at
Washington have continued to exist upon the
drippings and pickings and stealings Of the
public printing, and being now altogether