Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1860-03-01
Congress Fifty Years Apo

The press and the people have been Ioud in
their condemnation Of the manner in which
Congress tribes away the time which ought to
be devoted to the public business. and not
without justice. This fault Of the neonle,s
Representatives, however, appears to be one of
long standing. There lies before US a number
Of the Commercial Advertiser dated Febrnarv
Il, 1910, just half a century ago, from which
we gather that 1.-The House" was little better
then than it is now. This number of the Com.
merclai contains report of the proceedings in
congress on the ffteenh of February-six days
being occupied in the transmission of the re.
port. Inc House was engaged in debating a
resolution Ito 60 to school to Mr. Fulton. "a
the report says. In other words, to grant the
use OF the House to Mr.. Fulton for the delivery
OF lecture on new mode Of destroying line
oi-battle-shlps by means of a torpedo inv ented
BY him, and to attend the lecture
The resolution had been under discussion the
day before. and the debate was recommended
On the morning of the 18th. A motion to Law
on the table was carried the House divided
again and it was lost, Mr. Ross moved to
strike out ''lect"re" and insert provision
that Mr. Fulton might ''eIpiaim the practice
and utility of the torpedoes." Mr. Dana
thought the amendment made the resolution
less exceptiOnable; that the House of Repre-
sentatives should receive q lecture from any
individual, however eminent for genius and
science, WAS an idea which he could never for
one moment admit .'' Mr.. Quincy agreed
with Mr.. Dana as to the slecture" part of the
resolution, but opposed the resolution also, as
all the boys and all the girls of the District
Nf Columbia would flock to the House on Satur
day to hear Mr.. Fulton lecture the members of
Congress! w Mr.. Ross amendment was
adopted without a discussion, and then Mr.
fisk opposed the resolution as amended. de-
Uiaring that the House was trifing awsv its
time. lie also felt his dignity rs a member of
Congress assailed, and concluded rebuke of
Mr.. Fulton's extraordinary request by ask
ing, Shall we resolve ourselves into a COM
mittee OF students to receive instruction?n
Then followed some tall talking by Mr.
Ross, who lugged in Columbus, the Kings of
France, England, and Portugal, and "tbe Gel
ebrated Isabella" and declaring that the
American people ''were aspiring above KINGS
anu Emperors, exclaimed, glancing no doubt
at Mr. Quincy, ''none are so likely to remain in
Ignorance as those who are too proud to receive
inStructIon;" and further opposition by Mr.
Munford and Mr.. Quincy and finally the W hole
matter, which occupied the House till clock
p IN, eliminated in a snarl as to what had be-
come OF the resolution, and in appeals from
Speakers decisions, &c. In some yery uninteI-
ilSlole way ''the thing was at and end, but
what the end was it is impossible to get at As
Mr.. Fulton delivered his lecture next day 10
me populace In the street, the inference is that
the resolution was somewhat Smothered 1t was
brought up again on the following day. and so
occupied the House three days. We do not see
that the Olden times were much better than the
present, If this be fair SIMPLIFY. Y. Conn.
merrtGI Adrertissr.