, 1861-08-07
Ctitaqo Gtitttt1e
: WEDNESDAY,, AUGUST 7, 1851.


HLON6A1AA11 1AN1oA- AVO&4
THE SRNATE AND HOUSE.
It is now five weeks since this extra
session Of the Thirty Seventh Congress was
convened, and there are yet no signs Of q
speedy adjournment, The House ya;n1y
tries to hurry up mattersby sending to the
Senate resolutions to dissolve; but the
Senate suffers them to sleep upon the table.
The House, being much the larger body,
would, one would think, move more slow
1y-after the rule IN mechanical philosoahy
IN such cases made and provided; but the
axiom, although both bodies are sufficient
ly mechanical, is exactly reversed. While
The House IS through with its business, and
ready to go home the Senate is still
higgling over the nainutiae Of military bills
and suffering honorable genuemen to mske
noodles Of themselves at the rate Of an
hour or two apiece per day. At mo-
nent when the country is plunged into a
war, in which everything dear and vital to
its citizens is at stake-when our people
are rushing to battle and every mal's pur-
suits dWndle into nothingness before the
mighty occupation Of saving the countrv,
our politicians cannot forego the luxury Of
stump speaking, when nothing thai they
may say can arrest the attention Of the
country, or. hare the smallest influence
upon the result.
Not:even Senators themselves listen to
the speeches that are made, Twice IN
one day IN discussing the bill authorizing
the suspension OF The writ Of habeas cor
pus, Senator TEumbull had to pause and
:1egre. that he couldnot command the at
.Tspfon cf Senators to an explanation Of
the' bill. The fact is, every man, be he
POLITICIAN or private citizen, has long ago
made up. bis mind that the soar must 90
. thron1n;;, +. and having settled the one grand
question; M discussion Of details seems
frivolous aud waste Of time. Senators
sit deaf in their capacious arm-chairs, their
thoughts occupied in organizing new reg
iments for the war, or their pens racing
swiftly over paper in discharging arrears
Of correspondence, while the aborti7e elo-
quence Of the Honorable gentleman fails
upon The ear IN win.
Nor do the public maif1fest any more
interest in these worn-out themes Of dis
cussion. The galleries, which once were
tlrorged with fair women and eager men,
which rusued with silks and 4Tibra:ed with
the hum Of applause, ere now like ban
quet-hall deserted, or thinly attended by a
few curious spectators, mostly Of the Mill
tary persuasion. Meanwhile the stolid
Senatc dronts on, filing week after week,
of what was to have been but q fortnight
session, with The same unvarying round ol
petty discussion, seemingly all unconscious
Of the value Of time or the expectations oi
the country. p.
Not only must nearly every Senator
make long speech on some subject,
usually selecting the war for the main-
tsipanee Of the Government as partic.
ular1y fresh and untrodden feld,) but ev:
cry Senator must speak half a dozen times
en the same bill, and repeat himself end.
lcEsIy on the trivialities thereof Thus
11r, salisbury Of Delaware made fourteen
speeches one day, by way Of defining his
};oaition, explaining his definition, qualify
1rg his explation, replying to an inquiry
repeating bis replication. correcting his op
ronent, amending his correction, and *
on, p1ing speech upon speech, in styl.
which put shame even the amazing fer
t:l:y eta circumlocutory lawyer, wht
b=mboczles the court with his pleas, an
Ewers, denur1ers, Iebutters, sur-rebutters
1ejoinde1s, eur-reIoinders, &c, until ths
original subject-matter of the case i.
completely enVeloped in q mist Of cob
webs from which the acutest intellect mus
struggle hard to extricate it. :.
The House Of Representatives has foun
it necessary to dam up the food Of debate
1'g eeGsing dykes IN the shape Of one hou
rules, 'pregfous questions, calls to orde1
&C. And during this extra session, it ha
gone further, and limited debate On nearl,
al bills to FIVE minutes putting
1na1tingale on the frisky and frivolous pro
pensities Of one hnna1 ed and seventy PFC
Iessional. stump orators. The result
seen in the prompt dispatch Of business b1
: fore alluded to, and IN net saving to th
country Of countless reams Of paper an
quantities Of first quality p1inters' ink, i
diausmg useless political knowledge. Th
docs lot cut off debate, as any member b
moving an amendment can get a chance
speak Are. zainatss,. and to speak mo,
than once. And if man can't say som
1bmgto the purpose in the space of #,
minutes, the chances are that he never ca
st al.
In Tire Senate, On the other hand, there
10 limitation as to time, and no preyio1
question to, cut off debate. The cons
Quence is seen in the vast aud prosy ma
of1epetit!ons, Itcrafure with which th*
cagaee6 6e pfessto ID gr5ln, and af1ict the I
porteIs and the country. That cacoetz
>1cqucndi, which the Roman rhetorician
iuvejghed against, possesses nearly all tt
members Of the American Congress. II
Congressman is generally lawyer, and,
tho old lady remarked Of her hopeful bo
WHO was about spreading his callow win
in the atmosphere Of County Col
Hes to7gaey Lad, and I 1reckon he'll
10 Congress in abeout teW years.!
sur hopeful gentlemen Of the bar wIo co
live TO &C: elected 10 most Of the seats
political power ard profit seem to be Fl
I'd with Hngua1 accomplishments Viii
they are never chary Of exhibiting to
admiring wcrld. The country is ours
by talk. Give LIE action!
F. G.-Since the above was put in tn
We rejoice to learn that Congress
stepped talking and-adjourned sine de
ILLINOIS FsNANcEs-THE NE
i STATE LOAN.
By an act Of the Legislature Of the ST.
Of Illinois, PASSED at the extra session l,
Spring, and approved May I'd, 1861
Gorcrner, Auditor and Treasurer w
authorized to contract ,asH per cent 10;
3Nd iaz4etzsz7aa etfor, for two millio
---dk1a. The loan thus authorized,
! 50 much pfit as may be necessary, is to
/: used to suppress the rebellion in the
: called seeding States-and as such il
+ strictly within The limits Of the Consti
tion. The authority to pass such law