The Portland daily press., 1867-11-20
DAILY PRESS.
Wednesday Morning, N ,vember 20. 1867
The TAird Meeting of the Eor.ie,A Con-
PORTLAND.

The Third Meeting of the Eortieth Con
4r..t..... gress.
Though the fortieth Congress is not ye
nine months old, it is on the point of conven
ing for its third extraordinary session. In the
usual course of events there would have been
no meeting at all until the second day of next
month; but there was a session COM
mencing on the 4th of March, another on
the 18th of July, and third will begin to-
morrow. The President has kept the men,
bers of the Legislative department quite con-
stantly employed in actual work, or in hurry
ing to or from the capital. Since the year be-
gan, it is doubtful If a moment has passed in
which some patriotic Senator or Representa-
tive was not on his way between his home
and Washington.
The legality of every one of these extraor-
binary sessions is denied BY the legal advisers
ofthe President, or By some one who steals
their initials and runs off into the public
prints with them; but as the bills passed at
these meetings have all the force of laws, and
will continue in fun force and virtue until re-
pealed, it is safe to ignore the caveats which
Messrs. Stanbery, Binckley & Co. are always
filing, and regard Congress as leg@l body as
sembed in due form. msFs.l .a.f. :. m
The Senate as now constituted is divided
very unequally between the two parties. As
at the last session, there are AZ Republicans,
Z Democrats, and renegades, viz: Messrs.
Dixon of Connecticut, Doolittle OF Wisconsin,
Norton of Minnesota and Patterson of Ten
nessee. If TO the names of the eleven oppo-
sition me embers, who actually have seats, be
added that of Philip F. Thomas, of Mary land
who has not yet obtained a recognition OF
his claims as Ser ator, we have the full Con-
servative strength of the upper house. There
will be no further change in the Senate till
the 4th of March 1859, except by the adnis-
sion Of Colorado (which has already elected
two Republican Senators in anticipation Of
that event) and the ten Southern States, or
by the election Of individual members to fiji
vacancies occasioned by death or otherwise.
these possible accessions to the number OF
Senators can hardly fail to increase the Re
publican strength which already amounts to
more than three fourths of tie Senate.
In the House the Republican predominance
is equally marked, the number of members
belonging to that party being IA, and the
number belonging to the opposition 40. The
latter number includes all of the Kentucky
members and three Connecticut members.
The report of the Committee or. Elections
may reduce this list, and add to the strength
Of the Republican party.
This being the political complexion of Con-
gress, the full responsibility for whatever
measures are adopted will rest, except in ex-
traordinary contingencies, upon the Repub-
liean party. In the past it has accepted grave
responsibilities, and has SO conducted affairs
of supreme importance as to merit the ap-
plause Of mankind. But the days of its
trial are not over. The destiny of the ma
tion is still in its keeping. The questions
that remain to be settled win present as try
ng tests of patriotism and of craftsmanship
as those of 1881. On the very first day OF the
session, and the very first hour, if possible,
Charles Sumner will throw into the assembly
his promised frebrand. All through the va
cation he, has been preparing the public mind
to receive and adopt his scheme for establish
ing impartial suff age in all the States BY act
of Congress. Ostensibly he has spoken in
his public addresses only Of the paramount
authority of the central government; but no
intelligent listener has failed to pa,.o,,, o., I
the interrogatiye, aA----~~ d A,''ion ine"n'
tho a,.l--ysron, Congress has poacer to orer-
rule the States in regulating suffrage. Actu-
ated by the loftiest motives and the purest
patriotism, Senator Sumner will nevertheless
fail of convincing his associates that his
views are correct on this subject. When so
Repuptioa,a as Ben. Wade
doubts, men whose radicalism smany degrees
cooler than his will enter an emphatic pro-
test
On the first day, too, Thad. Stevens, if he
lives and can crawl to the capitol, will intro
duce his bills relating to confiscation and to
the suspension from the exercise of official
functions of persons whose trial for impe ach-
ment is pending. The fist measure is al
ready two years dead, and the second viii
probably meet but limited endorsement, since
it belonged to kind of legislation that states
men use only in very grave emergencies.
1t is aimed at single individual, and hence
has all the obnoxious characteristics of an
er post fdcto law.
The Impeachment Committee is now well
understood to be divided in sentiment pre-
cisely as it was last July. The reports will
not be ready so early in the session as was
anticipated, but the substance of what they
will contain is pretty accurately known. The
Judiciary Committee is also to report on the
subject OF the State constitutions of Mary
land, Delaware, and Kentucky. Here almost
the same unconstitutional questions are in
volved as in the suffrage dill of Mr.. Sumner,
and the decision of Congress win be governed
by substantially the same considerations in
both cases.
1t is not expected that Gen. Buffers and
Gen. Schenck's special committees on the as
sasination and on the treatment of Union pris-
oners by the Confederate authorities will re-
port at once, but the Committee on Southern
railroads has concluded its~investigations.
Among the unsettled business which will
claim the early attention of the Senate will be
the reinstatement of Secretary Stanton, and
if the President should decline to send in his
reasons for his action in that matter, it will
be very warm business indeed, and will put
the impeachers on their feet In no time. The
Senate will also act upon some important ap-
polntments, which nave not yet been confirm
ed. The public will feel not d little impatient
to know Whether Horace Greeley is to be the
Austrian munster, and whether or not we art
ever to have any Mexican minister at all
Among the treaties to be acted upon are those
with the Sandwich Islands, over which there
will be some discussion, and with Denmark
relating to the purchase OF her West Indi'
possessions.
In addition to these special matters and the
ordinary routine of legislation, the tariff ant
revenue laws and the national banking system
will come up for consideration, and possibf
for revision. Most important of all will b
the question of reconstruction. The enem!e:
of equal rights, invigorated by the result o
the recent elections, have proclaimed that tn
Republican party must abandon its Who'll
scheme; but if the assurances given by ever
man of that organization who has spoken al
to be trasted, this will not be done. Nothin
but some natural convulsion can now dc
prive the negro of bis ballot.
A Quaint Old Book = Governor En0c
at fH Lincoln ON slavery. eH5
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