The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1868-09-23
The Congressional Farce.
From 0e NJ p. World. p r'f '-0I


From The N. p. World. ...
The business trans acted by fragmentary
gathering of members OF the Rump Congress
is of no more legal account than if transacted
by Woman's Rights Convention or Union
League Club. By the terms of the resolution
making contingent provision for a meeting,
there was to be no session unless quorum OF
both Houses should be present. There was a
bare quorum of the Senate and no quorum of
the House. And yet this truncated Rump had
the assurance to consider itself Congress-.
and adopt a resolution which only a quorum
OF both Houses was competent to pass. This
resolution originated in the House and was
passed by that body when no quorum was
resent. 1t was sent up to the Senate and
passed. Senator Buckalew offered a resolution
requesting the House to inform the Senate
whether there was quorum at its passage; but
his resolution was rejected on the ground that
1t would be discourtesy to the House for the
Senate to doubt the presence of a. quorum In
the lace OF the notorious fact this Oh ection
was preposterous. The House had perpetra-
ted gross breach of courtesy against the
Senate, and, what is more, gross breach of
the Constitution, in sending up a resolution
passed when there was no quorum. It was
the duty of the Senate to vindicate its dignity
against this fagrant affront. But it pocketed
the insult and became the confederate and ac-
complice of a fragment of the House in a plain
breach of the Constitution. No Republican
Senator had brass enough to pre- tend that the
House resolution had any validity il quo
rum was not present at its passage; but the
Senate connived at a violation of the Constitu-
tion to save its character for courtesy There
were repeated calls of the House, but upon no
call could they muster a quorum.
} BY the Constitution, the only business that
can be transacted by either House in the
absence of a quorum Is to adjourn from day
% 1Awx aud L.
members. A bill or resolution passed with
out quorum is as nugatory as if it were
passed by mob in the street. The resolu-
tion to adjourn on the 18th of October. and
then again to the 10th of November, is utterly
void. There can be no legal session of Con-
gress under such q resolution. The President
can, il he chooses, call an extra session; but
meeting of members, except ON the first Mon
day in December, without his call, and with
out previous legal authorization by Congress
itself, is no Congress. No act passed at such
meeting would be law. No citizen will obey.
and the courts will declare void, any acts
which may be passed at the sessions oontem-
plated by the resolution of Monday. agrdf &.
But although the viper cannot sting we will
inquire into the meaning of its Misses. The
dates OF the adjourned sessions are very signi-
fcant. One is just after the October elections;
the other Just after the Presidential election.
perate recklessness of the Republican party,
that II they cannot retain control of the Gov
eminent by the elections, they mean to at
tempt 1t by revolution. II the October elec-
uons 90 against them, they intend to hold an
extra session in October; il they lose the Pre-
s1dential election, they will have session in
November. They hold no session now be-
cause they are not alarmed by losses in Maine
They prefer to retain power by the authority
OF the people; but they are resolved to retain
it anyhow. Hence they appoint sessions OF
Congress to thwart the will Of the people il
the elections go against them. Was there
ever such an insulting menace offered to a
free people as to provide for session of Con-
gress just after each election, with view to
apnul the popular verdict, if unfavorable?
The illegal action of the Rump on Monday
is confession that they feel no confidence In
the result OF either the October or November
verdict. 1t attests the hollowness of their
jubilation over the result in Maine. They
know, as everybody knows, that the Demo
They know, as everybody knows, that the
greenbaek issue hurt us in Maine, and that II
will be chief element of our strength in the
States that hold elections in October. New
England and the West take diametrioally
opposite views OF that question. The Demo
cratic State Convention In Massachusetts, re-
pudiated that plank of the Democratic plat
form, while in Ohio and Indiana II is received
with such favor that the Republican leaders
In those States dare not oppose 1t. To such
straits are they driven that their two ablest
men-Senator Sherman, of Ohio, and Senator
Morton, Of Indiana-haye come out squarely
in favor of Mr., Pendleton's doctrine, in the
vain hope of saving their States.