The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-07-28
The Second Session OF tho Fortieth Con.
gress-First Part.

gress-First Part.
The two houses of Congress adjourned yes
| terday to meet again on the third Monday
or 2lst day of September next, if in the
! opinion of Senator Morgan, of New York, and
Representative Schenck, of Ohio, the public
interests require the presence of the national
assembly to take care of Andy johnson. The
Congress were arranged with special eye
upon johnson, first, in the law providing that
the first session Of each Congress hereafter
| shall commencepn March 4. Under this law
the two houses of the Fortieth Congress first
assembled March 4, 1867, the last sitting of
the Thirty-ninth Congress running into this.
On the 3lst Of March, after the passage Of
some reconstruction amendments, there was
an adjournment to the 4th of July. On that
day, in consequence of Mr.. Johnson's peculiar
Interpretation Of the reconstruction acts in
force, the two houses reassembled and pro-
ceeded to some additional Southern reorganiz-
ing measures, and, having passed them as
usual over the veto, there was an adjournment
on the 2lst of July to November. On the 22d
Of November the two houses resssembled and
continued at work to the first Monday in De-
cember, when the President sent in his annual
message with the regular beginning Of the
| second session of this Congress.
Thus it will be seen that in consequence of
| the Punic wars between Congress and the
President the first session of this Fortieth
Congress was made up of three broken doses
one In March, one in July and one in Novem-
Johnson. The second session, from the first
| Monday in December excepting re-
cess of two weeks covering the Christmas
and New Year holidays) has continued
nnbroken down to yesterdays period Of nearly
eight months and whether it is or is not to be
resumed and continued in September will de-
| pend upon events in the South and the policy
| of Mr.. johnson during the recess. A large
portion of the time since December last has
been wasted by both houses on Johnson's i'm
parchment but as the impeachers have now,
beyond all dispute the necessary two-thirds of
the Senate it is quite possible that the proposed
September meeting may be called and that it
may result in Johnson's removal. He can
have it 80 if still resolved to fight out his policy
| against the consummated policy of Congress.
| Among the measures passed into laws during
the late session or part of a session are the
bill removing the internal revenue tax on cot
| ton, the bill declaring what shall constitute n
| quorum of the Supreme Court, and another bill
on the jurisdiction Of this court, the bill to pro-
vide for the security of equal rights (citizens
of African descen) in the District of Colum-
bia the regular and deficiency and a number
of extraordinary appropriation bills, the bill to
suspend further the reduction Of the currency,
the eight hour labor bill "a sop for buncombe),
several reconstruction and Southern State re-
storation bills, a Southern relief BILL several
whiskey bills, including the new whiskey and
tobacco tax bill, changing the tax on whskey,
among other things, from two dollars to fifty
| cents gallon and providing checks and safe
guards against whiskey frauds to the extent Of
several closely printed columns Of small type in
| the HERALD; also q bill in relation to taxing
shares in the national banks the bill to con-
| tinue the Freedmen's Bureau one year longer,
the manufacturers relief bill, several bills re-
moving political disabilities, and the bill exclud-
ing from the Electoral College those States
which shall not have been reorganized accord
ing 10 the terms imposed by Congress.
Among the bills falling through are those for
the reduction Of the army and providing sub
stantialy for arming the negroes of the South,
various tariff propositions and the general tax
bill OF Mr.. Schenck.
The budget OF the work done by this Con-
gress IL, perhaps, as good as could be reasona-
bly, expected, all things considered; but, while
IL leaves certain interests here and there par
tally relieved on the money question, 1t leaves
the people In the mass still grooming under
high taxes and high prices and an undimin-
ishcd and stil increasing national debt.
Again. while the proclamation of the four
teenth article Of the amendments 10 the consti-
tuition virtually settles the reconstruction and
the suffrage questions, the actual establish
ment Of universal negro suffrage in the recon-
st,ricted States under the extra reconstruction
laws OF Congress creates . confusion of facts
and IDEAS and a clashing Of races and parties
in the South under the pressure Of the Prcsi-
dental agitation which promises anything but
peace and harmony In the States restored.
North and South upon these two subjects
money question and Southern universal negro
suffrage ~ Il actually exists thcre IL grea.
enHsc.cra,s g'.lx Ca ia t,ie public mind.