The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-12-06
CouGRESs IN SESSION AGAIN

CONGRESS IN SESSION AGAIN
THE second session of the Forty-6rst Congress
began at noon to-day, and, as both houses are
already fully organized, there is no impedi-
ment to the immediate resumption of bust
ness. II is generally understood, however,
that but little will be accomplished until after
the customary Christmas recess, and the in
terval between the present and the beginning
of the new year will doubtless be devoted to
committee work. a general comparison of
notes, buncombe speeches, and careful con-
sideration of the claims of the lobby. But
when the great legislative mill gets fairly
under way the indications are that there
will be lively time and a very heavy grist.
If Congress should devote its whole time to
the consideration of the measures proposed at
the brief session of about three weeks held
Immediately after the Inauguration of Presi-
dent Grant, it would be fully employed until
the close of the present term. During the
few days of the spring session over three
hundred bills and about twenty joint resolu-
tions were presented in the Senate; while in
the House there were presented four hundred
and twenty-one bills and over sixty joint reso-
lutions, making total of about eight hun
dred measures which are now pending. Early
in the session just commencing it is probable
that quite as many new measures will be pre-
sented, and from this immense mass of en-
bryo legislation must be selected the COM
paratively few propositions which will succeed
in running the gauntlet of both houses.
The question that will probably receive the
earliest definite action is that pertaining to
reconstruction. This great work is happily
approaching completion. Virginia, Mssis-
sippi, and Texas, the three States which alone
were mrepresented at the spring session,
have held their elections during the recess,
and in each of them the Congressional policy
has received an overwhelming endorsement,
although in Virginia, and probably in Texas,
also, the so-called radical tickets have sus-
tanned defeat. Yet in all three of these
States the elections were conducted with as
much fairness as could be expected, even if not
with as much as could be desired, and there
is no substantial reason why they should not
be at once fully restored to all their relations
to the Union and their legal representation in
Congress. But while Virginia. Mississippi,
and Texas will doubtless be at once remanded
to their former positions in the sisterhood of
States, aserious attempt will be made at tleast,t to
unsettle the present status of Georgia. 1t is
unquestionable that the so-called Democracyof
this State have acted in bad faith and taken
advantage of the first opportunity which was
presented to inaugurate reactionary policy.
If the faithless demagogues who have gotten
the upper hand can be brought by Congress
to sense of their duty, without a general
1f ,1olo
cess in this State, it will be well; but if the
dominant party in Georgia should prove re-
fractory, it will become serious question as
to whether or not it is the duty of Congress
to counteract their intrigues by unseating
their delegations and compelling them to go
through the ceremony of reconstruction a
second time. This would certainly be the
surest and quickest way of bringing the
Georgia Democracy to their senses, but it
should be resorted to only after every other
device has failed
Desirable as is the complete restoration of
all the Southern States to their representa-
tion in Congress- the financial problem which
our National Legislature will be called upon
to solve is one of even greater Importance to
the country at large. Congress will go about
this serious task under most favorable
auspices. much healthier feeling now per-
vades financial circles than at any time since
the outbreak of the war, mainly in conse-
quence of the large reduction in the national
debt, which has been brought about by the
wise policy of the President and his Secretary
of the Treasury. The financial problem that
will engage the attention of Congress will
assume several aspects. Primarily will arise
the question of funding of the debt, as the
only possible method of securing uniformity
in the character of our obligations, and low
ering of the rate of interest paid by the Gov
ernment. A determined fort will be made by
the visionary element in both houses to hinder
the solution of the great financial problem
by clamoring for an immediate or early re-
sumption of specie payments, without re-
gard to the necessities of business. But
with both the President and the Secretary of
the Treasury in opposition, it probable that
the only mischief they will be able to acom-
plish will be consumption of the time of
Congress, and fostering of the feeling of
uncertainty which serves as a stronghold for
the reckless speculating element throughout
the country. A redistribution of banking
facilities, or their material increase for the
especial benefit of the South aud West,