The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1869-02-15
The jealousy Of the Houses.

If The Jealousy Of the Houses.
The New York Times takes the occasion
Of the recent angry congressional storm to
allude to that jealousy between the two
Houses on which we have recently COM
mented. But while abiding to this extra
ordinary attitude OF the Houses towards
each other, 1t plumhs the track of the
moderados." or GRANT party, by object
ing to Buffers ferocious rebellion against
the plain provisions Of the Constitution and
of the rules which made the decisions Of the
President of the Senate final. With this
explanation, due to the Times, We quote
what 1t says on the jealousy branch OF the
recent congressional unpleasantneFs
But General BUFFERS movement, AS
against the Senate, is by no means with
" out significance. It indicates grooming
/" Impotence Of the pretenSions Of the Sen
" ote to supreme control in the Government.
" These pretensions are shown in its claims
At to executive power, to control over ap-
pointments and removals of all executive
" officers, to initiate as well as ratify trea-
|" ties, to the entire direction of all matters
" involving our relations with foreign Pow
" era. and to the primary and paramount
authority in ali affairs of domestic ]eGis-
"lation. Senator SUMNER. we believe. has
"said In 30 many words that the Senate is
''he Government; and that body seems by
cts action inclined to make the declaration
"good. General BUTLER is disposed TO re-
"sist these pretensons, and the House has
"thus far given reason to believe that it
twill stand by him in go doing. 1t voted
''by very large majority to repeal the
"tenure- of office bill and again on We'd
"nesday it voted, In face of the joint reso-
" luton and Of the Senate, that the vote of
Georgia should not be counted. The
"Senste will be wise enough, we hope, to
"avoid such controversy by abating
something Of the pretensions out of which
{" it seems likely to grow"
The controversy" is somewhat abated
by the tabling of BEN F's resolutions
against BEN and the Senate in the House
on Friday. There was no other course left
to the House. Whatever might have been
Its feelings, the quarrel over such matter as
counting the votes for President and Vice
President" would not suffice for their pront-
able indulgence. So representatives did not
choose to provoke the Senate on that point
Being content with the debate and the op'
portunity it afforded for "unbottling the
"pent-up wrath" Of members, it quashed
the proceeding. OF course the Senate will
have nothing further to say, and MIR. GAR
RErr DAv1s's resolution will be allowed te
sleep and ultimately form a part of the &C.
cumulated mass of legislatorial remains
which have been styled by distinguished
yirginian heterogeneous material"
Il would be an incomplete history Of the
angry storm that did not convey some &C
count Of the view that philosopher GREE,
LEY took Of it. Judging from his paper
we may suppose it took him by surprise
and he did not know exactly what to make
Of il. He was like the man in fight who
was hit by rock. 1t was 80 great sur.
prise and so much out Of the order of gen
tesl fighting in his part of the world that
he paused in the struggle to announce the
faot that he had been shit by rock 5"
GREELEY on the first day declared that
WADE was in deeper water than was good
for him. Yet he accorded to him the
credit of substantially enforcing "the rule
concerning Georgia adopted by the con.
"current vote Of the two Houses few days
"ago." "That rule" says the Tribune
"as he (WADE) himself tersely put it, was
that if the vote of the State of Georgia did
"not alter the result of the election i,
Knight be counted, and if it did alter the
"result it was not to be counted. The
"whole affair is Of slight Importance so ia,
Gas the present case is concerned, but Of
"too grave import as precedent to be lef,
"in its present ose-jointed state"
The next day, Friday, deemipg that he
had gone too far in justifying WADE, the
Tribune declares that "what may have
"been the merits or dement's of Senator
"ADE's droA performances, save as estab.
fishing precedent, seems to US o matter
OF the least possible Importance" And
the philosopher proceeds to take down Bur.
LER thus: " For the rest. those who wish
{" to see just how forcible an honorable car
I" be, on provocation, may look at tie re
"port Of such congressional debate a.
as That's the meanest act l ever saw an,
"msn do and the numerous similar argu
"menss that illumine the proceedings Of the
House" So that HORACE cries out, "a
plague on both your houses"
Our own opinion lis that, in the view of the