New-York tribune., 1870-04-22
WHAT CONGRESS HAS TO DO.
FOUR MONTHS or TALK-JTTLB ACCOMPLISHED
AND MUCH To DO-rHE BuslNlsoo hhf"i'N
THE HOUSE COMMITTEES.

noriod I'm tbo ses,ion Old memltIs say that never IN
their experience has much time been spent 20 10 o
purpose. More than four months oi inc s'Ssl"Ii H'o
gone and scarcely dozen inn ortant legislative meas
urcs have a sumed the shape Of laws Only Two ol u"
10 regular appropriation bills passed and nota s'o
one of the leading bills pending Is III thGt 'o VI
r3rdues, that would warrant pfedlctloh d" w "'
II will be completed Tie difficulty can bc Saled ia oo
word-.alk Not debate, or oratory or Speeoh'n'Ai"s
hut ,i,,py taxa weak wash of words pouring out DAY
after day and week after week, on every possible oc'
10, aud op every ina ginable topic. Tao Senate long
famous for carruy ia now fairly riValed D! no "uo
What little business IS done Is disposed ol ID tho morn
ing hour" hu1icdy and without debate, on lhe i'S'
oxrlanatous of chairman of committees III "i0 i0
naming three or four hours of the days session. oeca
,opav bi gets through aforit has been almost tahed
IA death ut This il but seldom The whole TIME Is usu
oy epent I'm rutCSs debate IL has not bceh o"ns W
lack of work do that so little has Ieen accompsheo
Plenty Of business has been blocked out In tio sea'o
III bills and IO7 joint resolutions have leon ttoduceu
during the present session, and in tho House ljl2 bs
and 69 iont resolutions, making grand totaI OF 2l4'
legislative measures proposed in Congress since tue
meeting December. In view Of this Infinite deai oi
promise the actual performance appears quite lncohso
erabe only 81 bills and joint resolutions nave pS.e"
and of these only about a dozen cen be SAID 10 Dc
Of any general interest importance TO the country at
large All the affect local or private interests ana
belong to the class bills that pass matter OF routine
business in the morning hour, they are reported from
the various committees .
60 much time has been frtcred away in idle, vapih
talk that the committees have been able 10 report
but a small part OF tho business thew nave na'urcu
Most of the House Committees have been "oahed nut
once this session, and have consequently hsd hut TWO
bours time zach to make their reports in II the COM
mtees had the opportunity 10 report all tho measures
they have already agreed upon, and the House Weo 10
take action thoir reports at least SIX months OF hao
work would be required. have taken some pans 10
,oef fI,oI I,urip Of
porant committees OF the House, and find that the
omount of work they have on hand Is unprecc-
dentedly large and that tho prospect OF geltIS the
House TO dispose of any reasonable proportion OF Is
dscouraglngy small
The Committee on Elections have yet 90 contested olec
ton cases udsposed o. -Four cases have been reported
and six moro viii 10 ready for report with ten days
Inasmuoh as the House takes from one TO two days tn
debate each case month will bo required to dispose OF
this one subject Of contested seats THO committee 90
not however expect to be able TO report on AL tie r%
mainug cases this session though theyare making mu'h
more rapid progress since the adoption Of the new rule
giving to sub committees OF three members tach power
TO hear and report upon cases.
The Committee Appropriations have their work
wei along and it is from 10 Lack Of effort ON thoir part
that tie HOasc has been datory in acting upon H.
The Military Academy and General Deficiency AppIo-
priaton Bills have passed both Houses The Naval Con-
srlar and Diplomatic, and Po5t-Onlco Bls have been
reported to the House. and pashed OF by the Ialf
Bill Tie legislative Executive, and Judicial BIZ, and
the Pension Bl are pending in the Senate The Army,
sundry Civil Expenses River and llarbor ForlhcaOns,
and Ind an Bills stl in Committee, and could be ie-
porod at If the House ready TO take them up
The Committee of Ways and Means expect to get tho
Tariff Bill through the House 10y the middle OF next
week Tie Internal Tax Bill, already completed by the
Committee is the next special order, and it will tahc two
or three weeks to dispose o H. but the necessity of pas
sing the appropriation bills win probably put this bill
over until very the end Of the session. OF the forty
or fifty other bills before the COmmittce many are
covered by the Tax Bi and few, If any. of the others
viii be reached this session, except the Finding Bill
upon which the Committee is now working, .ud WL4th
they expect to report within a fortnight.
The Committee Banking and Currency have done
nothing since they made their report on tho Gold panic
They have not The courage TO 4ke np he question m OF
tic Finding Bill to lc, they appear TO think thoir oc-
Tie Committee Of Claims havo roo cases on their
docket 2iG Of which they have reported upon. lie
House has passed bills in Il Of thee ca4cs which com
prise nearly all III which the Committee recommended
Toier.
TIE Committee on the Judiciary have work enough TO
occupy TIE House full month ii they had an oppor-
this session in the HOG-e ari fear they viii not be
reached ali in Ire cal OF c@lamiiees Mheh Ht theh
Amendment, t0ameud e naturalization laws, to change
IudclaI districts and the Times and places of holding
Courts to decide contests in the Electoral College, to
give admiralty jurisdiction TO certain state Courts, 10
provide for collecting the claims OF the Government
aganst Southern railroads. To settle titles TO largo tracts
OF land In California and New Mexico, &c
The Comm ttee Public Lands have more than 90
bills before them making grants OF land TO railroads.
roads canals river Improvements, and for great
mttet have decided to report fayorably, their policy
being make grants to all legitimate enterprises de
sigcd To develop the West Probably not oneonrth of
the they have agreed upon Will ever set before
the House. for lack Of time
The Committee on Invalid Pensions have reported and
passed about 40 bills this session. aud have about 700 on
provided by general hill extending to ten years the
time applications to he made for pensions This Com
business by the House toward the end OF the session.
aud is thus enabled to work of most Of its bills.
The Committee on Military Affairs has about 300 bills
, @ NJ S'eraI iotoo Of rGnsideTabe import
ance and great many claims Of officers and soldiers for
pay and bounty and for relief from erroneous charges
of dcsCron. bill consolidating and relieving the staff
corps is important subject before them.
The Committee on Naval Affairs have accomplished
Ju little this session. They have not touched the cues
tion of the reduction Of the number Of naval officers
which Is out OF all proportion to the needs of the service
chiefly in discussing the relative rank OF staff and line
officers coming in legislative parlance, TO no resolution
The Committee the District Of Columbia have yet TO
report on te proposed change OF ior te DIS
much miscellaneous business affecting local interests
The Committee on Commerce have their hands full in
the various bills establishing and sul-idzing steamship
lines now before them and have business enough 10
cupy the House for week at lcast
The Select Committee on the causes of the Reduction
OF American Iunnage will not be able to pass any meas
without long debate there being wide difference OF
opinion in the House the proper for restoring
The Committee on Territories are waiting opnor-
tmy to get In their bill TO make New Mexico a State
and have besides variety Of other business prepared.
The Committee on Railways aud Canals, beside the
bill for Air Line Road To New York. which is pending
in the House, have about twenty other bills 10 report
upon-anong them the Niagara Ship Canal BIZ, bin in
corpora ing company TO build railroad from Wash
EGtOn 10 tho Schuylki another for canal from Wash
ingon 10 Chesapeake Bay and several giving charters
TO bridge Western rivers.
The Committee on Pacific Railroads have the big Trans
continental Railroad scheme TO report, and number of
other matters that tho House will be to quarrel
The Committee on The Revision of the laws is en-