Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1870-05-12
sNUBBING THE EXECUTIVE
How Congress Has Treated the Re-
Communications i'm the Presidents
Mcssage-AbsOlute Indifference to
Executive Communications.


How Congress Has Treated the Re-
Communications i'm the Presidents
| mcssage-AbsOlute Indifference TO
| Executive Communications.
Correspondence Of the New York World.
| WASHINGTON, May TT is now some
five months since the President sent in
his annual message to Congress, in which
his own party friends had a majority of
three-fourths in the Senate and over two
thirds in the House of Representative,
the last, however, secured by fraudulent
exclusions of Democratic members. 1t
may now be as well to take glance at
the recommendations of that message,
and to see how far its wisdom has been
appreciated by Congress.
The first recommendation is that law
be passed authorizing the Governor of
Georgia to convene the members origi-
nally elected to the Legislature, requiring
each member to take the oath prescribed
by the reconstru etion acts, and none TO be
admitted who are ineligible under the
third clause of the fourteenth amend
ment. This suggestion has not satisfied
the Radical Congress. An oath yet more
stringent was devised, members were ex-
cluded who were eligible under the four
teenth amendment, and number of va
.cancies in this body have been filed by
defeated candidates. The message served
not to regulate, but to start, the ball of
revolution and violence, and the Williams
scheme, which secured the votes of most
of the Senate Radicals, involved a direct
subyersien of the Georgia constitution and
the prolongation of the present Legisla-
ture for two years after the expiration of
their official terms.
On the subject of the decline of Amer
lean commerce the President promised a
special message. This has gone in with
flourish of trumpets, yet neither House
has passed bill to carry out its sugges-
tons.
On the question of admitting Virginia
the President stated that the Legislature
had met and done all required by the
| joint resolution of 1869 and "by all the
reconstruction acts of Congress, and alb
stained from all doubtful authority. I"
| The President, therefore, recommended
| the admission of her Senators and repre-
sentatives, and that the State be fully re-
| stored to its place in the family of States.
Instead of this, Congress higgled for
| many weeks over the subject of admis-
sion, and finally wound up by requiring
certain fIndament conditions which are
not required of the other States in the
| Union.
The States OF Texas and Mississippi
were admitted in q manner equally in
disregard of the Presidents suggestions.
The President enlarged greatly on the
subject of specie payments, and recon-
mended such legislation as would insure a
| gradual return to specie payments and put
an immediate stop to fluctuatiOn in the
value of the currency. It is needless to
say that Congress has paid no respect to
this suggestion.
In the matter of fluctuations in gold,
the President ''saw but one way" and
that was to 'authorize the Treasury to
redeem its own paper at a fixed price
when presented, and to withhold from
circulation all currency 80 redeemed until
sold again for gold" This precious
scheme of the government shaving its
own paper has been laughed at by every
| body IN and out OF Congress.
On the subject of funding the debt the
| President made a recommendation to
authorize conversion of present bond into
bond at lower rate of interest. 1t is
too soon to say what will or will not be
done on this topic, but so far the Presi-
dents views have not been carried into
law, and his suggestion of paying the in
1 in NJ Ia NJ
Europe" was kicked out of the Senate.
The topic of all others most vital to the
people of the country is the reduction OF
the tariff and other taxes. The President
was compelled to admit the revenue was
largely in excess of the necessities of the
government, but he recommended the
'1postponemCnt for the present" of any
reductions. This cruel policy was at first
shouldered by the Republicans in Con
gress, but the manifestations of popular
displeasure became so great that even the
Ways and Means Committee, which was
packed by Mr.. Speaker Blaine in the in
terest of the protecticnists, began to sec
that some concession was necessary, anC
have gone on yielding day by day to the
demands of the Democratic members, IN.
til now, for six weeks, the House has beer
giving IFS whole time to bill directly II
the teeth of President Grants recon
mendation. Ia the Senate the Finance
Committee have shown equal contempt
for the message, by proposing to take of
three millions from the internal taxes
alone. This is triumph of the Demo
cratic party, and an emphatic rebukc OF
the newly-rich Gen. Grant.
The President also advised a rene va
of the income tax at three per cent fol
three years. Congress has not yet finally
acted, but the manifestations of senti
ment in the Senate are strongly against
keeping up the tax at any rate. This is
the result of public pressure, but it is
none the less a rebuke to President Grant.
The suggestion of doing something tc
elevate Mr.. Delano and his Office wa:
probably not remembered by Congress fol
two DAYS after the message was read
Mr.. Delano is considered dear at any
| price.
The Alabama claims were not made
the subject of any recommendation, bu
of report merely. The President ha:
done nothing, and, of course, anybody
else could have done as much.
The suggestion of some arrangement.
for the regulation of commercial inter
course between the United States and tn,
dominion of Canada, has not been adopt
ed by Congress.
The recommendation of legislation t.
protect the rights of the citizens of tn,
United States, as well as the dignity ant
sovereignty of the nation against assump
lions by foreign powers in the matter o.
ocean cables, has not been followed By
any law, and Congress, on this topic, ar
quite Indifferent to the opinion of tn
government.
The position taken up in support o
the Russian demands that her hemp shal
not be taxed higher that MANILA was re
pudiated, after sharp contest, by tn
House of Representatives.
The request for legislation in respect Il
the transportation of coolies has not beef
complied with.
The request of the President to hsv
the Tenure of Office law repealed-ap oin