New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1871-02-21
THE APPROACHING END OF THE Mist
CONGRESS.
AN UNEvENTFUL sESSION-NO IMPORTANT LEGls'
LA1ION ADOPTED-CAUsE OF TIE PREVAIL
ING DULLNESS.

AN UNEvENTFUL sEsSION-NO IMPORTANT LEGIs-
LA1ION ADOPTED-CAUsE OF TIE PREVAIL
ING DULLNESS.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 1.-THE XLIst Congress
is almost it's close. If that body deserves any praise
for the work Of the present session IL is account OF
what it has done rather than for anything accom-
piSled has been q yirtuous session if not valuable
one Not single one Of the scores Of schemes open aud
covert for enrcbng individuals and corporations at tie
expense Of The public treasury and the public domain,
has been successful, and the bacd lobby is i'll despair
Tue the virtue shown has been Of negative kind and
has consisted in TcEolutey voting upon al suspicious
measures. There never session characterized by
such dearh of ideas. Not a single important measure
OF now legislation has been adopted, and excepting the
debate upon the San Domingo resolutions, and perhaps
q few 50, coAcs upon Mr. UOar's Educational bill, there
has been discussion Of questions OF great hal"hai
interest The usual quantity of minor legislation Los
been ground out IN duh, mechanical way ana the
annual appropriation bills, which generally occasion
long and animated debate, 20 through almost as fast as
the clerk can read them The questions prominent IN tho
public mind have scarcely been touched upon No CNI
Service reform bill has been passed or discussed No'HS
las been done toward the resumption OF specie
Tho Frarling abuse continues undistuitcd. No Nc"
economic reforms have been devised No repeal OF the
uuvslraltable Income tax has been accomplished II
has been noEOtouous and almost cYeutcsS session. IN
which 10 now regulations have been made or new lutcr
added TO oil ones, the heroes Of former parliamentary
IL
inc ol tie new Congress before flaming fresh camphgns
Tho Guuoss Of the session is partly accounted for ny
the fact that an unusually large number Of members OF
both Houses are not Elected TO the incoming Congress-
Eighteen Senators and 121 Representatives leave Their
seats tho 4th of March 20 make room tor now men,
of these gentlemen, from force Of habit Keep u 10
the last THEN interest in tie daily proceedings ana VIII
he found with bin H. hand or speech lip trying to
catch the Speakers oyc,up TO the very moment when
the stroke OF the glvel ends their Congress career;
hut the great majority have ceased to care
for the Irregular order" the "ihorlihs hour"
unanimous consent" privileged qucs tons slsi en-
sion Of the rules especial ORDERS or any Of the argon
OF LEGISLATION They are absent much Of the time, and
often If i'll their seats viii not take tho trouble TO vote
| These men Who have tie power 10 make laws lor
4COoOO Of people LOOK forward with no pleasure 10 the
DAY. so rear ut hand when they must drop back into the
ranks Of private ctzenc and those OF them VINO belong
to he dominant party almost to man hope to persuade
tie President That their services to the country can
| not wen te dispensed with, and ought TO
be continued by an appointment to some once.
Their ambition is great, hut rather than lose
al hold upon public life, they viii accept hepctyp places
Which, in their day Of power, they procured Tor others
There are holding small clerAsps il the Depart
mouts in Washington vino were formerly IN Congress-
and it is related that cxmcmber applied for the
Cerkshp Of Committee of the House Of which hc lad
years before Chairman. Others drop into Collector
ships Postmaster hips, COusulacs, &c, while the FOR
tuuate few get the larger prizes OF Foreign Missions
Judgcships GoyeInOrshps Of Territories or fat Custom
House places
While the outgoing members lounge In the smoking
rooms with listlcss air pass tier tine in getting
signatures to recommendations for the appointments
they covet, and in bringing "nluence" to bear upon
The dispenser OF patronage, the more fortunate mem
bors who Of the right to represent the people
for two years longer doing little work as possible,
enjoying the social diversions which abound at this
season and putting TO the Congress all matters
that call for hard thinking, and all questions upon
which they not sure they know the temper
Of the public mind. II is easy and safe 10 wait
and see from which quarter the popular wind viii blow
and in which direction the current Will run before trying
any new ventures the sea OF politics. 1t Is easy
therefore why the session j. dun. Han the
House doesn't 10 DO anything, and the other haf
doesn't want 10 do an! thing. so the ses-On Will drag
along 10 its close with little accomplished beyond the
routine work Of passing the appropriation bills; and those
innocent people who sim imagine that the world can DC
reformed by statute legislation, VIII again DE dsap-
pointed to find how little the XLIst Congress has done in
n roc