Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1871-12-02
Congress.


Coming sessions of Congress are
s'most invariably expected to accom-
piish some grand results Of political,
commercial, financial, or of foreign
importance. In the progress of gov
eminent, many serious problems,
growing out of a wide diversity of
.n,rrests, necessarily demand urgent
aolution. Manufacturers, producers
and consumers, it may he, chafe and
groan under some real or imaginary
burdens, and, most likely, the cry
for protection which emanatcs from
the ono is answered by howl OF
oppression from the other.
notwithstanding the manifest i'm
possibility Of completely and salts
tactorily adjusting these differences,
oar National Legislature. for many
years, has often either left its work
un lone, If it has paid any attention
to these important subjects at ALL
What is worse, too much attention
has frequently been given to matters
IF less moment. The consequence
is, while not much may be charged
bic to individual members, aggre
gately. they somehow too often re-
iurn to disappointed, if not Disguised
constituencies.
A correspondent of New York
paper. recently writing from Wash
i.,gton with reference to the session
which commences on Monday, says ::
That the more our business men
have expected Of Congress, the less
they have received, has been their
experience for several years past, and
sometimes it occurs to your cores
pendent, who has been careful OBJ
server here, that the rule will not be
materially changed at this session,
congressman have promised or tall =
ai OF intentions to reduce the bur-
dcns of taxation every time they
have met since the war. And when
at last they did reduce the revenue,
they did it by process of shearing
the lambs and adjusting blankets on
the wethcrs and rams. till the weak
child frozc and the tough adult was
nmothercd. Look at your merchant
marine and your coppcr.smelting
works The former was taxed off
the sea, the latter industry was pro-
;ected to death. Our shipyards are
lille, and Johns Hopkins, of Balli-
more, smelts no more copper. These
are only examples of innumcrablc
ether industries now dead"
Reflection upon these sad results,
however depressing as Judging the
future by the past, is set off by the
pleasing assurance that, This time,
1--WE arc promised. in a way that
seems to mean business, by those
whose efforts could carry ont their
promise, that at this session of Con-
grcss the revenues Of the country
will be reduced $50,O0O,O 900 per an
mum. They propose to do it by re
moving nearly all the taxes OH inter
nal affairs except those on distilled
spirits, malt liquors and tobacco
The Senate committee on finance
have seen fit to inaugura:e the work
They met a few days ago and com
mcnced consideration of the coal and
salt bill, which passed the House
near the end Of last session and went
"rer by reason of non-action upon it
by the Senate. They have made up
their minds that the bill or bills which
contemplate the taking off the duty
from those articles will furnish an
ample basis for action to avoid the
constitutional objection to the origi
Lation of revenue bills in the Senate.
lmay add for certainty, as com.
ing from three members of the com
nittce, that the committee on finance
that up to January they will devote
their entire attention to the examina-
ton of revenue laws and the prepa-
ration of revenue BILL" &c.
1t were pity prospect SO prom
iAing for business should be spoilt by
an interview of another New York
correspondent with General BUTLER,
who. in reply to the interrogatory,
What will Congress do this winter?"
sail, "the most of their time will be
spent in Prcsident,making."
another long strike is being pre-
pared for in the coal regions of Penn
syivania. The compromise which ter
minated the strike of last winter and
spring fixed the price to be paid per
ear at ninety-three cents until the
LIST of January, 1872. 1t is an
nounced the capitalists will then rc.
fuse to pay more than eighty, and