The Portland daily press., 1872-03-11
THE PRESS.
Debate i'm the Senate and Work In the

The United States Senate is deservedly los
ing caste. Formerly if an enemy to demo-
cratic institutions wished to give point to his
denunciations, he described the personal con-
troversies, the unfruitful struggles and the
positive disorder which characterized the pop
ular branch of the national legislature But
now it is the Senate that would naturally at
tract the critics attention. Thirteen weeks
in session, and up to date hardly single act
of useful legislation! Senators have not done
enough for the country's good to pay even
the expense of the Globe, in filling the pages
of which they spend their entire time. The
House, through the extraordinary grace Of
Gen. Butler in curling his combativeness, has
been, during the present session, model as
sembly. 1t has attended strictly to business,
avoiding personal explanations and keeping
wonderfully clear of buncombe. 1t has pass
ed amnesty bills-but they have been killed
In the Senate after interminable debate. 1t
has passed bills of transcendent Importance
relating to education, but they have not been
acted upon by the Senate. 1t has repealed
some of the more obnoxious features in the
tariff, like the duties on coal and alt,-but
the Senate has quietly ignored them. The
House has made laws; the Senate has tried
In vain-to make several Presidents.
Nothing could more finely illustrate the diff
ference in the method of the two bodies than
their unlike treatment of the various schemes
of Investigation that have been set on foot
for the purpose of annoying the administra-
ton. Early in the session certain Senators
who want to succeed Gen. Grant did very
proper thing. Whatever the motives of those
Senators, it was most fitting that such sink
of corruption as the New York custom house,
should be thoroughly investigated. But no
sooner was the thing suggested than debate
began in the Senate which consumed not on
ly much valuable time but the patience ofthe
nation. As the full and fair investigation
which was finally ordered and which is now
in progress, has shown, Gen. Grant had moth
ing to fear and everything to gain from the
examination that was demanded. The only
effect of the tedious debate was to give the
impression-long since removed-that Ger
tain self-constituted representatives of the adj
ministration in the Senate feared to expose
the executive to the ordeal which his enc
mics had done him the favor to prepare for
him. Meanwhile the House, without max
ing any words about it, directed the Commit
tee on the expenditures of the Treasury De-
partment to make an investigation of the
transactions of Mr.. Boutwell, and his subor-
dinates. N..f
When the matter of the sale of arms to
France came up, the contrast was still more
striking The Senate, as usual, went on day
after day, and week after week, debating the
matter for the express purpose, evidently, of
enabling ambitious Senators to develop their
Presidential muscle. But one day the House,
without debate, ordered the Committee ON
the expenditures of tho War Department to
enter at once upon an examination of the mat
ter in dispute. This was truly brilliant
stroke Of business ON the part of the House,
and the people of this Congressional district
have reason to congratulate themselves that
it was their representative who in case of
both the Treasury and War departments
moved the Investigations that were promptly
ordered by the House. There is something
of Gen. Grants own directness of purpose
and horror of circumlocution in the action of
the House. The cheerful welcome and prac-
tical effect given by that body to all move
ments for investigation have done infinitely
more for the good repute of the administra-
ton and for the encouragement of its friends
than the labored Senatorial defenses to
which the country has SO unwillingly listen
ed. - ID