The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-02-22

Congress Yesterday-senatorial Garrulous-
ness-The French Arms Dcbate-The Mis-
sion to Russia-Tho Tariff.
The Senate con inues to be the arena for Q
war of words, and garrulousness reigns there
as the besetting sin Of Senators. Summers
resolution Of inquiry about the sale Of arms to
France should never have been offered, OF,
being offered, it sho uld have been adopted with
out discussion. Instead Of that, however, 1t has
already occupied nearly as much time as Sum-
ner's famous Supplem entary Civil Rights bill /;
and, outside of these two miserable PROPOSE
tons, the Senate has attended to hardly any
thing else since It met in December. The de-
bate, however, draws crowded galleries, and
the vanity of the Senatorial athletes is thus
gratiied. Schurz, Of Missouri, had all the
honors on Tue sday; Morton, Of Indiana, was
the star performer yesterday. We do not
care to criticise his performance in detail He
arraigned Schurz and Trumbull for infidelity
to the republican party, and warned them
that they would be absorbed into the demo-
cratic party. The mountain would not 60 to
Mohammed, but Mohammed would have to go
to the mountain, so they, ''the liberals, |"
would find themselves dissolved in the demo-
cratic party, like flies in vinegar. As to the
resolution ITSELF he said that its carcas lay
exposed to the public gaze. exhaling the most
unwholesome odors. OF course, he was not
allowed to say all this without frequent inter-
ruptions from Schurz and Trumbull, who
oil iyv&oI hot In for osUn
reform and the investigation of the New York
Custom House frauds they were more in
line with the administration and the republi-
can party than Morton was in opposing all
these measures. Edmunds and Conkling
ranged themselves alongside of Morton,
forming what Upton irreverently calls the
s'single-barrelled triumvirate." while Sumner
came to the aid of Schurz and Trumbull.
Conkling twitted Sumner upon his pedantry,
and Schurz upon his mock heroism; to which
the latter retorted by asking pardon if he had
ever encroached on Conkling's exclusive
privilege of strutting and boasting. When
the days performance was over the Senate
went into executive session, and then ad-
journed over till tomorrow in honor of Wash
ington's Birthday.
Before the rising Of the curtain, however,
matter of much more interest to the people
than the personal chickering's of Senators oc-
Cured. Mr.. Sherman, from the Finance
Committee, reported back the House bill of
last session removing the duty on salt, with
amendments covering all the matters of tariff
reform which that committee is disposed to
recommend. 1t includes the reduction of the
duty on tea to ten cents pound, on coffee
to two cents, with various measures of reduc-
ton on coal, salt, rice, hides and skins, laths,
shingles, cottons, woods, silks, iron and steel,
earthenware, iron and India rubber. The bill
was made the special order for the 18th of
March next. In the meantime there is little
chance of action on the House bill passed last
Monday repeating the duties on tea and coffee.
The House went to work in practical
manner yesterday, and disposed Of the bust
ness before it in good style. The Civil
for four weeks hence; resolution was
adopted calling for information as to the
criminal prosecution of the Mormons; bill
was passed for the remission of the tax on
spirits consumed in the great Chicago fire.
The Consular and Diplomatic Appropriation
bill was put through the Committee of the
Whole after discussion on a proposition to
place the mission to Russia in the rank of
first class missions. The motion was made by
Mr.. Banks, and was carried by an immense
majority. the principal opposition to Il coming
from an Indiana democrat, Mr.. Holman, who
lavished denunciation against Russia as "a
hoary-headed despotism." The discussion
involved the question of war with England
and the pro liability of our finding powerful
ally in Russia. The mission to Japan has
also been advanced in the class of missions,
and the Central American missions consoli-
dated into one, to be located in Nicaragua.
The bill and amendments will come before
the House for final action to- morrow, to which
day both Houses have adjourned.