Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1872-05-09
Our Washington Letter.
SENATE CHAMBER.
WASHINGTON, D. c., MAY

One of the first transactions of the
Senate, during the past week, was to
amend the rules in manner tending to
| limit debate upon amendments to apprO-
| priation bills to five minutes, and other
wise to facilitate legislation The SEN
ate has no previous question-no gag of
any kind known to its:rules The only
| limit to debate is senatorial discretion,
good sense, propriety, and the fitness of
all things on all occasions. This is gen.
orally all the safeguard needed but at
times is susceptible of over indulgence.
There are twenty-four hours in a day
choice bit of information by the way
and seventy-four Senators in the Senate
! If the Senate was to sit continuously
this would give each Senator less than
twenty minutes day to engrOss the Sen
ate; but the Senate does not sit half
the time, which brings the average to
less than ten minutes apiece. OF course
great many rarely ever take up mo-
ment's time, but then it is so easy for
| others to talk ten minutes or half an
hour upon anything or nothing, and the
limitations are so great that many 9th
ers spin out long columns in the Globe,
that are neither warp or filing in the
web Of histOry-at best but poor shOddy
| and flax. 1t is not uncommon to see as
much time employed in discussing which
of two measures to take up as it would
require to pass both. In this we impugn
the motives of none 1t is but the nat
ural result of so large body with rules
/ giving the conduct of each, in this res
pect, into their own keeping, and the
only wonder is that there is no more cry
| ing demand for rules to choke off de-
| bate.
This move would seem to indicate
| that the Senate mean to do its work and
get out of the way. Many things de-
mand this. The hot summer, trying to
the souls and bodies of men, is upon US,
and members are doubtless anxious to
HE them home to the cole retreats of
| their country homes and the warm en-
! braces of their constituents. They may
| be useful there; they can do little or
nothing here in July, nor do that little
well. The rule retrenching debate was
strenuOusly opposed by some as favor
able to jobs.
The Court of Claims amendment Of
fered by Mr. Morrill,, mentioned in last
weeks issue, was, on Tuesday, taken
from the table and passed. The motion
to reconsider was tied, the vote being
twenty-six for and against, but it was
taken up by the Vice-President's voting
in the affirmative The amendment
was then cOncurrcd in by first being tied
in the same knot and then cut by the
Nice-President, as aforesaid On We'd
nesday the Senate disposed of the Naval
Appropriation Bill, and its last few hours
in the Senate was of most stormy ma
ture. The administration of the Navy
Department wass attacked and defended in
a manner which left the impression that
the exact truth-if such thing was de-
sired on its merits al0ne--wOuld be
| found somewhere between the two
sides
On the day following Cameron called
up the bill authorizing our diplomatic
and consular officers in France to receive
testimonials from the Emperor of Ger
! many, on account of their services to
| German subjects during the war. This
was an opportunity not to be let slip by
Sumner, and his familiar echoes soon rang
ont with telling effect against what he
pronounced a most ''viciOuS. vicious
proposition And Sumner is right as
usual. We have found it necessary to
enact laws preventing officials, both in
diplomatic and home service. from re-
ceiving presents, because Of their cor
rupting influence Allow an officer of
E
| Treasury, to accept presents, and he
could retire at the end Of four years with
hundreds of thousands in presents and
one thing is obvious, and that is that
people making such presents are sharp
enough to get their money back and
more too some way. To pass such laws
is to lcgaize tampering and corruption.
The proposition looks bad on the
face of it. If King William desires to
make presents to our COnsuls in France,
it is evidently in view of special favOrs
past or prospective. Our government
can not afford to throw its representa-.
tives into market, or stake its honor
upon any such completely. As neutras
they have solemn dutics-dutes which
faithfully performed bring their own
reward. Our Consular officers are poor
" paid it is true We ought to Dav
them better, bat if we don't we ought
not to add temptation to poverty by per
hitting other nations to suhsidize them
with testimonials and presents. Sum
ner's opposition prevented consideration
of the bill for the time being, but it still
lays upon the table to be taken up and
passed on some Opportune occasion.
Friday brought an uneasy, active day
everywhere The Senate had under
consideration the post office apprOpria-
ton bill. and an amendment TO INCREASE
the Pacific Mail Steamship subsidy, to
one million dollars annually, doubling
the present amount paid. When the !
same was attempted in the House the
great CommOners. red hot from the peO-
pie in n spasinOdic fit of reform. cut off |
all Subsidy. The proposition is main
tanned as the only eXpediency by which !
American ships can compete with for |
eign in AsiatiC commerce. It is opposed |
as Uriag precedent to a system OF sub |
sides in the Great which viii sap thu |
Treasury. D0ctnrs equally eminent and !
honest di-3Ere> upon il, The Dcma- /
Gratis used tha five minutes TO the best |
possible advantage upon it. Times |
would have been liv ly upon it but inst |
then news from Cincinnati began to |
beat ia and even mar the effect of Senq- |
tors precious FIVE minutes. Telegra j
after telegram came in and with each /.
excitement ran higher. The presiding |
officer stopped pounding the desk mo-
ment to get breath. we suppose, when
Mr. Cassidy. who had been vainlv strug- |
Cling to hp heard, moved an ali0nrmnnt |
unit! III" Cincinnati Convention. This |
alaycd the fovgra iittlt. debate went on. /
a Inv