Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1874-03-06


months, but has as yet really done very
little. This, however is never a reproach,
unless there arc thinas that ought to be
done, for the fault of Legislative bodies Is
passing too many Ia VS. rather than too few.
The great subject of the winter is finance,
and hasty financial logislati III is very much
worse than none. Moreover, under our
system delays are more to be expected, be-
cause measures are initiated by members
and committees OF Congress, not, as in
England, by the Administration. II is the
English custom for the minister's who arc
committee in perpetual session, TO meet
Parliament with measures carefully pre-
pared. But there is nothing like that at the
opening of Congress, for the President and
Secretaries merely express their opinions,
and make individual recommendations,
which do not involve their continuance in
office. Congress may disregard or reject ev-
cry proposition Of the Administration, but
nothing happens. In England, however, If
the measures of the ministry are defeated,
the Administration retires. It was TO DO
expected therefore, that some weeks, or
even months, would pass before a decisive
action was taken in Congress upon any fl
nancial policy, and, rs VIC write, it is still
impossible To say what will lie done.
The pressure for expansion il still very
stringent and the debate seem 10 have as
sumed almost sectional aspect. Senators
Morton, of Indiana, and Logan, of Illinois,
Ferry, Of Michigan, and Wright Of Iowa,
have steadlasily insisted upon imitation,
Al II l., L.,
has been adverse. The house has evident
ly had no opinion upon the subject. There
Is, however, Il general impression thst it
will sustain the resolution reported by Mr..
Dawes from the Committee ON Ways and
Means TO initiate the currency by legalizlng
the issue Of the so-called reserve.
The speech of Mr.. Dawes upon receipts
and expenses has been denounced as ipju-
r.ous to the party; and it has been insinu-
a,ed, as il was three or four years ago, ailer
a similar speech from him, that Mr.. Dawes
might leave the faults OF Republican adj
mnistralion to be exposed by its oppo-
ponents, aud that it is very hard FOR the
Republican leader of the House to furnish
clubs for the enemy 10 knock the party on
the head. But the clubs in question are
evidently tho facts stated in tho speech.
Did Mr.. Dawes invent them2 If he did
not, it IS those who are responsible for the
facts who furnish The clubs. And if tue ex-
travagance OF estimate and ofapproprialion
that he condemns is entirely in his imagin-
alton or in his miscalculation. let that be
clearly proved, aud his clubs will only
break his own head, not that of the party
But II, on the other na"d, Ar Dawes has
told the irath, il is better for the party that
it should be stated by him than by his OPP
ponents, for the Republican party does not
claim to be immaculatc-that is the pecul.
lar praise Of the Democrats; but il it is not
mad, having ascertainel its own errors, il
will abandon them.
a very good proposition of retrenchment
is that of Senator Fcntons bill abol-
ishng moieties aud regulating tue sal
aries of customs officers, and another is
Mr.. Woodford's bill in The House for the
entire reorganization of the customs SER
vice. Ii provides for the appointment of
three commissioners, one of whom, at
least, shall have been an importing mer-
chant, to codify, simplify, aud arrange the
customs laws and regulations, aud who
shall report by the 1t of November, 1874.
A recent report from the Secretary OF the
Treasury 10 the House stale. that between
March !, lSi9. and Nov. 80, 1873, the in
former jayne received mole than a hum
dred thousand dollars as his share OF GER
tain specified forfeitnreS, penalties, and set
Elements under the revenue law, and that,
apart from those cases. his share Of the
spells OF Phelps, Dodge & Co. was more
than $4,000 with many thousand more in
other cases. During the sane time the
Secretary states that the share of the Col
lector Of the Port, from fines, and forfeit
ureS aud settlements was more than s4nh,
900, aud that OF the Surveyor aIc Naval
Officer more than S3Oo. 900 each. OF a net
amount of S2,Gji ,sJI.4G covered into The
T"c1sIry, S9s7, 1919 were paid t. the Co..
lector, Surveyor, Naval officer, and inform
ers, leaving in the Treasury for the United
States $1,000, 72l.g7. These seizures and for
FIXTURES Involve not only the most startling
individual briberieS. subDtnttiuns and de-
moralizltions, but they outrage some of the
most sacred principles Of civilized society.
Indeed, the fullness Of time seems to have
arrived for revising the foreign revenue
service, and Congress will not have met in
vain If it orders the tcvision.-Haypcr's
Weekly.