The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-02-08
NO GENI'RiL LEGISLATION At VASE
ING ron.


WASHINGTON, Fob. 1T Is now manifest
that there will be no general legislation before
the 9Th Of March. and perhaps this IL the best
thing that could happen under existing circum-
stances. Attention is absorbed by interest In
the Presidential controversy, and the lobby Is
alone vigilant in the prosecution of its various
schemes. irrespective Of that result. for the
lobby is national I'm politics and liberal enough
to bc on good terms with both sides.
The Southern Pacific and Northern Pacific
projects. the currency question, the silver qucs-
ton. the bill to provide sinking fund for ex-
tnguishing the indebtedness Of the Union Pa
cilc and Central Pacific to the Government. and
various other measures. in some Of which grent
Hobbies have boon working since the first day Of
the session, are doomed to failure from various
causes.
Tho House Of Rcprcsc has been sit
ting for "A week. under the legislative fiction that
the session Of last Thursday il still going
on and must be continued until the end Of the
electoral proceedings, unless way is cut
through tho complication. The Republicans Of
course desire to prolong this embarrassment.
because it enables them to ohstruct the regular
course Of business. to rctard reports from the
investigating committees. and to create difficult
ties which could be brushed aside if the ma
numerical power.
Every effort will be made by the Republicans
to consume time. in order to thwnrt their oppo-
nonts. and this policy will be- pursued az far as
possible by Garfield and some of his associates
before the Electoral Commission. In the hope Of
preventing any final decision before the Ith Of
March. so "a to declare vacancy and make the
President OF tho Senate President OF the United
States. until Il new election seven months hence.
Il is not supposed. however. that the Judges.
or the more respectable Republicans who are
members Of ihis high tribunal. will countcnance
any such trckery. orlcnd themselves indirectly
TO devices Of delay. which would necessarily
provoke public Indignation. Mr.. Edmunds.
and others ike him. have now to carry load
Of exposed fraud. forgery. and ras'ality. such
M has never before been developed in an i'm
I,ortunt election. To add to that dead weight
would crush even Morton. who has thus far
audaciously upheld every iniquity OF the he
turning Boards.
The proposition of Mr.. Banning TO rcCnact
the law which was repealed several years ago.
requiring Congress 90 meet on the 4th OF March.
instead of the first Monday in December, seems
to find little favor. except among class OF poll
ticians who would like io regulate the new Adj
ministration. If Mr.. Tilden should be declared
President ~ h. ought to be and must bc. If
right prevails. Mr.. Banning succeeded. under
the persuasion Of Gen. sherman, not only in
retaining the army up TO its full complement.
hut in adding 1900 cavalry. under pretcnce Of
nghtin. Indians.
Tho country demanded large reduction in
the army. IA u rfrt ~ the programme for re-
form and retrcnchmcnt When Congress met
! in December 1873. MIR. Randall. then Chairman
| of tho Appropriations. proposed. as the least
/ figure. that the maximum force should not cN-
coed fitecn thousand men. which would have
saved some ten or twelve millions year 10 the
| Treasury. lie WAS in earnest, and meant to
carry out tho now budget of economy in good
faith.
Indeed. the country owes TO tho personal
rcsolute. and persst efIorts OF Mr.. Randall a
debt Of gratitude for reducing the public ex-
pcnditures twenty-five millions Of dollars. But
for the opposition of the Republican Senate and
this army business. he would have made the
aggregate fully forty millions. The sacrifice OF
Custer and his followers produced u panic
which was seized upon by the military chiefs al
Washington. who want "a large standing army
10 support their consequence.
Mr.. Banning. us Chairman of the House Com
mittee, was. as Col Benton used TO say. BAN
boozled" into their views. Therefore, when
this honorable member proposes n revolution
backward, the House should pause before fol.
lowing his lead. which has proved rather
expensive in the army. Instead OF fighting tn,
Sioux, these troops We're used to uphold tn,
carpct-haggers in the South. and were collected
here to sustain their monstrous frauds.