New-York tribune., 1877-10-13
TIE MEErING or CDAGRESS.

Next Monday the XLNth Congress assemblies
in special session. in obedience to the call of the
Pre,id mt. The House of Representatives. will
be promptly organized Ivy the election OF the
Democratic caucus nominee for speaker who
ever he may be, all projects for forming fac
ton Of Conservative Southern Democrats III
sympathy with the Administration, 10 COPPER
ate with the Republicans. having been ahan-
dOned. and we think wisely abandoned, as fai
rs the interests of the President and the Re
Dubhcan party are concerned. The House be-
longs to the Democrats, and it is better that
they should stand before the country as re-
sponsible for its action tham that there should
be divided accOuntabilty BY its partisan
foliies and conspicuous want of legislative
ability the last Democratic House diSg. stcd
the people, and thus threw the Presidency INTO
the hands OF the Republicans. Perhaps this one
will be wiser but if it exhibits capacity and
good sense thGt will be owing to the small
majority the Democrats possess, and to the
dominant influence Of the Conservative south
ern element, which last Winter put an extiu-
guisher on the criminal project of the Northern
Democracy for setting mp revolutionary gov
ernmcnt. with Mr.. Tilden at its head.
Mr. Randall will go into the caucus with
much stronger support for the spcakcrship
than either Of his rivals can command, and
the weak candidates will be more ready to
unite with him than to combine among them
selves. The Senate, being continuous body,
does not effect :. new organization at the be-
ginning Of each new Congress Whenever il Is
dissatisfied with its officers, 1t can put Others
IN their places but such an occurrence scarce
" happens once in decade. There has been
some speculation among the WASHINGTON quid-
nuncs about the possibility of IN accidental
Democratic majority at the opening of the cx-
ira session, and the consequences that might
flow from it, The Illness of Morton, the alb
sencc of Spencer and the two Nevada Sen
tors. and the arrest of Patterson, might leave
the Republicans in a minority but it will
probably turn out that some of the absentees
have paired off with Democrats on party
questions Even if this is not the case. and
the Democrats can muster majority of one
or two on rol-call, they can make no use of
it for partisan purposes, because no vote can
be taken as long as any Senator desires to
speak, and it would be easy TO prOlOng debate
until the two representatives Of Nevada silver
mines could be persuaded to come to the
Capital.
The chief business of the session will be the
passage Of the Army Appropriation Bill, which
ought not to consume more than weeks time.
If there are any surviving Democratic projects
for cutting d ,Wn the army, We have no doubt
that they will be postponed to take their
chances in the general legislation OF the regular
session, and that their authors will not be per
mitted to tack them upon the Appropriation
Bill, as was done last WIntsr. Some legisla-
ton may be desired in relation to naval sup
plies, and the Administration will ask for
authority to appoint commission TO the Paris
Exhibition, and for an adequate grant Of money
to Organiz. an American exhibit. Outside OF
these measures, there appears to be nothing
recurring the immediate attention of the two
Houses. The Senate, however. will have to deal
with the contests for seats from Louisiana and
South Carolina. Both tho Louisiana seats are
vacant One has been empty for two years,
and is claimed by Mr.. Eustis, who was elected
by the Wheeler compromise Legislature, and
10y Mr.. Pinchback, who was the choice of the
Kellogg Legislature. The other, vacated by
Senator West on March 4th last, is in dispute
between Ex-Governor Kellogg, the choice Of
the Packard Legislature, with an alleged
quorum in both Houses, and Judge Sp0lord.
who WAS elected subsequently by the united
Legislature, with an undsputed quorum Sc
cured through the efforts of President Hayess
Commission. The Senate, then heavily Rcpub
lican, and much more partisan in its feeling