The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1877-05-06

In tho year OF our Lord 1877 and The independence
of the United States of America the 10lst.
By the Prcsident-WILLIAM NJ. EvARrs, Secretary o.
State X. b. HAYES
EXTRAORDINARY SESSIONS OF CONGRESS-.
Tho impending extra Of Congress, called by
this special proclamation of President revves The
recollection OF former extra sessions of that body.
The constitution having provided that the Congress
shall assemble at least once in every year. and that
such meeting shall DO on the first Monday In Deem
Der unless they shall by law appoint different day
the asscmbage OF that body ut irregular has
usually been the result Of political emergency
Leaving out of account tho irregular short sessions
Of the early Congresses before yet the Its
legislative branch had got the habit OF regular
long annual Sessions, and leaving aside also tho special
adjournments OF Congress TO meet At frequent inter
walls during the PERIOD that they might
be able 10 hold PRESIDENT johnson IN check IT may be-
said that thcre have been only five actual extra
sessions Of Congress sincc the beginning Of tho
SPECIAL SESSION OF 1913
President Madison called Congress to mcot IN special
session On the oath OF May 1913, 10 provide Tor the
United States and Great Britain The business of this
extra session lasted from the Oath May the I'd OF
August or be.wcen nine and ten weeks
1881
From 1913 until 1887, or tor nearly quarter OF a
century, there wns no call Tor special OF Con-
grcss The immediate OCCASION Of the extra session
called by President Van Buren, TO meet September 4,
1887, was the commercial and financial panic OF that
year and the public distress and embarr
SUNG On the 10Th oil May, 1887 all the banks in New
York had suspended payment III specie ana tho imam
Ciu nstituLOLs OF ali the other cities OF tho country
followed suit after. Committees OF citizens
appointed ut large meetings OF tue people, pe-
tions presented from com mercal cities praying
the President 10 assemble Congress 10 take measures
TO arrest tho depreciation in property, failure
business nous s ana the distress thai peryudo the
dustrial classes. The President Tor some time
clned to act In accordance with these petitions
after the panic had ended III suspension OF specie
t1uf ntu1u
ment, LOO, in an embarrassing SITUATION, ho concluded
10 call Congress together to elslae Mr. Van Burens
proclamation was made on lib l5th OF May, 1887, but
hxed day Tor the assembling OF Congress 80 late
the 4th OF September ioiiowihg That body had
,ourned las IN the present YEAR, on tho preceding 4h
ol March. making the interval between the scs-
Sons about Blk months. On the assembage OF the
Senate and the House, constituting new Congress
(the Twenty hfh the democrats were found 10 have
small majority. consisting OF only thirteen votes IN
the House OF Representatives The session continued
torty. three days, or until the 10th Of October.
VAN BUREN's PROCLAMATION.
Mr.. Van Buren, sent III portentousy long message
10 Congress which hlled moro tnan twenty pages OF
PRINT but It's recommendations promised relief the
opnon Of the President beng expressed that Congress-
could do nothing TO mitigate The evils which existed
All that the government could do SAID the President,
10 take care OF ITSELF rs II had power 10 legis-
late upon the monetary concerns oil tho people. At
tho time MIR. Van Buren, urged upon Congress 10
throw safeguards around the pubic funds by adopting
the Independent treasury scheme (since known
Subrreasury, thus enecting an entire separation Of
the business and funds oil tho government from that
III the banks. bill TO establish the SubTreasury
passed the Senate. II was land on tho table the
House by tho combined vote oil the wings and lew
conservative democrats who friends vi tho banks
by Vt 120 10 lO7. This pet measure Of the
ninistraon having been defeated the only important
legislation entered upon was TO postpone any Iurther
distribution OF the surplus revenue among the States,
to authorize the ISSUE oil Slo,OOO,OOo IN treasury
notes Tor the Immediate wants OF inc government,
and to extend tho time OF mercantile payments Tor
duties on imports.
THE SESSION OF 1S41.
The next extra session OF Congress was that which
assembled May 81, ls4l IN obcdencc 10 the call Of
PRESIDENT harrison, Dated March ~ lS4l TINS proc
ianstion set orth that suncry important and weghty
matters principally growing out OF the condLion OF
The revenue aud finances OF the country, which APP
peared to tho President to demand the consideration OF
Congress at an earlier day than It's Dext annual
SION President Harrison having died ON the 14th OF
April, within weeks after his induction INTO office
Vice President John Tyler, who succeeded him. sent
special message 10 the new Congress on June i,
ls4l lh's was the hrst session OF the
Twenty seventh Congress aud II continued from
May 81 to September l3, or ,nrec months anu malt
The WING party having come into power IN both
branches uy the overwhelming tidal wave Of 1910, IL
generally expected that tho first measure taken
for the rcei of tho country would be the charlerng
VI a national bank, to which the party IN power
fully committed. Hon. Thomas Ewing then secretary
oil the Treasury, made report, sent IN with The PresI
DENTS message. which earnestly recommended the
csLaoshm ent OF u bank. MIR. Iyers message. though
u little ambiguous on tho SUBJECT, was believed To
press his Willingness 10 sanction any bill which might
puss Tor the incorporation OF fiscal agent to regulate
the currency and manage the funds oi tho govern.
mont.
NIX. TYLgR's vEroEs.
Mr.. Ewng's draft OF plan for national bank, with
o capital OF $50 UO0 00O privileges oil discount, OK
change, branches. &c., similar to The two former
bal ks Incorporated by Congress, passed both
houses but, TO the establishment oil all, encountered
the veto OF President Tyler The majority party.
after repeated conferences with the President patched
up anotncr bill, supposed 10 DO IN strict accordance
with tho views oil r. Tyler, who had declared himself
avor o IA lscal agent" Invested OF tue power
discount notes, and limited TO dealing bills oil
change. THIS new bill was submitted to MIR. Webster
Secretary oil State and by him 10 the President, was
approved aud sent TO the House OF Representatives,
"a y,
Hlc BY vote oil ~ 10 ~ The name OF 'Dahk''
was expressly omitted the title ana body OF tho
bill, III conformity win the wishes OF the PrcsIdcnt
and the new government institution was styled ".hc
Fiscal Corporation the United states Six days
alter its passage President Tyler returned tho Fiscal
Corporation bill 10 the House with his objections. TINS
second veto put the wing party Ia both houses out OF
all patience. MIR. Tyler was denounced with IDdigna-
lion us the betrayer OF the party which elected him.
whlie the democratic members anu journals through
out the country, Tho other hand, auded the Pres
dent 70 tie skies Tor dcieatng financial monster
gu which General jackson had put hs ioot-a National
Bank OF The United states All the members O Pres
uent Iylcr's Cabinet, except Mr.. Webster, resigned
Their Offices, and the wings Ia Congress adopted a
manifesto or address to tho people, written by Jonn
j. Kennedy, OF Maryland THIS manifesto dis ow ned
President John Tyler. and declared that those who
brought the President into power could 10 longer
held responsible Tor the adm OF the exccu
tive branch vi the government.
The SOLO ruit OF this long extra session OF Congress
OF three aud half months was the authorizing loan
oil Sl20OOOOO the repeal oil The Sub Treasury net, the
passage OF general bankrupt law anu sumo twenty
bills of minor importance.
1nE KANSAS TROUBLES.
Fifteen years now elapsed before another extra scs-
sion OF Congress was convened In tho month Of
August, 1856 General Franklin Pierce beng President
Of tue United States, the democratic parry having
heavy inojorty Ia the Senate ana The opposition a
small majority OF ABOUT hail "a dozen The House tho
House oil Representatives affixed amendment to tho
Army Appropriation Oi providin2 that no part o the
army should DO employed 10 enforce laws passed ~
the Territorial Legislature oil Kansas until