The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1878-06-27
CONGRESS-.
What 1t Has Done, and What 1t Has Not

IL rom tAe Cnlcago tribune.
| Over 1000 bills were proposed in
Congress during the session, and the
number passed was comparatively
small. Among the many measures of
national Importance proposed, and
which have failed, may be mentioned
the following The bill to repeal the
Resumption law; the bill declaring
greenbacks receivable for customs the
bills creating postal savings banks; the
bill authorizing the issue of treasury
notes not legal tenders; the bill distrib-
uting the balance of the Geneva award /;
the bill to reduce and reorganize the
army, as well as the attempt to do the
same thing in the Army Appropriation
bill; the bill to transfer the Indian SER
vice from the Interior to the War De-
partment; the bill to reform and revise
the tariff on imports; the bills providing
for the issue Of bonds, the proceeds to
be expended in leveeing the Mis-
sissippl river; all the bills grant.
| ing subsidies to the ship-canals
through West Virginia, from the
Ohio to the James river, from the
Tennessee river to Savannah, and other
routes; all the bills providing subsidies
for railroads in Texas and elsewhere;
the bills granting subsidies to steamship
lines, and subsidies for all other purposes;
the bills for the payment of claims for
rebel losses during the war; the bills to
restore rebels to the pension rolls of the
Mexican war; the bills to createa commits
sion to examine and allow claims of
rebels for damages sustained in the war:
the bills to admit rebel claims to the
Court of Claims; all the bills proposing
amendments to the constitution in the
matter OF electing President and Vice
President; all the bills providing new
regulations for counting the returns of
Presidential elections, and of declaring
the result; the proposed amendments
extending the Presidential term to six
years, and rendering the incumbent in
eligible to reelection. The bill author
izing the issue Of 100000, 900 of 4 per
cent. bonds of small denominations. to
be issued at par in exchange for green
backs or coin, which passed the Senate
early in the session, was Enacted on in
the House.
1t will be seen that substantially the
only legislation was that included in the
appropriation bills, and in the case of
some of these the extravaganza was of
the most reprehensible character. The
River and Harbor bill was, perhaps, the
most scandalous appropriation of money
that ever disgraced our legislation that
was not the result of bribery and cor
ruption. It might be called fair speci
men of "log-rolling." A committee
prepared bill including appropriations
to be expended in two. thirds of the
Congressional districts of the country,
and then demanded the vote of the Rep
resentative of each of those districts for
the whole bill under a penalty of strik-
ing out the expenditure in his district
because of his opposition to the whole
job. The House voted $4,000 to
which the Senate added $1,OOO,OOO
more, and the wicked, prodigal and
scandalous job was forced through.
So strong and irresistible was
the Congressional pressure for the
passage of this shameful waste of
public money that even the President
and his Cabinet dared not resist the bill,
but weakly submitted to the abuse of
legislative power, and gave official
sanction to the law. The appropriation
bills were also loaded down with i'm
mense appropriations for public build
ings all over the country-a court. house,
a postoffice, a custom-house, or some
other national building in nearly every
Congressional district. There was no
pretense that many of such buildings
were needed or ever would be needed :;
the object was to vote away public
taxes, adding to the already burden
some taxation many millions of dollars
which could bave been far more profit
ably employed in the hands of the peo-
pie. OF the money appropriated for So
called rivers and harbors, at least
5000 900 will be confscated from the
taxpayers and expended for no purpose
of the least practical utility.
This is the result of session contin-
uing eight months and more. Much
time was wasted in so-called investiga-
tons which proved utterly barren of re-
suits. The Potter investigation has had
the effect of arousing the country to a
seese Of the utter incompetency of the
Democratic party to carry on the bust
ness of even one house of Congress,
and much less of the nation. The House,
by the exercise of brute force, elected
four Republican members who had been
lawfully elected, and after a weeks
struggle dismissed Doorkeeper, and
| by a strict party vote repudiated ven
cradle soldier who had been wounded
in two wars fighting for the Union, and
elected rebel General to fill the va
cancy.
The Most Contemplate Congress
From the Chicago Times.]
Like the Pickering, smoky, malodor-
GUS finale of cheap tallow-dip, Con.