The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-06-19

passed q resolution postponing tho adj
journment until six o'clock this evening.
1t would have been better to take still
another day than again to run the sitting
far into the night. Excessively late hours
have bad effect on the temper, manners and
morals Of members, especially amid the
hurry. hustle and pressure OF the last stages
of session. Fatigue and exhaustion arc
apt to excite nervous irritabilty even among
sedate members, aud those who are adj
dicted to strong potations become easily
excited and sometimes disorderly and abus-
i've, which leads TO disgraceful scenes. Two
consecutive all-night sessions would have
been so great trial of nerves and temper
that it was discreet 10 avoid it, especially
after the exhibition which some members
OF tho House made OF themselves on Mon
day night 1t is not consistent with the
honor Of Congress to have such scenes re-
peated.
There is no good reason why sessions
carried far into the night should be SO dis
orderly as they often are in the American
Congress. The English House OF Commons
habitually protracts its sessions far into the
night without such humiliatiEg spec
tacles as are presented in night sts-
sions at Washington. People who are
in the regular practice OF night
work, like the parliamentary reporters and
leader writers OF the London Times, Tor
example, main tain the same perfect conf
mand OF their temper and faculties as work
ers by daylight Parliament is never dis
orderly, although it transacts the greater
part OF it's business in the night time. 1t
does not assemble until four o'clock in
the afternoon, and when an impor-
tant debate is in progress the great
est speeches are frequently made after
midnight. But our congressman, who
usually devote the day to business and the
evening to recreation, find their habits
SO broken by all-night Sc sions that they
arc put into q mood unfavoable to tie
quiet transaction Of business.
There is no excuse tor crowding SO much
important legislation into tho two or three
closing days. 1t might reasonably be sup
posed that, when eight months have passed
since the assembling OF Congress, such mat
ter Of course legislation as the ordinary
appropriation bills might be disposed Of
long in advance Of the adjournment. There
is never anything in the action OF Par
Lament OH the annual budget resem-
bling the dilatory course Of Congress
on the regular appropriation bills. 10 be
sure, there is great difference in the
methods Of the two bodies. hc English
budget is prepared by the Chancellor OF the
Exchequer, who introduces and pushes it
to a vote at reasonably early period OF the
session, whereas in our government Con-
gress is left to do all this work itself, with
ont guidance By the executive administra-
tor. There is consequently great deal
OF dilatory pottering III the committees and
too much Willingness on the part of
scheming members to have the appropria-
ton bills crowded 10 the heel OF the session.
The indispensable necessity Of pass
ing them previous to the adjourn
ment and the impotence OF members
to get away afford opportunities
for engrafting into these bills all
sorts of jobs in the guise- of amendments.
i
legislation is often thus ioisted into appro-
priation bills during the confusion and
rly-burly of the closing hours. There is
nc part of session when Congress is SO
anxiously watched, and when its pro-
ceedings are SO little under the control Of
OF saving good measure is by lacking it to
an appropriation bill but it more COM
monty happens that by this method schemes
are carried through which would have no
chance if decided on their merits.
The only thing which can be alleged as n
justification or even as reasonable excuse
for this mischievous procrastination is the
enormous mass OF private bills which con-
sumo the time Of Congress. The excellent
bill which was introduced by Mr.. Potter
yesterday and passed the House by large
majority will take away this excuse if the
bill should become a law. Mr.. Pottcr's
bill provides that no private claim
of my description shall hereafter be
acted upon by Congress until it shall
have first been adjudicated by the Court Of
Claims 1t is said that private bills con-
sumo half the time of every session. If
this is even approximately true it will be
great relief to have all this class of bust
ness RENTED to the Court Of Claims, en-
aiding Congress to dispose in four months
of the same amount of really public mat
tcrs Us now rcquir.s eight months. The
merits of this bill are SO obvious that it
ought to PASS thu Senate without de-
bate.
Several things were settled yesterday by
tho action OF the House. At the present
stage Of proceedings no bill which has
passed the Senate is taken up by the House
without a two-thirds majority. BY the
operation of this rule the Senate bill appro-
priating five and half millions to pay the
fisheries award was defeated but the APP