Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1878-06-28
Congress and Hts Work.

The country has never experienced great
er sense of relief upon the adjournment of
any session of Congress than was felt last
Thursday when it was announced that the first
session of the Forty fifth Congress was real
ly ended. For eight months every business
interest had been paralyzed, and the people
kept in a constant state of uneasiness, by its
bungling, unwise. and oftentimes vicious at
tempts at legislation, and it is now hardly too
much to say that the worst prospect which
we have before us is that another six months
will see the same body again in session.
Weakness, incompleteness and recklesSness
are the mildcst terms that can be applied to
the traits developed by majority of the
members, of both parties, in the lower House,
and. ms if to deliberately add to the disgrace
of their record, We are told that the closing
scenes in that body were marked by u degree
of drunkenness, riot and disorder rarely or
never before equaled on a similar occasion.
OF the work actually accomplished during
the ssion probably the best that can be said
is that. while some 5000 bills We're introduced,
only 100 of these We're passed and have be-
come laws. Aside from the silver BILL max
ing the silver dollar of 1929 grains II legal ten
der, which was passed over the Presidents
veto, the most important act affecting the
business interests of the country is that re-
pealing the bankrupt act, the date of the re-
peal being fixed for September lst A good
deal of time was thrown away upon the Wood
tariff bill, but the measur, was not enacted.
In the Departments, the Army bill leaves
the military force unchanged at 2j,OOO men,
although determined effort was made to re-
duce the number to 10000. For the navy
for the year ending June 30, 1873, defcien-
cy appropriation act provides l,lIG,G SS for
pay, and another for the incoming fiscal year,
appropriates -, So SO The Indians are
left under the charge of the Department of
the Interior, and the act of May ~ ap-
propriates for the bureau for the next fiscal
year about 81, OOO, 900 The total appropria-
tons for the expense of the government for
the year 1883, including the gross revenue
of the post office, but not including interest
prove to be Sl5s, 1873, 600, or about $1,000
600 in excess of those of last year-this sum
including the Halifax fisheries award of 81
800, 900 and nearly $1,000 900 additional on
the pension list. Secretary Sherman recon-
mended in his annual report last December
that the appropriations should not exceed
$40, 600, 600 and he now says that ON ac-
count of the extravaganza Of Congress- il will
not be possible to reduce the public debt any
during the coming year.
Among the miscellaneous acts passed,
which are of more or less general interest the
following may be noted TO provide an APP
preparation of 81 200 to engraye the portraits
of the late Senators Morton of Indiana, and
Bogy of Missouri an act in aid of the polar
expedition designed by James Gorden Ben
nett, by issuing an American register to the
vessel Jeanette and authorizing the detail of
petty officers of the navy; an act to authorize
the granting of an American register to for
eign-built ship for the purpose of the Wood
ruff Scientific Expedition around the world ;
a joint resolution to enable the Joint Com
mission to carry into effect the act of Congress
providing for the completion of the Washing
ton Monument an act to increase the pen
sion of certain pensioned soldiers and sailors
who have lost both their hands or both theiI
feet or the sight of both their eyes in the SER
vice of the country an act granting General
James Shields of Missouri (the man whom the
Democrats did not elect doorkeeper of the
House, pension Of 800 month.