Smyrna times., 1879-03-12
Congress, Past and to Come.

the expired Congress did or left undone
becomes henceforth history. This Congress
came into existence March 4, 1877, stimuli
taneouSly with the accession of Rutherford
b. Hayes to the presidency. The Forty
fourth Congress having refused to pass the
army appropriation bill, the Forty fifth
Congress was called in extra session by the
President, and met on Monday, October Is,
1871, six weeks in advance of the regular
session, which began on December 3. In
the Senate, with Vice President Wheeler in
the chair, there were 40 republicans and
50 democrats, with one independent On
November | Senator Morton, Of Indiana,
died, and his place was filled by the ap-
pOintment of Daniel w. VOORHEES,, giving
the democrats Sc and the republicans 80
votes. The House was organized by the
election of Samuel j. Randall of Penn
sylvania, Speaker, and it comprised l59
democrats and 1877 republicans. The new
Congress did not confine itself to the legis-
lation in regard to which it was called
together by the President, and practically
the extra session was made continuous with
the regular session, which began on Decem.
Der Sd and ended June 90, 1878. After
providing the means needed by the govern
ment and receiving pledges from President
Hayes that he did not intend to use the
army at the polls, the House proceeded to
pass bill repeating the resumption act
but as its character was largely changed by
amendments i'll the Senate, resumption
went into effect happily on January l, 1879,
before the House ever got the bill up again.
Congress also passed bill providing for the
restoration of the old silver dollar of 4l24
grains to the currency, and for its coinage
in sums of not less than $2,000,00O nor
more than 100000 a month. This bill
finally became law by being passed over
the Presidents veto. A law was also enac.
ted prohibiting the further retirement of
United States notes. One Of the mort i'm.
portant acts of the Forty fifth Congress at
its first regular session was the repeal Of
the bankrupt act, the repeal taking effect
in August, 1873.
One of the most important political act:
during the subsequent session was the ap
pointment of the committee to investigate
frauds in connection with the presidential
election of 1876, of which committee Hon
: Clarkson \. Potter, of New York, wa
made chairman. The indirect suggestion
Of this committee came from the resolu
tions of Mr.. Montgomery Blair in tn
Maryland Legislature, and, the reports @
this committee having been just made, tn
! public are familiar with the results.
When Congress met, in December, 1875
. at the beginning of its third and last Sc.
= sion, the danger of the continuance Of di
. turbing and injurious legislation in oppos
! ton to resumption was found to have bee
q averted by the highly favorable conditio
. of the treasury, and by the results also
II the October and November elections fc
:, Congressman, which had almost ever,
. where resulted in the defeat of inhatonist
= The financial question was left to take cal
:. OF itself, and the resumption Of specie pa
:, ments was effected without ripple upo
:. the surface of affairs. Congress had MOI
: time in this way for political question
/, and this was improved by Mr.. Blaine,
- his resolution for investigating alleged i
! timidation at the South, which resulted i
- the puny and nconsequent Teller commi
!. tee; by Mr.. Edmunds, in his bill for a ne
70 mode of counting the electoral vote, whic
n was "antagonized" in the House by NJ
20 Southard's counter propositions, so tn
=, neither passed, and 10y the resolutions, al
- devised by Mr.. Edmunds, for affirming Il
!; validity and establishing the intent of Il
recent constitutional amendments. The
/, matters led to much debate, and the Z
=. munds resolutions, after being once wit
., drawn, were modified and finally passed
~ the Senate. Of the state of business
he the close our Washington correspondent
20 gives the details.
ar. The Forty fifth Congress expired at no
.ot on Wednesday in throes of deadlo
&c between the two bouses on the army a
nd the legislative, executive and judicial
M. preparation bills, both of which failed
,ot pass. The issue was an important one,
- democrats being decided that the ar
no should not be used at the polls, and Il
10 the federal election laws should be revi.
nd by the abrogation Of the functions of sur
,ut vsors of election and their practically
Mr. limited callings of United States dep
rv marshals to their aid. In this issue
nov independent and three republican Senat
tho were arrayed on the one side as a majol
md in the Senate, against majority of nj
on. teen democratic Representatives in
House. The result was an extra session
Congress, and the President has issued
IAN proclamation for the assembling of
VI" Forty sixth Congress on the 18th inst.
III may be said Of the Congress which has
'as' expired that though it did some harm
ter' not much good, and failed in many
lee' ticulars to command the respect Of
nat country at large, it did not do all the hl
feet of which it was thought to be capabl
and Bait. San.
Rev. DIR. Sanford Hunt, of Buffalo,
elected on Monday agent of the Metho
ave Book Concern, a position recently m
e of vacant by the death of the Rev. DR.. Reu