The Hartford herald., 1880-12-08
What Congress Should DO.

\ correspondent of the l.ouisvilp
Post gives the present Congress the foi
lowing good advice:
The subjects for Democratic legisli
tive action during the next brief sessiol
of Congress should of course he thoI
oughly considered and wisely selected
and the committees should prepare tn
bills with unusual care and circumspeC
ti0n. They should have in view prin
cipally, the ways and means for furthe
increasean extension of industries an
trade, the appreciation of industrial an
commercial values, more particular
that of the chief property of all civiliz
ed nations, real estate and improve
ments, still ,orely depressed ever sine
the crisis OF 1873, and the growth G
incomes and wages 10 the normal stan
dard.
As such measures of relief and reform
| would suggest favorable action upol
bills pending, or To bc introduced dc
manding:
l. True, actual and permanent civi
service reform;
,. Amendment or repeal of tn,
abominable American navigation acts
to restore the American shipping busi
ness and ocean-carrying trade Ia thei
former flourishing condition and great
ness. England abolished similar had
laws thirty years ago;
3. Appointment of a commission o
experts To inquire into and examine
the subject of paramount Importance
the tariff law, in all its bearing upoi
the industries, trade, finance and taxa
ton of the country, and report 10y bill
or otherwise;
| 1. Renewal of the reciprocal trade he
tween the United States and Canad;
and initiation and conclusion of com
mercial treaties of the United State:
with foreign nations as France, Spain
| Mexico, the West Indian Islands ant
Central and South American States, il
conjunction with the establishment o
lines of export and import to and from
such countries via our principal sc;
ports.
;. Early amendment of our treatie,
with China with reference to the re-
striction of the immigration and impor
tation of Chinese people and coolies t.
the United States in lieu of the vetoeC
/ Chinese bill;
q. The transfer of the management
of Indian affairs to the War Depart
ment To prevent or lessen sacrifices O
life and treason;
Z. The confinement of the annua
appropriations of public monies in tn,
"River and Harbor bill" to works of ;
truly national character and worth an,
actually navigable rivers, eventual,
impartial and just treatment of all sec
ton of the country alike with regar'
to this subject;
s. The limitation of payment i'm TIN
Sinking Fund to the actual surplus O
receipts over expenditures;
9. In view of the fact that under tn
operations of our present tariff and in
ternal revenue laws the surplus of re
ceipts over expenditures Of the Govern
ment permit the unnecessarily fast am
large reduction of the public debt L
the amount of fifty to one hundre'
millions of dollars per annum, We dc
mand the repeal of one of the last relic
of old war taxes, the discriminating
unjust, heavy and oppressive tax ol
the debts of banks and bankers, name
ly, the deposits, tax in character an,
amount unknown to any other natiol
of the world, however pressing the tis
cal necessities may he; also of the two
cent stamp tax on checks and the staml
tax on matches;
TO- In consideration that the tw'
good measures due to the Democrati
majority i'm Congress, the present coin