American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1881-05-07
Not Doing lis Duty.

Nearly eight weeks have elapsed
since the United States Senate met
in special session. Tue specific
purpose Of it's meeting was, as sta
ted in the proclamation of President
Nayes converting 1t, "to receive
aui act upon snch communications
is SHOULD be made to it by the in
coming Executive. 1t was sum-
moned for this express purpose,
cad for no other. The Senators
Caue together on March 4, not as
5raach OF the National Legislative
Body. but for the transaction of
SUCH purely executive business as
Tie constitution requires shall be
lone IS aud with the advice and
CONSENT of the Senate. Two more
treaties were to be considered and
passed upon, and the nominations
of President Garfield for number
of important public offices were to
10 be confirmed. Special sessions
OF this character are not extraor-
binary in the sense of being I'M
usually, but have come to be a mat
ter of course at the beginning of
new Administration. The duty to
be discharged was altogether
rrefunctory, and its deliberative
quality so far as any attached to it
at all was wholly confined to the
ratification or disapproval of the
Gaines and other treaties to be sub
mitted 10 the Senate and to the
confirmation or rejection of the
presidents appointments
How has this function been dis
effargcaif With the exception of
confirming the members of the new
Cabinet and few other official
eO.nIuations during the first
week OF the session, nothing what
ever has been done that ought to
haso been done. Week after week
Il .s gone by with . dreary outcon Q
at Voice. and besides that noughr.
the ninth week Of wordy wranglc
has been entered on. Outside the
sanguine but deluding imaglna>
lion Ut Washingiug correspondents
and their editorial echoes there is
still no prospect of an end to the
tirssome tournament of talk. The
Two parties have locked horns, and
tne,e they stand like two bulls OF
evenly matched weight aud oh.
stinacy, in exact equilibrium Of OPP
posing fO. &C, with no signs of u
giving wa, Ut either. Each seems
resolved III d sht 1t out on the ex-
Lifting deadlock ii it takes till mex,
December. Meanwhile tue inter-
ests of tae country suffer. Tue
IeaIics hang suspended wilhou ac-
,.al ON them. Important Officers
.'re vacant and caDuOt he flied, as
~ could bo it the Senate were
l,vt in Sc sion Ly temporary APP
rplnimrnt OF the President. The
p.sp enc Court has been seriously
comm dated during Its current
i..riu, with u bare quorum of but
Elk acting Judges, and sometimes
without even that.
As matters have turned out il IS
a ri y that the Senate was called
t"s-iErr IN sln-cial session. The
Test thing for the country under
the circumstances would be u sums
N .ry adj mrnmrnt. The collision
o. the la -si,fftIe Republicans and
tine immUvsblr democrats produces
u complete inertia in which there is
NO l,rs.nslse OF resu Is. Unfortu.
hately the .esident has no au.
thurity ~ disperse them, his pow.
~ OF i'r,rugation being limited to
ti,e case Of u disagreement between
the two Hou yes Of Congress with
respect Ia the time of adjournment,
when be could adjourn both to such
time AZ he might think proper.
ii an extra session of Congress had
bseci. Called, instead of special
session al the Senate alone, Gen,
Garh lei would very likely have Oc-
csssi"n Ia cxrrcise this hitherto un-
hsed po"cr Ot his great Office, since
fi'e Disagreement contemplated by
the Constitution would undoubt>
e,iIy occ ar. Perhaps this might be
che best Nay out of the difficulty
even n"w. But there is no positive
certainty Gf 50 fortunate delIv-
crancr. Inc easiest untangling OF
the knot would be for the Senator'S
." voluH' ariiy break up their in>
consequent and fruitless gathering
sud y" 4iIetly to sheir several
LvaNes.