Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-12-03
THE MEETING OF CONGRESS.

Congress will reasonable on Monday,
the 9Th instant, and it is already evident
that it will find plenty to do during the
session. The organization of the House
has to be reconstructed, and the West
evidently means to make firm stand for
better representation on the important
committees. even if it should not succeed
in electing the Speaker. It is to be presumed
that among the first measures in order
after the organization will be action on the
death of President Garfield, and the max
ing of proper provision for his family. At
the same time something ought to be done
for Mrs. Lincoln, whose financial embar-
rassment is most discreditable to the coun.
try. After this number of highly i'm
portant questions will be in order. The
country has to be apportioned on the
basis of the new census, and there will be
plenty of opportunity for both partisan and
sectional feeling in settling that problem.
1t is possible that transportation will be
brought up and that also is a knotty and
difficult question, involving such complex
considerations that a whole session might
easily be devoted to it. The Democrats
have plan for refunding the 81 per cent.
continued bonds at lower rate of inter-
est, and Of course the Republicans will
not allow themselves to be outdone in that
direction. Then comes the tariff question.
The Protectionists want to cut down the
internal revenue taxes in order to make
the reduction OF custom duties impossible.
The revenue tariff men on their part want
to reduce the tariff, and touch the internal
revenue as lightly as possible. The subsidy
men want to persuade Congress to rob
| the people to pay steamship lies for run
ming where there is no business for
them. The scandals of the pension arrears
bill have been SO great that it will be nee
essary to look into the matter. The Com
missioner of Pensions has announced that
he will need hundred millions next year,
| and it is clear that the pension swindle is
alone capable of disposing of all the sur.
plus revenue for an indefinite period. In
| other countries pensioners gradually die
off, but here the farther we get from the
| war the more numerous are the applica-
tions for pensions. Then the Commits
sioner of Indian Affairs has comprehen.
sive scheme for civilizing the nomadic
tribes. The Democrats will demand, and
the Republicans will have to concede,
investigation into several of the depart
ments where fraud in the use of the
contingent funds is charged. The Panama
Canal question will come up for discussion
and action, and the state of our relations
with Chile and Peru, and the Mormon
question, and probably the silver question.
Dakota wants to be admitted as q State
also, and besides all these matters, and
several more which have escaped us for the
moment, there will be the regular routine
work, which in dull times is of itself
always enough to occupy the attention of
both houses. Altogether it is plain that
there will be no lack of work for Congress
during the winter, and that the coming
session will be one of the busiest for many
years. Curiously enough, however, the
Southern question promises to cut but
small figure in it, and this is noteworthy