Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1882-08-08
Aa,u Aslrl tlltclligenrel.

aLa,,. Aslrl tMtclligenrrl.
TUESDAY EVENING, AUG. 8. lse2.
Unlfultial Legislation.
Congress adjourns after very long
session, which has not been fruitful of
coed works. 1t would not be easy to
point to the profit which the country is
to reap from the labOrs of the session.
The record for the eight months is very
barren. The tariff wanted revision and
did not get il but commission has
been appointed to consider what should
be done about it. Perhaps the commits
sion will find out, and perhaps not a
reasonable opinion anyway would be
that Congress might as well have deter
mined the matter without a commits
sion's help. Ifcongressmen were fit for
their places they surely should know
enough to legislate wisely upon questions
of taxation and they are questions
which should he legislated upon
promptly. In the expiring hour of the
session Mr.. Robeson sought to obtain
for his party, which bears the response
bility OF the legislation, the credit of a
desire to reduce taxation. He offered Z
bill which he declared had that purpose.
The same bill was pending in the Sen
ate. 1t was a bill which relieved those
who did not need relief and continued
their burthens upon these who should
be helped. 1t was not a Democratic
measure and failed to receive Demo-
cratic support.
We do not recall anything that Con-
gress has done that has been of more
account TO the country than its dealing
with the subject of taxation. The House
has been especially Ineffective and slow.
Senator Plumb, complaining of its action
upon the appropriation bills. said that
notwithstanding the department esti-
mates had gone before the House COM
mittees in the beginning of the session,
no important appropriation hill had
reached the Senate until nearly the close
of the fiscal year; the legislative bill
came to the Senate on June 10, and tho
naval bill not until July i, which was
thirteen days after the date on which it
was to take effect. The Senate has very
good reason to complain Of the time the
House gives it 10 consider these import.
ant appropriation bills and to threaten
hereafter to take into its own hands the
Origination Of them. The House has al.
ways claimed the privilege of original.
ing the appropriation bills, but does not
seem to have any exclusive privilege on
the subject, and if it can work no faster
than it has at this session, it shows itself
unfit for the exercise o. the power. But
this House is hardly fair sample
of tho efficiency of the lower
branch If Congress. 1t has been
afflicted with miserable speaker
and nearly rs miserable leaders on the
side of the majority. 1t was not to be
predicatel that ally useful, speedy OF
diligent work would come from 4 body
presided over by keifer and led by
Robson.
The measure for the retirement of til,
officers of the army is fair sample il
lustratiOn of the works of this Congress
That bill WAS introduced and passed tc
increase the efficiency Of the army :,y
putting its incapable officers on the re
tired list. What it really did was tt
leave the incapable officers on the active
list and 10 retire all the capable ones
that are over siXty-fOur years of age
The army is not to suffer hereafter from
the iDcapacity Of age; but an officer
without arms anil legs, or crazy as a bed
bug, still retains his place on the active
list and is supposed to do his work. Ii
TACT, however, he is absent on leave
and his labors fall on one of his fellows
or remain uEdOne. The law re
tires him, but ut the same time limit.
the retired list TO 400; and the gray
boards whom this Congress rushcs int q
it fill it to Overlooking. II was yer,
easy to save this embarrassment to tllt
service and to make the bill what it pur
ported to be, Il measure To increase tht
efficiency of the army it only needed tt
provide room for the retirement of all
the incal'aDles; but Congress was unequal
to the effort. Its great work was the
river and harbor appropriation bill. II
passed this with decision and great
energy. 1t passed it over the president,
veto and over the unanimous objection
of the country and by this work, as by
nearly all its work, is condemned.