The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1882-09-01
THE 47th CONGRESS.
A Review of the Work Done mt its First
Session.


house of representatives in seven congresses,
has written the following review of the work
of congress:
The state of the parties at the opening OF
the 47th congress betokened fruitless ses-
sion. Republicans had barely majority in
the house. They had not majority. IN the
senate. A very large proportion OF the MEM
bership of the house were serving their nrs9
term, and by a singular coincidehte most OF
the trained leaders OF the present majority
had been transferred to the senate, which re-
sponded uncertainty to any call OF leader
ship. A tragic change OF executive admins
tration had wrought revolution IN III ana
in the cabinet, and had devolved
unexpected duties upon gentlemen suddenly
result political affairs were in December
last in a state of confusion, and it is not sur
prising that it was several months before the
machinery of legislation was brought into
motion. 1t would have been surprising had
the fact been otherwise. Congress sat eight
months, term of unusual length, but it de-
voted itself with extreme diligence to public
duty. Its sessions were constant, its COM
mittee work was judicious and thorough its
debates intelligent and able, and l think it
can be truly said of it that it has perfected
more important measures of legislation than
any congress which has met in the last 10
years.
Comparing it with its immediate predeces-
sor, the 10th congress, the contrast is strik-
ing The sole contribution of the 10th con-
gress to political legislation was clause for
bidding "the use of any portion of the army
of the United States as police force to keep
the peace at the polls at any election held in
any state" OF legislation touching the
varied interests of the country, it was bar
rem. 1t essayed to establish a commission to
d just tariff duties but failed in the under
taking. 1t maintained all internal taxes,
ttSnlf with rlaff T-nx
distilled spirits and tobacco. Its funding
legislation, by its own confession imperfect
alarmed the country and was defeated by a
presidential Veto 1t ignored the dangers
which surround the question of the electoral
count and made no contribution whatever to
their removal. 1t toyed with the silver and
few other questions, but mastered none,
and it showed no capacity for government
except of that obstructive kind which had
for illustration public service so meanly
provided that the courts were closed for
want of appropriations and the public
buildings were lighted by private subscrip-
tions.
The 47th congress, upon the other hand,
has met and more or less completely disposed
of every important subject which came be-
fore it. 1t has patiently considered and has
settled for period of 10 years the policy of
the country respecting the immigration of
the Chinese, and thus, by measure which
finally received the concurrence of an over
whelming majority of both houses, and is
undoubtedly sanctioned by public sentiment,
it has closed an irritating agitation which has
disturbed the peace of communities. That it
was finally reached through the struggle
consequent on presidential veto, and in a
spirit of mutual concession on details, is a
tribute to the strong practical sense which
has marked this congress. Its legislation
against polygamy aims at the extirpation of
an evil which has become lntrenched in one
of the territories, which is rapidly extending
into others, and which has for 80 years, under
bold leadership, been silently and steadily
spreading, until the theocracy which
s soslns rights a and % SfsGieed the the pOe
power of all within its reach.
The act which deals blow at
this despotism, whilst confessedly experiment
tai, is yet the first real attempt to rescue our
which threaten it in the center of the contin-
ent. 1t is not to be denied that the subject
is surrounded with grave difficulties. Meth
er is it to be denied that the 47th congress is
the first body which has had the courage and
the intelligence to assail it. The browning
achievement of this congress, however, has
been the passage of the bill to extend the
national banking system for period of 10
years. The 37th congress, in the darkest
hours of the rebellion, established the sys-
tenn with the double purpose of strengthen
ing the government by compelling the banks
needed purchasers, and of protecting the
people by securing to them a paper circula-
ton of equal value everywhere and of abso-
lutte value as the securities of the nation.
The 47th congress has had the honor of plac-
ing this question beyond the domain of polit-
ical resentments and ambitions. Besides is
has, as far as possible, given a Guaranty
to the business of the country against the
dangers of undue contraction or imitation, by
sound yet flexible system of
tDln
the essentials of safety and sufficiency. Be-
sides these great measures. any one of which
would entitle the congress to distinction, the
bodies whose first session has recently
closed, have placed on the statute book an
act which provides for the distribution of the
of the Geneva award, q subject
which has perplexed their predecessors;
have established the apportionment of repre-
for the next decade, an unfinished
work inherited from their immediate prede-
cessors; have placed in the way of adjust
ment at the next session the long dispute
connected with the count of the electoral
VOTE and have created a special commission
to examine into and report to the next ses-
sion upon a revision of the tariff system, a
which commended itself to the
Of the senate in the 10th congress-,
but which was smothered in the house. Ali
these measures of high utility attest at
once the Judgment and patriotism of
the congress and vindicate the popular ver-
dict which two years since committed the
public interests to their charge On one inn
portant question there was difference Of
theory between the houses, which there was
not time TO harmonize-that related to re-
duction of internal revenue taxation The
house late in the session passed bill to re-
duce taxation by the sum of $16000.000 a
year. The senate under adverse influences,
hesitated and then proposed to add other re-
auctions in the internal revenue and special
reductions in the tariff rates. Debates en-
sued Further debate was jecreed by the
Democratic caucus, and in the midst of the
discussion the session closed almost by gen.
eral consent. Most Of the legislation named
was reached by partisan votes. The discus
sions and votes upon the Utah bill show very
clearly that 1t was not in harmony with
Democratic principles and that the Democ-
racy of 1852 were as little capable of Crap
ping with .polygamy as the DShO.racy of
1869 were of graphing with its ''twin RELIEF
slavery, and for substantially the same rea-
sons. Bound by its traditions, it seems un-
able to grasp new objects, or apply proper