The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1882-06-30
THE 47th CONGRESS.
A Review of the Work Done at its First
Session.

The Hon. Edward Mcpherson, clerk of the
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 a frultiess SEES
sion. Republicans had barely a majority in
the house. They had not a majority in the
senate. A very large proportion of the MEM
beTship of the house were serving their first
term, and by a singular coincidence 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 adminis-
tration had wrought q revolution in it and
in the cabinet, and had devolved
unexpected duties upon gentlemen suddenly
called from pursuits of private life. AS a
result political affairs were in December
last i'm 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, a 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 I'D
years.
Comparing it with it's immediate predeces-
sor, the 10th congress, the contrast is strik-
ing. The sole contribution of the 10th con-
gress to political legislation was a clause for
bidding "the use of any portion OF the army
Of the United States as a police force to keep
the peace at the polls at any election held in
any state.n 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,
contenting itself with petty provisions on
distilled spirits and tobacco. It's 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
a few other questions, but mastered none,
and it showed no capacity for government
except of that obstructive kind which had
for illustration a 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 a period of 10 years the policy of
the country respecting the immigration of
the Chinese, and thus, by a 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 a presidential veto, and in q
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 30 years, under
bold leadership, been silently and steadily
spreading, until the theocracy which
sustains it has absorbed the per-
sonal rights and rwields the political
power of all within its reach.
The act which deals a blow at
this ~despotism, whilst confossedly experiment
tai, is yet the first real attempt to rescue our
American civilization from the dangers
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 18th congress is
the first body which has had the courage and
the intelligence to assail it. The browning
achievement of this ongress, however, has
been the passage of the bill to extend the
national banking system for a period of 20
years. The 37th congress, in the darkest
hours of tho rebellion, established the sys-
Uem WlUn Une uOuDie purpose Ol ~SUTenSUneu
ing the government by compelling the banks
to subscribe for its bonds, which then sadly
needed purchasers, and OF protecting the
people by securing to them a paper circula-
tion of equal value everywhere and of ALSO
lutte value as the securities of the nation.
The 18th congress has had the honor of plac-
ing this question beyond the domain of polit-
ical resentments n ambitions. Besides is
has, as far as possible, given q guaranty
to the business of the country against the
dangers of undue contraction or imitation, by
continuing a sound yet flexible system of
currency which unites in perfect harmony
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
remainder of the Geneva award, a subject
which has perplexed their predecessors,
have established the apportionment of repre-
sentatives for the next decade, an unfinished
work inherited from their immediate prede-
cessors; have placed i'm the w of adjust
ment at the next session the long dispute
connected with the count of the electoral
vote. and hav created a special commission
to examine into and report to the next ses-
sion upon a revision of the tariff system, a
proposition which commended itself to the
majority of the senate in the 10th congress,
but which was sinothered i'm the house. Ali
blCoo % III aASh ubtboy oVpOoo GU
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 i'm
portant question there was a difference of
theory between the houses, which there was
not time to harmonfze-that related to re-
duction of internal revenue taxation. The
house late in the session passed a bill to re-
duce taxation by the sum Of SIG, 000,0 600 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 gem
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 it was not in harmony with
Democratic principles, and that the Democ-
racy of 1882 were as little capable of Crap
ping with polygamy as the Democracy of
1862 were of graphing with its ''twin relic"
slavery, and for substantially the same rea-
sons. Bound by its traditions, it seems I'M
able to grasp new objects, or apply proper
remedies for grave evils.
The extension of the national banking sys-
tenn was made in spite of Democratic oppo-
sition, not that such opposition was united,
but it was general. The Democrats who
supported the principle of the bill,
were few in 'number. It is quite safe
to say that a Democratic congress
would not ave passed either the a%nti-poly-
gamy bill or the national banking bill.
It Is to the honor of this congress that IL has
been clean-handed. The lobby failed to con-
troll it. No law stands upon the statute
book placed there by an illegitimate power.