The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1882-06-16

Ho Onc We'll dCquaiutcu WIFI the
history of Congressional action will
pretend that Congress has made the
best use of its time, or has done all
that it might have done to expedite
business. But at the same time, il
will not be difficult to show that the
record made by the present Congress,
compares very favorably with that OF
previous Congresses, and hat to
apply terms of e%xtravagant condem-
nation to its delays is very unjust.
In proof let us cite the record. This
Congress has undertaken the settle
ment of the Utah question, which
previous Congresses have shirked,
and its legislation on that point only
waits the appointment by the Presi-
dent of the required Board of Com
missioners to be carried into effect.
Another vexed question, which has
haunted Congress for years, the dis
tribution of the balance Of the Gen
eva award, has been disposed of.
The question of Chinese immigration
has been met by the passage of the
ten-years exclusion bill; the difficult
and delicate matter of the reappor-
tionment of Congressional representa-
ton has been promptly and very
satisfactorily disposed of; and the
tariff question after IN exhaustive
debate has been dealt with by the
passage of the Tariff Commission bill.
These, without mentioning the minor
measures, or those, which like the
Grape Bank Extension bill, which as
yet have passed only one branch
show that much valuable legislation
has already taken place, and we call
on any of these grumbling organs to
point us to five measures of equal
Importance with those mentioned
above, which resulted from any six
months work Of the Democratic
Congresses which preceded the pres
ent? At any time we shall be most
happy to listen to any such enumera-
ton, and to place it before our
readers. But the real effectiveness of
the present Congress, is perhaps
better shown when we compare its
work with that done by the British
Parliament during the past two years.
And while it is true that Parliament
has been confronted with circum-
stances Of exceptional difficulty, yet
it is, also, true that it is relieved of a
good deal of business, like the con-
sideration of claims and Of contested
election cases, which with us occupy
very largely the time of Congress,
but which, under the English system.
are decided by the courts. Last year
Parliament met and the Queens
speech unfolded a long programme
Of important legislation, but after
eight months or more OF active de,
bate, only two measures, the Irish
Coercion bill and the Irish Land bill,
were passed. This year Parliament
met again, and a number of impor
tant measures, most of them carried
over from last year untouched, were
spread before it in the speech from
the Throne. Parliament has now
been in session nearly five months
and its first act of legislation is yet tc
be done. Again two companion
measures relating to Ireland, one
dealing with crime, and the othel
mitigating the sufferings of tenants
block the way; and from the present
aspect of things it is probable tha'
little or nothing will be done thi:
session beyond the passage of these
two bills. Should this prove to be
the case it will follow that, for two
whole years, the British Parliament
has occupied all its time with what i!
practically one question, the relation
of the Irish people to the land they
occupy and the law sthat are necessary
to govern them. Meanwhile, all the
other varied and important interest!
of the United Kingdom will have
gone absolutely without any legisla
ton whatever; and the case is ever
worse than would result from a like
ineficiency Of the legislative depart
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