Smyrna times., 1886-08-11
Adjournment and Work of Con.
greSs.

greSs.
The Forty-ninth Congress. the first
Under a Democratic President in q
quarter of a century, adjourned
thursday after a session somewhat re-.
markable for its length, for its barren
renness of general legislation and for
Che indications its record affords of a
progressive weakening of party ties
ana party discipline. What with the
sIugglshness of the House in dealing
with important questions of a pressino
character like the reform of the tariff
ana coinage laws, and the cratic ac-
'Nlty OF the Senate in passing danger
Gus and extravagant measures like the
Blair education and pension bills. the
country has some reason to charge the
national legislature with practical in
ehclency. A great deal more. no
doubt, might have been effected if both
branches of Congress had been con.
trolled by the same political party. and
II both had been in perfect agreement
with the President upon important
questions of policy and administration
AS 1t was the chief function of the
House, in addition to framing the reg
ular appropriation bills, has been to
nulllfy the mischievous activity of the
oenate-to smother subsidy schemes.
canal jobs, reckless pension bills, and
othet enterprises of like character.
WINCH If accepted and approved bv
President Cleveland, would have
speedily bankrupted the Federal
treasury. One of the painful develop
ments of the session, indeed. is the de-
cadence of the Senate as a body of wise
patriotic and conservative legislators.
elevated by age and experience above
the presumably crude opinions and
sordid motives of Representatives
chosen often in the haste and hurlv-
ourly OF the proceeding of ill-organ-
lied and badly-directed district con-
VentiOns. The past session has shown
that for the present at least the conn.,
try must look to the house rather than
to the Senate for discretion and econ
omy. The presidential succession bill
passed early in the session, was fol-
lowed later, among others by the oleo-
margarine bill, the Fitz-John Porter
Dill, bill increasing pensions, bills for
letting 22,S71.3 acres of land granted
TO the Atlantic and Pacific Railroad
ana 100000 acres granted to various
southern roads, bill reducing the fee
on money orders for small amounts.
and an extraordinary number of pri-
Vate pension bills, many of which the
PRESIDENT felt compelled to veto. This
list, containing few important meas
lres' was appreciably heightened in
he last days of the session by the pas
age OF bill authorizing important
additions to the navy at a cost of So
10000 the river and harbor bill and
he several others of less import. The
of the Democratic Admins
rations for moderation in their expen-
ltures will be sustained by an inspec-
ION OF the regular appropriation bills.
Excluding from the aggregate theitems
Or rivers and harbors, $14, ,473, 900; for
lcrease of the navy, $4,000; for Ala
anna awards, s5,769,O25; increased
ension payments, 100000 and an
lcreased allowance of about S., 100000
'r deficiencies, the total of the regular
for 1887 is $216,O4O.664.
r $3,554,6 less than for 1886. in
hich year, it may be remembered.
lere was no provision for the improve
ient of rivers and harbors. Even if
lie S9,OOO,OOO of the increase for def
should have been pro-
ded for in last years appropriations
add, the increased regular expendi-
re for 1887 is but $5,5OO,OO which.
view of the growth of the population
I'd increased demands upon the gov
nment, is not an immoderate in
ease. That the total, without deduc-
ms for usual expenditures, is $264.-
3,51O is largely due to the extrava-
nee and Obstinancy of the Senate.
lich raised the amounts of bills, and
conference committee stood firmly
the increase it had made. 1t NAV
added in the survey of the session,
W that the record is closed, that while
House and the Senate have fallen
Drt of public expectation, President
sveland, by his recommendations of
eded legislation, his patient scrutiny
bills and his courageous exercise of
veto power upon bad measures,
gained largely in popularity with
people in all quarters of the land
ltimOre Sun.