New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-12-31
United lST4TES.
conspiracy

first session OF the ALlAtn Congress was melan-
choy exhibition of legislative incompetence and
folly. The Democratic House. with majority of
43. had promised to reduce the current expeDdi-
lures of the Government. to scale down the war
tariff" to "a peace basis" and to take Oft
800 OOO. 900 in taxes. That House was in
session for eight months without accom-
plishing any of these objects The rules were
revised for the express purpose of expe-
dit1ng business and dscipning Mr. Randall
and after mop tbs had been wasted secret caucus
appointed steering" committee of three (ir.
Carlisle Mr. Morrison, Mr.. RandalD with absolute
power over the course of legislation; yet nothing
was DONE In place of retrenchment the House
authorized increased expenditures. Its appropria-
tons exceeded by $4,000. IA those of lSS3-st
and by $50, 779.655 those OF 1SSi-'S5. There was
neither reduction of taxes nor tariff revision. Two
tariff bills, each hostile to the other, were brought
in and neither considered. On June IL the
House by a vote of 40 to 1877 refused TO @ into
Committee of the Whole and take up the Morrison
Tariff bill, only Republicans voting for 1t and 80
Democrats against it. After this defeat Mr.. Nor
rison decided that there should be no Legislation
except appropriation bills The amendments to the
warehouse and customs administration laws were
smothered. An attempt to abolish the duty Oh
wool was defeated. The tariff was not touched.
The House. warned by the death of the Vice
President, consented to the passage OF Presden-
tial Succession act providing substitutes from the
Cabinet for vacancies caused by the DEATH
moval or disability of both President and Vice.
President. Ii also adopted the Dingley Shipping
bill with the Senates amendments armIng the
President with retalIatory powers against
the Canadian authorities. The Senate bill
imposing tax OF two cents pound on
oleomargarine and butterine was approved.
IL Dap and
Democrats voting for it aud ID Republicans and SO
Democrats against it An inadequate bill for the
increase of the Navy was also passed, autho rizng
tine construction of two double-bottomed armored
vessels of 5000 tons displacement one protected
cruiser of not less than $500 displacement and
torpedo boat; providing for the complexion Of
four doube-turreted monitors, and appropr1ating
S. 500 900 for these purposes. These posi-
tive results Of eight nths legrsla ton The neg
alive results in addition to the failures already
mentioned we're the Houses neglect to make pro-
vision for coast defences and heavy ordnance. not
withstanding Mr. rilden's convincing arguments
or 10 pass the stringent laws against polygamy
winch the President had recommended and the
Senate had approved ITS refusal to lIs,en TO Da-
kota's appeal to be admitted to the Union, or to
sanction bills for the regulation OF Chinese inmigra-
ton an the naturalization OF Chinese sufferers
by the Rock Springs riots; Its substitution OF a
wild measure for good scheme for regp ating IN
terstate commerce and the consequeHG defeat OF
the act passed by the Senate its rejection OF the
Senate's Indian bills and the smothering OF the
Blair Education bill for aiding schools, especially
in the South. Confronted with this start
ling record OF inacton and incom-
petence. the House reassembling in
December has promptly passed a easure, long
pending, for regulating the counting of electoral
votes III Presidential elections
The Administration has had very little political
| authority over the Legislature and has been
| pulsed whenever it has aspired 10 leadership. 1t
asked for the stoppage of 81 yer coinage The House
responded with proposition for free and unlimited
coinage. which was defeated only with Republican
and All other currency and coinage measures
which were proposed were hostile to the Admins
| tration The Executive recommendations for tariff
| revision and for legislation against polygamy and
in favor of generous appropriations for fortihca-
tons heavy guns and a navy were either ignored
or dealt with inadeauately and grudgngly. The
Administrations fisheries policy condemned In
both Houses No financial measure was passed, ex-
cept one for the issue of small SILVER notes on the
same terms with silver certificates now outstand-
ing The House even went so far as to vote
want Of confidence" in the Administration The
surplus resolution, proposed by Mr. Morrison and
adopted July Ii with only twelve dis
sentng votes the Democratic side, d.
| rected that whenever the balance in the
Treasury including the amount held for re-
demption of United States notes, should exceed
800 900, O00 it should be the duty of the Secre-
tary to apply such excess to the payment of the
terest- bearing debt The object of this arbitrary
resolution was to force the speedy payment of
United States bonds In 75-cent silver. 1t implied
reputation or else the adoption of silver stand
ard. This resolution deprving the Administration
or all discretionary power was loaded down with
amendments In the Senate and finally passed by
the House as reported by a conference committee
but even In its modified form ii did not receive the
Presidents signature. Tho House, however, has
given active support to the Presidents campaign
against the pensioners of the Government II has
sustained nearly all his numerous vetoes Of private
pension bills Ii refused TO repeal the limitation ia
arrearages of pensions 1t stood out for two days in
q tile attempt to saddle every pension bill with
O provision for an income tax. The President, for
his part has been equally considerate While he
vetoed Il bills in eight mon ths-a the Presidents
before him from Washington's day had only vetoed
1Os-he did not veto the River and Harbor bill
with it's burden OF $l5. 100000
The Administrators chief success has been
achieved in the administration Of public finance
Secretary Manning. whose resignation happily
was not accepted after critical illness, has re-
sisted ali the worst tendencies of DemOc "a tic
demagogues and repudiators and has proved pru-
dent ami efficient hnancIer. he Treasury state
meDt OF November 80 reported nominal debt OF
$1,715 8, 507 sos OF and an actual Indebtedness OF
$I452544 100 So The State Department has
been well represented in England, where Mr..
Phelps has succeeded IN negotiating new extra
dition treaty providing tor the surrender OF fngi-
tive enbezzlers and dynamite criminals. The
necessity for an amended treaty has been ompha-
sized during the year by an alarming number OF
| embezzIefnenIs IN Boston, Hartford, New-York and
Western cities Its ratification by the Senate Is
confidently expected. The negotiation oil an extra
dItiou treaty with Japan-tbe first ever signed b.
| an Asian State-is O development of the same
policy. Ia other respects Secretary Bayards diplo-
macy has been signally unsuccessful He had