Telegram-herald., 1890-12-15
RUNNING TO WASTE
The Awful slewnszs Of Congress IL
Gettlng 70 Work
&As sisstioAs Eitl~ oasstisa 81 kfsazess
"A tsEEset Caasas-fhe hsaFPsx-
tisaas4E-D-Aa Lsstsr lls4r-
fak .s1s.

WAssnsFos. Dee. ls.-1hs business
Of the season a arifting along IN rather
quiet sorl al say. aud not very much
substaasial progress has yea been made
toward ne p4sssse OF those bulls which
will have - - sar0ugh Congress be-
fore adloaEnmeat. IL = one Of tie
peculiar things ln connection with the
business of tie Anesican Congress that
no matter h0s determined Il may Dc
- clear on Is docket, with the full
knowledge that Il every minute = used
% advantage time will not snnice 10 DO
everything which needs must be at
tended 10, very little IS ever done at a
short session before the Christmas holl-
days. Il IS 50 this year. Ia the House
speaker Reed has been very anxious 10
make substantial progress on the sp-
preparation oills before the usual re-
cess is taken, but with the exception Of
the pena0n bill bat httle has been done,
aud is Is not likely that very much busi-
ness viii be transacted during the COM
ing week. After the reassemoling of
Congress everything Will have 70 be
done At high pressure rate, and, as
always happens the week ending with
the 4th OF March, will see the House in
session al night long, and then thou
sands OF bills will die Oh the calendars
simply because there has never been
chance 20 take them up and give them
toe slightest consideration.
have often thought that in some
respects the English system Is syastly su-
periOr TO our own. III Congress sat all
the year round, with the exception OF a
lew months IN the summer. and had 40
fKed date for adjournment, there
would be more chance for the consider
ation OF measures which now have TO
fail because there - never any time 10
discuss them. One of the greatest
drawbacks TO our present system Is that
We have 20 waste 50 much time in get
ting the legislative machinery properly
fabricated and set in running order.
Al the commencement of every
Congress good deal of time
is wasted until the committees
are appointed. In fact the entire
month of December IS as a general
thing wasted, as u Is very seldom that
the committees are announced until
few days before Cnrstmas, and then
the recess follows. Although the House
meets early IN December, practically 10
does not get TO work until about the
middle OF January. At the short ses-
SION there - not quite so much time
wasted, as there are no committees TO
be appointed, but the House never gets
down TO real business until after the
new year. Another bad thing is that
the snort session follows an election,
and the men who have been defested
or repudiated by their constituents are
naturally not very particular about the
attention which they pay TO their con-
gressiOnal duties. Many Of them are
lax in their attendance. and entirely in-
different as to the conduct Of business.
-
The Senate being a slow and delibe-
rate body naturally takes things with a
great deal more ease and leisure than
the other branch, and tins year II has
well maintained It's previous reputation
for being IN no hurry to make laws.
The senate dearly loves TO talk, and II
cannot De induced 10 give up that priv
ilegs. How much more time viii be
wasted IN a discussion of the election
bill IS something about which no man
feels as If he could venture a predic-
ton. An attempt vas made to try 10
induce the Republicans either to con-
sent to immediate passage of the bill or
else % lay Il aside for the time being,
so as to give other legislation a chance,
but nothing definite came Of this prop
osition, and the end Is not yet IN sight.
There IS a great deal OF anxiety on the
part Of many members of the senate to
do something 20 relieve the present
financial stringency, and this is COnsid-
cred of a great deal more importance
than anything else which requires the
attention Of thc senate. Bot Il has
been impossible to sseure any concen-
trased action, aal matters remain IN
ststu quo.
-.
The financial situation ~ the topic OF
the greatest interest in Washington at
the present time and there are any
number Of schemes proposed 20 meet
the existing difficulties. What the out
come Will be depends a good deal on
circumstances. It "a well known that
there . an overwhelming majority IN