Year: 1877

Organization of Congress.


The proceedings yesterday went smoothly
enough, and even if there had been q hitch
it would have amounted to nothing There
are some disputed seats. both in the House
and the Senate; but no intelligent judge
supposes that any possible decision in these
cases will alter the political complexion of
either house. The republicans for the next
two years will have undoubted control
OF the Senate, and the democrats
undoubted control Of the House, let the
disputed seats be awarded as they may.
The republican majority in the Senate is,
indeed. SO slender that the absence of few
republican Senators would leave their party
opponents in control; but there is no like
lihood that advantage would be taken
Of such an accident. In the action Of
that body on President Hayes nomi-
nations it will make no difference
whether there is full attendance on any
particular occasion or not. The democratic
Senators will vote for the confirmation of
all fairly good nominees of the President,
and will be too glad of an opportunity to
insure their success against republican OPP
position. So long as President Hayes ad-
heres to his civil service order his political
opponents will protect him from hu-
initiation by his own party. AS
often as he sends in tolerably
good nomination which would displace an
officer whose term has not expired the
democrats will vote to confirm it. both as a
means of annoying the Observation-Disclosures
republicans and OF asserting the power of
the democratic minority.


There is likely to come up in the Senate
to-day question which will test the strength
Of the President in that body. There will be
fight over the admission of Mr.. Spoford,
the democratic Senator elect from Louisiana,
and if Mr.. Matthews and the other strenu-
GUS supporters Of the President display rea-
sonable tact and vigor they may achieve
great victory. But as our special Washing
ton correspondent suggests, they must
boldly take the lead and compel the demo-
cratic Senators to follow in their wake. If
they are alert and adroit enough
they can easily force the democratic
Senators to accept their initiative.
II, without waiting for democratic action,
they "take time by the forelock" and insist
on the title of Mr.. Spoford to his seat, they
will deprive the democratic Senators of the
credit of leading and put them in the position
of following making Spofford's admission
victory for the President instead ofa victory
for the democratic party. As the seat will
probably be awarded to Nh. Spofford in any
event, the President and his republican
supporters may as we'll have the credit Of it,
1t is entirely in the line Of the Presidents
Southern policy, and no republican indorser
of that policy should hesitate to accept its
logical consequences. The action of the
Senate on the contested seats will be
watched with lively interest.


The remaining steps for completing the
organization of the House are of little con-
sequence, except to aspirants for places on
the committees. The expected appointment
of Mr.. Fernando Wood to the chairmanship
of the Committee on Ways and Means will
give general satisfaction in this city, and a
new chairman of the Judiciary Committee
in place of Proctor Knott will be
universally accepted as proof of the
good judgment and sound discretion of
Speaker Randall. AS Mr.. Randall will
leave the greater part of the committees of
the last House unchanged, so far as their
members have been reelected, the organiza-
tion OF the House need consume but little


time. The Speakers excellent and en-
phatic speech yesterday puts a pretty


effectual extinguisher on the hopes of the


subsidy mongers, so far as his action is con-
carned