Year: 1878

1t would be impossible to eXaggerate
the evil consequences that might flow
from few more such sessions of Con-
gress as that which came to an end
shortly after sunrise, yesterday. Ger
tainly no government, and no cOnstitu-
ton under which any people ever lived,
could long endure such a strain as has
been put upon our Constitution. Eight
months have been nearly wasted and
thrown away. A few odd moments
have been devoted to passing bad laws
without discussion, and the rest of the
time to buncOmbe talk and idle wrang-
ling. The necessary and useful meas
ures could get slight attention, and
stood chance of success only by tack
ing them upon appropriation bills,
where they were out of place, but where
they could secure at least vote. Many
of these measures failed after all, some
of them thrown out on technicalities,
others rejected by the house for the
sake of consistency.


One might well doubt if the manner
in which the two houses have conducted
themselves during the last few days, is
not even greater scandal than the
abOminably disgraceful character of the
action upon many questions decided.
Our representatives-nO many of them,
let us hope, but enough to give bad
eminence to the COngress-have i'm
ported into the Capitol the manners of
the circus-ring and the atmosphere of
the pot-hOuse. They have roared over
the drunken incoherence of members
who had gone deeper in their cups than
those who enjoyed the spectacle; and
in the midst of this confusion and folly
they have passed by the score bills of
whose purport and effect it was physi-
cally impossible for them to have had
any knowledge. No wonder business
has languished while this body contin-
ued in session, and no wonder the end
is hailed as blessed, even if a tenn
porary, relief.


If one descends to particulars, what
could better illustrate the system that
has fastened itself upon us than the
''sundry civil" bill L? Every namable
offence against what is right and decent
was committed in connection with that
measure. That which should have been
considered early in the session only ap-
peared in the house on the eve of ad-
Journment. That which should have
been debated thoroughly was rushed
through with hot haste. The evil prac-
tice of making new law in an appro-
priatiOn bill is repeated here. And
when both branches have, after fash
ion, run through the bill and stuffed it
with jobs, it is put in the hands of six
men to compromise. 1t is not ques-
ton what the senate and house desire,
but what these six men can agree to.
When they have traded off this amend
ment against that, the senate and the
house, sitting at an unreasonable hour,
in unutterable confusion, and contain
ing some who are no longer sober, vote
upon the report in complete ignorance
of the measure they are approving, and,
after the bill has been hurriedly put in
shape for the Presidents signature, the
session ends soon after the lights have
been extinguished in the steamine
chambers. fs..f... 81


1t would not be fair to leave the mat
ter here, however. There are noble
and patriotic men in Congress-, not a
few. They have voted steadily fol
right measures, and labored constantly
and diligently for the best interests OF
the country. They have only shared
IN the confusion that has attended the