Year: 1879

WASHINGTON, Feb. S. 1879.
ALARM ABOUT AN EXTRA sEssIoN-coNDITIoN


OF BUSINESS BEFORE CONGRESS IMPORTANT


LEGISLATION DEMANDED.


Public opinion will soon have to demand that Con-
gress shall leave party politics largely Alone in
order that it may have time to pay attention to the
cessary business of the country which is in great part
utterly neglected and in part attended to in hasty
and careless manner. Both parties are to blame
for this for both have their minds fixed on
the next Presidential election than the best in
tcrests of the country. The of business which
already presses on Congress is great that If 1t
should totally abandon those party skirmishes in
which it delights. and one of which has occupied
the Senate all day and until nearly midnight to-
night. it would still have to work hard to do justice
to the questions of real moment which press
for attention. AS matters now go, mere petty
party politics take up much time that such
questions that of free ships get hearing.
The Patent bill, on which committees have labored
for several years. may become law without discus
sion in the House. which its great importance GER
tainly demands. The bill for the organization Of the
Mississippi River Improvement Commission-one Of
the most important measures ever before Congress,
which ought to have passed at the last session-has
only passed the House to-day and may fail in the Sem
nte The Telegraph BILL which attracts great deal Of
attention here pass. if at ALL only in the shape
in which General Butler has hitched it on to the
Army bill. The test oath repeal hardly get a
hearing. although the law could not stand against
debate which would show up the absurdity which
allows a to come to the House Senate and
frame and help enact law. to enforce which. when
he goes home, judge may forbid him to sit on o
common jury


1t is extravagant to say that the unfinished and
neglected business which will fall. with the expra-
ton of Congress- on the 4th Of March. is far more
important to the country than all the Forty fifth
Congress has done and yet it has been exception
ally hard working and faithful boay. 1t has
put its foot down jobs of every kind.
and it has given much time and labor on
committees to great variety of really important
business. In many ways it has been improve
ment any Congress since the The mischief
lies in the propensity which has certainly and
greatly increased since 1861 to consider Congress
part of the partisan political machinery and not as
body whose first duty is to attend to the general
business interests of the country.


There is a sudden alarm here about an extra ses-
sion. but it is impossible to discover anybody who
wants it, either republican democratic. and
sary business is sufficiently advanced to make per-
fectly easy to go through. There remain twenty
working days in the session. and the Appropriations
Committee of tho House is so far advanced





works with but moderate speed. Mr.. Atkins
the chairman of the committee. will be able
to redeem his promise have all the appropriations
through the House at days before the close
of the session. The Army bill ought to pass this
week; the Legislative, Executive and Judicial bill
is already before the House and will be taken up at
once, and when that is passed there will remain only
the River and Harbor, Sundry Civil and General
Deficiency bills. all of which will be ready for action
as soon as the House get at them. IT, therefore.
there shall be any failure to pass necessary appro-
prations. such would force an extra session. de-
lays in the Senate and not in the House will be the
cause of this. But the Senate has so far shown
any especial disposition 10 delay.


There is even time enough left to adopt some bills
which ought to become laws and which do not come
under the head of necessary business. This Con-
gress ought to make appropriations for the
ton of a wing for the Smithsonian Institutc-a
national museum IL is called, which is urgently
needed-to care for the mass Of extremely valuable
material of various kinds presented to the country
by foreign governments at the close Of the Centen.
NAL exhibition. All this is stored in cellars and
lofts in packing cases rotting. and subject to the
attacks of rats and insects Congress ought also TO
grant an appropriation to begin the new building
proposed for Congressional library. The present
building is crowded that the whole floor is encum-
bered with thousands of books, for which II In i'm
possible To find shelf room, and unless work is soon
begun on new building the accumulating volumes
will have to be stored away in boxes In buildings out
side the Capitol. AS matters now stand the regular
demands the library are very dificuls to meet
with the utmost industry of Mr.. sponord aud his
small corps of assistants. Finally Congress- ought to
appropriate the moderate sum required to purchase
site for the Naval Observatory, and begin the
erection upon II Of the necessary buildings. Tho
Naval Observatory occupies tho most ma-
isrious point in Washington. There is no doubt that
several valuable lives have bcen sacrificed in the last
six years through illness contracted at the Obscrva-
tory and the labors of the astronomical corps sre
formed at the constant risk OF their health.
Moreover the site iii chosen In tho
beginning. II lies too near the Potomac.
the time suitable for observations The site is
healthfu aud removed from fogs. the Of w..
moval is very moderate. The country IL poor but IL
n not poor that IL needs to allow valuable coec-
tons 10 perish. great library to become almost use-
less and its Naval Observatory which one Of tho
scientific institutions of which Americans fecl most
proud, to be disabled.


The Census Dill which is under Mr.. Cox's charge
comes up next week and will doubtless pass. Mr.
Cox has given much labor TO the preparation of 10
and has had the advantage OF consulting freely with
and with other prominent statisticians.


Tho bill for the new classification of mail matter
has, 1t is said. but little chance of passing.


FROM OUR REGULAR CORRESPONDENT