Year: 1871

Between the Two Houses-Leaisiutive


Alb ortious.


The "Omnibus" Appropriation bill came to
an untimely and unexpected end yesterday in
the House. After spending four days upon it,
discussing 1t and voting on It paragraph by
paragraph, the House suspended the rules,
and, by the necessary two-thirds majority,
agreed in single vote to the last quarter Of
1t. It's passage would then have seemed to be
mere matter of course, when motion to lay
it on the table was made by an Indiana demo-
crat-Mr. Holman-and was carried by vote
of lis to II. This must have been matter
OF astonishment as well as annoyance to Mr..
Dawes, who, as chairman Of the Committee on
Appropriations, has had the trouble OF getting
up the bill In committee and of managing 1t In
the House, He promptly moved to reconsider
the vote, and then got the House to adjourn
without acting on that motion, thus securing
time to find out what the trouble is and to take
steps to bring members to their senses. The
apparent excuse for the hostile action was the
fact that the bill contained such large appro-
priations for public buildings; but inasmuch as
most Of those items were voted into the bill
by two-thirds majority, it is more likely that
the hostility came from those members whose
districts were not included in this partition Of
legislative favors. We expect that the House
will undo to-day its action Of yesterday and
pass the bill, otherwise the Committee on APP
preparations will be obliged to get up new bill
and pass it under suspension of the rules,
without the House having an opportunity,
perhaps, of being even acquainted with its
contents.


The conflict Of jurisdiction between the
House aud the Senate, in regard to the right
of the Senate to originate the bill to repeal tho
income tax, was made the subject of a report
from the managers Of the conference COM
mittee on the part of the House. They report
q resolution maintaining the exclusive autho-
rity of the House over subjects Of revenue,
and denying the right Of the Senate to origi-
nate any measures affecting the revenue
either by increasing, reducing or repeating
taxes. This idea is based upon English Par
liamentary precedsnts; but the analogy is not
very close, inasmuch as the upper House
there-the House of Lords-has no repre-
sentative character, but exists by right of
descent, whereas the Senate is an elective
body. Besides, the mere adoption of such
resolution has no more effect than mere
expression of opinion on the part of the House,
the practical remedy being for the House
simply to reject any such measures.


The Senate spent nearly the whole of yester-
day in consideration Of the Post Office Appro-
priation bill. One of its first acts was to
defeat the proposition for doubling the service
and subsidy of the China branch of the Pacific
Mail Steamship Company. The question Of
compelling change Of plan in the construc-
tween Cincinnati and Newport, was discussed
at some length, but the proposition to that
effect was defeated by close vote.


The action of the Ku Klux committee was
made the subject of an attempted personal
explanation by Senator Blair, one of it's menu
bers, who complained that its chairman, Sem
ator Scott, had exposed the secrets of the
committee in republican caucus. The Sem
ate, however, declined to go into that subject.
Senator Cragin also offered to make per-
sonal explanation in reference to the failure of
the Naval Committee to obtain action on the
the Senate declined to listen to, preferring to
go on with the Appropriation bill. The appli-
cation was made on the part Of the Kn Klux
committee for leave to sit during the first
session Of the Forty y-second Congress. No
action has yet been taken on the request; but
for the main object of creating the committee
was that it should exert an influence over the
next Presidential election.


The amount Of abortive legislation at this
Congress is remarkable. The business on the
Speakers table which is likely to fail from
want Of action on the part Of the House
includes the following bills TO revive the
navigation aud commercial interests; to
authorize the building of military
and postal railway between Washington
and New York; to establish system
of national education; to increase banking
facilities; to authorize the registration of
foreign built iron vessels; the General Am
nesty, bill and for the removal of the Brook
lyn Navy Yard. All the foregoing ara
measures reported by committees of the
House, many of them during the last session,
and which found their way, by various parlia-
mentary avenues, to the Speakers table, never
more to be brought to life. Besides these are
the following two House bills with Senate
amendments awaiting action ITO fix the time
for the election of Representatives to Con-
gress, and to provide for celebrating the one
hundred,h anniversary Of American iudepend-
ence by an int irrational exposition in
Philadelphia In l876. Then there are no
less than one hundred and fourteen Senate
bills on the Speakers table, thirty-two OF