Year: 1870

CONGRESSIONAL DELINQUENCIEs.


The Baltimore Sun makes the following
structures upon the delinquency of our ma
tional Legislature:


With majority of more than two to
one in the House Of Representatives and
of nearly five to one in the Senate, the
republican party cannot escape the respon-
sibility which attaches to the utter failure
of Congress to effect any substantial re-
form in the national finances. At the
commencement of the session two courses
we're open to the party, either of which
might have afforded partial relief to the
suffering commercial aud industrial inter-
ests of the country. With surplus rev.
enue estimated at one hundred and thirty
millions of dollars, there was no longer
an excuse for defferring reduction of
taxes. The odious income tax, which
only yields some twenty millions, might
have been abol' ned altogether, and no
inconvenience whatever would have been
felt by the government. The load of in
ternal taxation might have been lightened
in other respects, and still there would
have been revenue enough, and to spare.
BY the introduction Of proper system of
economy and retrenchment in the various
departments of government expenditures
these taxes might have been re Iuced, and
Mr.. Boutwell, have been still le." in pos
session Of a considerable surplus with
which to retire bonds and add to the
sinking fund. Or if it had been thought
desirable to begin with revision of the
tariff and to leave the adjustment of inter-
nal taxation, always excepting the aboli-
tion of the income tax, Which should haze
been immediate, to another session, the
work was still easier Here taxation
might have been lessened without any loss
of revenue, or rather with the certainty of
an increase. Experience has demonstrate
ed that the best revenue tariff is properly
adjusted low tariff. A general reduction
of duties on imports would have given
new life to foreign trade, as we'll as re-
vived many languishing branches of home
industry that are now dying from too
much "protection"-the shipping interest
for example, which has been literally
protected off the face of the seas.


These were the two important matters
which imperatively challenged the atten-
tion of Congress-th revision of the tariff
and the reduction of internal taxation.
Both were loudly called for by the con-
dition of the country. If the accomplish
ment of both objects during the past win
ter was too much Of an undertaking for a
single session, it was optional with the
party leaders to dedicate their energies to
the successful prosecution of either. They
have failed to do anything.


After months spent in fruitlessly dis
cussing Mr., Schenk's tariff bill, that sub
ject has by common consent gone over to
the next session, while the bills that have
been introduced in regard to internal tax
alton only propose reduction of thirty
two millions, and it is doubtful if these
will pass. Beyond the fact that Georgia
has been admitted into the Union and
then turned out again, that bill of strin-
gent pains and penalties and involving an
assumption of unheard-of powers, has been
passed for the enforcement of the fifteenth
amendment, which no one had violated,
and that another vast tract of the public
damain has been voted away as gratuity
to band of spectators confederated
under the name of the Northern Pa
cifc Railway Company, to say nothing
of some lesser jobs of the same sort, it is
difficult to recall any single measure of
Importance which has been acted on since
it assembled in December. The measures
now which seem to be attracting most in
terest are those which are designed to de-
spoil the civilized and friendly Indians of
the lands which had been secured to them
by treaty and pledge of the national
faith, but which are wanted, we suppose,
to replace those which have been recklessly
and lavishly given away to railroad com
panies and advanturers.