The Feilding Star. TUESDAY, JULY 31, 1888. The American Senate and the Duty on Wool

Feilding Star, Issue 155, 31 July 1888, Page 2

The Feilding Star. TUESDAY, JULY 31, 1888. The American Senate and the Duty on Wool

The hopes of Colonial farmers have been raised by the news that the American House of Representatives has passed the clause in the Tariff Bill, admitting wool free of duty after next October. We must not, however, jump to the conclusion that the matter is finally settled, since it remains to be seen whether the Senate will confirm the resolution passed by the Lower House. Judging from articles which have appeared in some newspapers, it would seem that many persons imagine the Senate of the United States to be a body like our own Legislative Council, which simply acts as a check upon hasty legislation, and never ventures to reject a measure deliberately passed by the more popular assembly. But this is very far from being the real state of the case. The Senate is just as much an elective body as the House of Representatives — elected, indeed, in a different way, but possessing an equal share of authority, which it does not hesitate to exercise, with the full approval of the American people. As some of our readers may not be familiar with the working of the American constitution, perhaps it may not be out of place to give a brief explanation of the means by which the two Houses are chosen. The House of Representatives is elected, like our own, by universal suffrage, but for a term of two, instead of three years, the number of representatives being allotted to each State in proportion to its population. The Senate, on the other hand, is a body directly representing the States, each State sending two members, irrespective of its population, these members being chosen by the State Legislatures. It will be seen, therefore, that though a party which is supported by public opinion in the more populous States, is sure of a majority in the House of Representatives, it by no means foiI lows that it can control the Senate, I where each State is equally repre- [ sented ; the little State of Rhode | Island, for instance, with its 300,000 I inhabitants, having exactly the same voice (which, unfortunately for us, it exercises on the Republican side) as the great (aud Democratic) State of New York, with a population of over five millions. Each Senator is choseu for six years ; but only one-third of the Senate is elected at a time, the elections taking place every two years. The Senate may therefore be described as an assembly having a continuous existence, its composition being gradually changed by the periodical re-election of a third of its members. The state of parties in the Senate at the beginning of 1887 was — Republicans (Protectionists), 42 ; Democrats (Freetraders), 34 ; but the elections of that year resulted in an accession of strength to the Democratic party, the numbers at the present time being — Republicans, 38 ; Democrats, 37 ; and one " Independent" ; so that the prospects of the new Tariff being carried are undoubtedly more hopeful. The benefit to the Australian colonies of such a change of policy can hardly be overrated. For the first year or two its effects would perhaps not be fully marked, the importation of wool into America being, at present, comparatively trifling, though the fact of American buyers being able to give higher prices would undoubtedly have a favorable effect on the wool market. But the result of the free admission of the raw material must be to give an immense impetus to the woollen manufactures of America ; and as soon as this impetus has had time to make itself felt, a new market will be opened for our chief product, which will continue to develop itself year after year. Let us hope that it may be so, and that the good sense of the American people may save us from the effects of the ignorance and folly of our own legislators.