The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1879-03-13
WHAT CONGRESS HAS DONE.

The forty~ffth Congress of the
United States adjourned on Tuesday
week. That congress will not 60
down to history as very brilliant
one, We give an idea of what it
did.
All the appropriation bills, except
the legislative aud army bills, have
been signed and are now laws also
the river and harbor bill, and the bill
making the requisite appropriation
to pay arrears of pensions. The last
named bill reached the president a
little before - o'clock and was
promptly approved. It's understood
that u message vetoing the river and
barber appropriation bill was pres
pared, bat under the influence of
great pressure the executive sigma
ture was finally affixed to that bill.
The principal measures which
have become laws during the last
session, in addition to ten of the reg
ular annual appropriation bills, are
as follows: The bill reducing the tax
on tobacco and otherwise amending
the internal revenue laws the Gems
sus bill the bill to aid in refunding
the national debt by authorizing the
issue of small treasury certificates ;
the bill to prevent the introduction
Of infectious and contagious diseases,
and the bill providing for the pay
ment of the arrears of pensions for
services during the late war.
Among the measures which made
more or less progress but .fa,led of
enactment this session are the follow
Jog: The legislative, executive and
judicial appropriation bill; the army
appropriation bill the bill to regu>
late Interstate commerce.; the steam,
boat bill; the Geneva award bill /;
the bill to establish postal savings
banks the bill to repeal the specie
resumption act; the bill granting
pensions to the survivors of the Mex
lean war the silver bill the bill to
restrict Chinese immigration; the
joint resolution proposing constitu
tional amendment to prohibit the
payment of disloyal claims the bill
to provide for the enforcement of the
eight-hour law the proposition to
transfer the Indian bureau to the war
department; the Mississippi levee
bill, and tho bill to provide for a
commission on the improvement of
the Miscippi; the bill extending the
time for the completion of the North
ern Pacific bill; the Brazilian mail
service bill the bill to regulate the
transportation of animals by rails
roads; the bill to devote the proceeds
of the sales of the public lands to
educational purposes the bill au,
thorizing railroad companies to con-
struct and maintain lines Of tele.
graph for commercial purposes the
Burnside committees army regula.
ton bill the bill to revise the patent
laws, and the Japanese and Chinese
indemnity fund bills ; the various
measures reported from the house
committee on banking and currency
and many other financial bills, be>
sides those specified above, propos-
ing aid 10 lands or bonds for con-
structon of railroads, canals, etc.
a large number of bills on the calen>
dars aggrega'ing local interests of
more or less importance, and sever~
al hun dred reported from committees
for the relief of private claimants
besides thousands of others, which
we're left untouched ia the files of
the committee rooms.
The 10Th Congress, by a procla
nation of President Hayes, meets
on the 18th inst.