Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1882-08-09
ADJOURNED.
The Forty-S Seventh Congress Closes
Its Long Session.
The Work That Has Been Done and That
Lett Undons-Another Era Of Ex-
travagaRce Inaugurated-The
Remedy Suggested.
POINTS, PERSONAL AND POLITICAL.
N,.r,oI Dirpatch % ne Reo.sser.

Special Dispdteh 10 the Reosster.
WASHINGTON, August S.-The long ses-
sion of the Forty-seyenth Congress is
finally at an end, and the people can thank
God and take courage. No more prohigate
body ever assembled within the walls of
the Capitol, and none which has or will
descend the execrations OF the people.
Congressional annals record but few in
stances where a session has extended over
eight months. The first session of the
Forty.fourth Congress ran into August, but
there was a reasonable excuse for it six
years ago. At that time there was long
persistent controversy between the House
and the Senate over the reduction of ex-
penditures. The Democrats then had
good working majority in the House and
under the leadership Of Randall
as chairman of the appropri-
ating committee. they fought Republican
Senate for months, won victory after vic
tory, and finally succeeded in securing a
reduction of the ordinary appropriations
amounting TO between So, 600 900 and $780,
100000. That was a memorable session.
The present session is also memorable, but
how different from the former. The length
of the session has been extended, owing to
the manner in which the appropriation
bills have been dealt with by the party
dominant in both houses. The contest OF
1876 resulted IN reducing the appropriations
nearly $4,000, 900. The work Of 1882 has
resulted in the
lions.
exclusive of pensions, by the extraordinary
amount of about forty millions. 1t is a fact
well known here that the reductions made
in 1876 embarrassed in no wise the proper
administration of the government in all its
branches. 1t is fact equally well known
that the appropriations made this session
are far beyond the necessities of nearly
every branch of the public service. They
are now available, and a new era of ex-
travagance and plunder has be-
gun. 1t is too late to expect
that the breaks will be put On by the
FOrty-Seyenth Congress. The men who
control its organization will make carni-
val of the next session, no matter what
may be the result of the coming autumn
I elections. Inc pSOplc put On tnC
brakes in the FOrty-eighth Congress only
by giving the Democrats strong majority
in the House of Representatives. The con-
yersation OF Republican Congressman indl-
cate unmiStakably that they expect to De
put on the defensive in the coming cam
paign, and they are leaving for home in
anything but cheerful and hopeful mood.
What They Have Done.
During the present session of Congress
7,lS2 bills and Joint resolutions have been
introduced in the House. OF this immense
total 500 have been reported fayorably, 2i5
unfayorably, and no less than 6.134 remain
in the hands of the various committees.
Three hundred and three bills and joint
resolutions have passed the House (most OF
them pension bills and other measures OF
semi.priyate nature, such as grants OF con-
demned cannon for soldiers monuments,
etc J 2S7 have become laws and IL await
the Presidents approval. Among the lat
ter are the bills apprOpriating 100000 and
$4,000 respectively for public baildiugs at
Fort Wayne, Ind, and st. Joseph, Mo. The
Japanese indemnity fund bill is still in con-
ference committee and will probably go
over until the next session OF Congress, as
two of the conferees on the part OF the
House are absent.
2,2s3 bills and joint resolutions have been
introduced in the Senate. 466 of these have
been passed by thai body. At the hour OF
final adjournment, besides the great num-
Der of measures not yet reported from the
Senate committees, there remain upon
the Senate calendar about 100 Senate bills
and Joint resolutions and Il House bills
and resolutions, all of which will have to
| take their chances next session.
Passed Both Houses.
Aside from the regular annual appropri-
alton bills about 10 bills and joint resolu-
| tions Of a public nature have passed both
houses during this session and have be-
come laws. Among the more important
are the following:
To provide for the appointment of a COM
mission to investigate the question of the
| tariff: TO enable national banking aSSocia-
tiOns to extend their corporate existence;
re establishing the Court of Commissioners
of Alabama Claims and for the distribution
of the unappropriated money of the Geneva
award: 10 execute certain treaty stipula-
tiOns relating to Chinese; the anti-polyg
amy bill; making an apportionment Of
Representatives in Congress under the
tenth census; making appropriation for the
payment of the final expenses OF the tenth
census (S540, 600; appropriating $4,000 for
the purchase and distribution OF seeds
under the direction of the Commissioner
of Agriculture) to people in localities over
flowed by the Mississippi river; joint reso-
luton concerning an International Fishery
Exhibition, to he held at London in May,
1883, and providing for an exhibit on the
part of the United States; appropriating
$3.50 900 for the sufferers OF the Mississippi
floods; to amend the revised statutes so as
to extend to foreign vessels the provisions
of inspection laws now applicable to
domestic vessels only; to regulate the car
riage Of passengers upon ocean steamships
and the act TO regulate immigration known
respectively as the Deuster bill' and the
Head Money bill''); the knit goods bill.
The amount appropriated during the
present session OF Congress, included in
the regular annual appropriation bills, the
river and harbor, pensions, the deficiency
and miscellaneous appropriations, aggre-
gate 1924, 24S, ,O97.S6.
Nothing has been done to relieve the
people from the burdens of taxation. Upon
the contrary, it has seemed TO be the object
of the dominant party to Squander the
money now in the Treasury and inaugurate
a system of sO-called Improvements which
would continue to absorb all the surplus
revenue for years to come. The knit
goods bill, passed in such shape as to make
its validity doubtful, increases the cost Of
blankets &c from so to S5 per cent. and
the proposed little revenue bill, if passed,
would only have served to put additional
amounts into the pockets Of patent medi-
cine vendors, and afforded no relief to the
tax-ridden public. Millions for creeks and
ponds but not a measure of relief, worthy
Of the name for the people. One hundred
million dollars of increased appropriations,
not one cent of tax reduction. Such is the
Work of the session which has Just closed.
To Get Rid Of Unnecessary Printing.