Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1883-03-09
The RECORD OF Congress-,

Inc one WorR OF importance accomplished
by Congress in its closing hours was the pas
sage of the tariff reduction and internal rev.
enue bill. Precisely what this bill will accom-
plish, so far as the tariff revenue is concerned,
cannot yet be ssid but Senator Morrill, esti-
mates that, all told, it will effect q reduction
of taxation amounting to $75, 900, 600. The
internal revenue part of the bill provides for
the repeal of the taxes on banks and bankers,
whether state or national, except the tax on
the circulation of national banks, which re.
mains as heretofore. The stamp-tax on bank
checks and drafts and on matches, perfumery
and patent medicines is also to be abolished
There has been large reduction in the taxes
on tobacco and on the manufacturers of and
dealers in tobacco, while the tax on liquors
has been left undisturbed. Another measure
of scarcely less Importance to the people at
large, is that which reduces letter postage to
two cents, the reduction to take place October
LIST. To these measures may be added the
civil service reform bill, the success of which
is yet to be demonstrated, but which stands
as the most perfect that the leaders of the re-
form could devise, and one on which they are
willing to assume the responsibility of max
ing the reform successful. The bill returning
to the government of Japan the indemnity
exacted from it years ago became law, and
a long standing injustice was thus corrected.
The bill extending the national bank charters
became a law, and a law was also passed pro-
tecting the Yellowstone national park from
the schemes of monopolists who were trying
to take it from the people and convert it into
private property for their own profit. To
these good deeds should be added the fact that
the river and harbor bill, passed by the House,
was killed in the Senate. Taken as whole,
the record of the short session. which closed
on Sunday morning, is good one. It's mem
bers heard the will of the people as voiced in
the fall elections, and yielded to their de-
mands with becoming grace. At the first SEES
sion of this Congress- bills for the refunding
of the maturing public debt in per cents,
for the suppression of polygamy in Utah, and
for the distribution of the balance of the Gen
eva award to actual losers by the Anglo
Confederate cruisers, were passed. 1t may
be said with entire truth that, of useful legis-
lation the Forty seventh Congress accom-
plished more than has any Congress since the
last Republican Congress, which passed the
resumption act
Among the important measures which fail
ed of enactment are to be named the bill for
the relief of the supreme court, the educa-
tional aid BILL the bills providing for the cleo
toral count, the presidential succession and
presidential inability, and the supplementary
ant-Mormon bill. Nor should it be forgot
ten that this Congress failed to heed the warn
ing of the President and Secretary of the
Treasury, and stop the coinage of fraudulent
silver dollars. The accumulation of these
dollars in the treasury vaults already amounts
to 800, 900, 600, and before another Congress
conVenes the accumulation will be 1925, OOO,-
600. 1t is useless to pay them out, since they
go straight back to the treasury; yet their
coinage must go on at the rate of 50, 900, 900
a month.
The appropriations of the Forty-seventh
Congress reach gross total of 1924, 1897, $50,
of which the larger part, 1926, 5O9, 500, was
appropriated at the first or "long" session,
and 1929, 1927, 51l during the session Just end
ed. 1t should be borne in mind, however,
that the amount of SIS, 73S, 1915 for river and
harbor purposes was included in last years
appropriations, and that, as already noted, a
similar bill, designed to draw SIS, O47, 600 from
the treasury, failed thisyear. Compared with
preceding years, it will be found that the to-
tai amount appropriated during the session
just closed, for the current expenses of the
government, is less than has been appropriat-
ed for three years, the amount required for
pensions being excluded from the comparison.
Things have now come to such pass that
the operations of the treasury are largely de-
termined by the demands of the pension bu-
reau. The pension bill just passed appropri-
ated 500, $50, 900 in excess of the bill passed
two years ago, and $l3, 225, 900 less than last
years bill
The New York Times has not been inclined
of late to be optimistic in its view of party
affairs, but it nevertheless expresses this opin-
ion after recounting the doings of Congress,
both good and bad "On the whole it may
be safely said that the close Of the Forty
seventh Congress leaves the country in a bet
ter situation than at its opening, and in one
far better than could have been anticipated
after the first session. The spirit within the