Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1884-04-11
Olk DO.NOTnINE CONGRESS

The chief work Of the present Congress ia
TO talk and to introduce bills. OF talk.
which is proverblally cheap, there has been
enough for half a dozen ordinary sessions
and OF bills, the number introduced is simn.
" amazing. In the lTousa, nearly C5OD bills
have been Introduced, aud between two and
three hundred joint resolutions which have
the force OF bills. IN the Senate the mum.
Der OF bills and joint resolutions is bevond
2OOO, making total Of nearly 5000 bills and
JOINT resolutions introduced in both DO lies
during the four months Of this session. No
Congress has ever made such record in
this regard. The number OF bills introduced
in Congress has seldom run in both sessions
above 10000, but at the present rate it will
probably run to Al least $4,000 and pcrbons
10000. But Of the 5000 measures which
have been introduced, seat to committees
and many Of them reported tor action. only
twenty-five nave become laws. One hun
dred and twelve bills have passed the Ho1so
and one hundred and seventy have passed
the Senate. On the House calendar are sbou,
100 bills which bsye been Passed by the ~.
a'e' and been cent to the House for its &C
tlon' About $50 bills have passc the House
and been sent to tho S--sta for ,ts oo,io,,
ouV Vi luis ner ,ac-nai are private bills
granting pensions or relief, or matters only
Oh interest to one or two or half dozen per-
sons. ot the twenty five bills that have be.
come laws, not five are bills o. any imnor.
lance. OF the twelve regular appropriation
DIS, only two have become laws-the "littln
deficiency bill" and that providing for for,if.
Gallons Only three of the twelve have been
acted on IN the House-the Naval annro-
pra'ion bill, which appropriated Sl4, 1874 Gg5
when 1t left the House, but has been aup
mented six millions by the Senate commit.
teei the Postotlice bill which appropriates
sl5'@35 800; and the Military Academy hill
which aPpropriates S3l4, 569. In addition
10 these there are lending in the House
re dy Tor its action, the Indian appronri,-
ton bill and Pension bill, the former sn,ro.
prlating '35,3l7 G43, the latter SEQ, 6s4 4oo
al this date two years ago the Military hcod-
envy, Fortiicalious, Consular and Dinl,.
matte, Amy, Indian, Agricultural ard pom
son bills had been passed blythe House. The
fi'2'John Porter bill, which was passed Inv
both House aud Senate, isnot vet q Iov
because /. was amended 10 the Senate and
must DC again acted upon in the House Tho
senate has decided to add large sum to the
House naval bill, which will probably couso
another long debate over the bill when !,
comes back to the House. The postoffcn
appropriation bill when it gets to TO tbe Sen.
ate VIII probably be largely increased and
VIII naturally be further discussed when
brought back for concurrence in the Honso
inc programme OF the House appropriations
appears 10 have been to make the annronri
allon bills very small, with the expectation
That they would be increased by the Senate
.ne ooJect being TO cast upon the Republican
Cody The onus of making large, rather than
small appropriations for governmental ser
VEGA truly statesmanlike and nstriot,c
method OF doing things.
congress has now been in session four
months, and tho meagre record we have
gwen shows how the Democratic majority
IN lhe House has wasted the time. The fact
49, The Democrats are afraid to take hold in
goou earnest OF any OF the great questions of
the day. They have no principles and no
pon'V' The party, indeed, is a homeless
nervele's sgglomeration, in which the sem.
olasce OF life is kept up merely by the desire
for Office,