Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1884-02-28
NATIONAL LEGISLATION.
What has been Done So Far In the Way OF Legis
lati0n-Financial Problems-The Land
Grant Fights-Dinners, etc.,

lation-Financial Problems-The Land
Grant Fights-Dinners, etc..
From our Regular Correspondent.
WASHINGTON. February %, 1884,
The Legislation of this session, is, as
yet, not much advanced The Senate
has passed some twenty bills, but the
House has accomplished considerably
less in this direction. The several acts
repeating the land grants of certain
railroads, the bill for the relief of Fitz
John Porter, and measure relating to
the number and pay of certain officers
and enlisted men in the volunteer forces
about sums up the completed business.
There is, however, much work in pros
pect Upon the calendar of the whole
House on the state of the union there
are now pending forty bills, among
which may be numbered the bill to PEN
| sion the veterans of the Mexican war,
the measure to elevate the Department
of Agriculture to the dignity of Cabinet
position. the Dingley shipping bill, and
the naval appropriation bill. There are
also about thirty bills upon the calen-
dar of the House, and one hundred and
fifteen on the private calendar, to say
nothing of the three or four thousand
which have been introduced, are under
consideration in committee, and the
myriads of bills now being perfected in
the mental machinery of our energetic
| statesmen.
There is no lack of bills to deal with
the financial problems before Congress,
but the subject has proved great in per-
| plexities. Mr.. Potter now notifies the
committee which has his two per cent.
bond bill in hand that he has decided
to modify it so as to make the interest
rate two and one-half per cent, with a
reduction of the tax on bank circulation
to one-half of one per cent. 1t is
thought that the provisions of this bill
would enable the national BANKS to con-
tinue business on their present basis
for some years. A number of other
| propositions have been made by the
friends of the national banks, and the
| opposition to the system has almost
vanished. As Mr. Beck said in the
Senate: THE banks are out of poll
tics; nobody opposes them," and some
judicious and friendly legislation is ex-
pected from Congress on the matter.
1t seems probable that bill bearing
upon the relation of the funded debt to
the national bank system will pass the
Senate. The peculiar rules of the House
render it less easy for that body to reach
and pass on the merits of any PROPOSE
ton; but strong pressure will be brought
to bear upon the House on behalf of a
friendly and sensible bond bill.
The naval appropriations bill has at
last come up in the House, and with its
consideration Congress begins the ses-
sions work on the supplies. The APP
preparations committee has been NOV
ing very cautiously in its task of un-
loading the Treasury OF part of the
troublesome surplus revenue, but they
have also prepared number of other
money bills, and all show spirit of
rigid retrenchment. The navy bill cuts
down the department estimates more
than seven millions and ignores it's re-
concentrations for an increase in our
fleets. Work on the monitors is also to
be suspended. The debate upon the
bill will probably continue during this
week.
The fight over the forfeiture of their
land grants, which has been waged so
assiduously in committee by represen-
tatives of the railroads, has visibly SUBJ
sided. The various interested corpora
tons seem to have abandoned any hope
of stemming the adverse tide of senti-
ment in the House, and turn their eyes
appealingly towards the Senate, where
they aim to accomplish more favorable
legislation. They fatter the dignity of
the upper house, say it is more tenn
perate body than the House of Repre-
sentatives, and that it proceeds more
cautiously and judicially in disposing
of very important matters. 1t is evil
dent that the railroads will wage their
great battle in the Senate, and if they
are defeated there, it is animated that
the validity of forfeiture legislation will
be strained to its utmost tension in the
courts
The somewhat delayed report of the
civil service commission has revived the
question of civil service reform, and
there is good deal of quiet discussion
going on among members of Congress
with regard to the civil service commits
sion, what it has accomplished, and
what may be expected of it. The ques-
ton of change in the law seems likely
to come up in Congress. 1t is singular
that the standpoint of critiscism on the
new law has been shifted At first it
was claimed that the examinations
would be too difficult and too "bookish'
but now it is mooted that they are not
rigid enough in these respects.
The White House has been all aglow
of late. Dinners and receptions follow
each other in quick succession since
Mrs. McElroy' S advent there, The recep-
tons are ''dry" affairs, and, apropos,
a prominent congressman exclaim ed
to me. ''How | wish Mrs. Hayes was
back at the White House. We could
have lemonade then, but now we can't
get even a glass of water"
LENox.
Selected Miscellany.
1t is less pain to learn in youth than
to be ignorant in age.