The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1884-04-02
A GREAT $C0NGRESSl;
THE TIDAL WAVE REFoRMkRs
Who were washed lato The Capitol In 1889.
The 0r,At Acts which Thsy Accomplished.
Oss Of the rr,iur Pan la.o ths Fire.
Gta.ral Ntws Notes From WaahiuKtos. sb

few years ago tue outcome WAS not re-
assuring, at The close OF the polls on that
memorable day in November 1882. It was
known that the people had electeda Demo.
cratic House by such msjority as to assure
"reiorm," II reform should be the order OF
the day. During the first session Of the
Forty'peventh Congress, in which the Re.
publican party had aslislt working MAORI.
ty, there was y disposition, frequently
shown, on tue part oi the press to blame
the inactivity u the memheiS OF the lower
House, and the legend "adjourn
and 10 home" was printed at the
head Of the editorial columns
Of hundreds OF Democratic reform papers
from the time Congress assembled alter
the holiday vacation until the day Of final
adjournment came in August. Last De-
cember, the Ash Congress met for the first
time and elected Speaker pledged to re-.
lorm. Promises were made that the work
Of the session should be we'll under way
before the, ides Of March. The principal
appropriation bills were to have been re.
ported In January and the work Of the
House 81" thoroughly III hand that an ad.
journment could be had long before the
not weather set in. The program, in fact,
was 30 ncaiv luid out that It seemed de.
cidedly unlikely that the Republican party
woulu ever again obtain control OF the
lower House, or that ii would succeed In
electing lis president this fail. s'--
PERFORMANCE ys, PROMISE. -
How we'll this Congress has fulfilled its
promises Of reform in the manner Of doing
business is shown by the following stale.
ment Of the work actually performed thus
far this winter; bills and resolutions intro
duced and acts passed and approved: rs.
Up to date there have been introduced
into the House 0,g95 bills and ell resolu.
tiont; in the Senale 1858 bills and 70 reso-
luti.ns, total Of S.55l, or within about
1000 OF the entire number Introduced dur.
ing both sessions Of the Forly.ssventh Con.
gress. In this respect the present Congress 50
leads all competitors. At the pres
ent writing 1872 bills and Joint
resolutions have parsed the Sen
ate. and exactly the same number
have attached to them the signature Of the
clerk ol the house, showing that that mum.
ber have been iavorab!y acted upon by the
popular braach. Abou. IS percent OF these
are private, pension, claim, patent or relief
bills Of some sort. But it must not bs
supposed that S24 bills and resolutions
have become laws, or that even hall that
number only await the signature Of the
President to be entitled 10 place on the
statute books OF the land. On -ths con.
trary exactly So acts in all have received
the approval ol the President, after having
passed both houses. These are divided
into the following cla SCI: Public acts lS,
public resolutions 10, private ac,s2, private
resolutions 8.
;.. t.a' PUBLIC BUSINESS. + I'll
The thirteen public acts are: No. i. To
fix time for holding the District Court in
tte district Ct Maine, at Bangor. No. 9.
Making an appropriation for continuing the
improvement Of the Mississippi river. No.
;, To authorize tho increase OF the capital
stock OF the First Nat. Bank Of Fort Worth,
Texas. No. 1. Presiding for the removal Of
the remains Of Major General E. O. G. Ord,
U. S. A, from CUBA to Washington. No.
5. Making IN. appropriation to pay the 10.
bacco tax rebate and provide Tor the ex.
pensea Of the Legislature Of New Mexico.
No. 4. To change the name Of The Nation
al Lafayette 3 INK Of Commerce to that Of
the National Bank OF Lafayette. No, Z,
To fix the time Of holding The Circuit and
District Courts Of the United States in the
Northern District OF Iowa. No. s. Max.
ing oil public roads and highways
post routes. No, 8. To completesa stat.
no OF the late Rear Admiral
Samuel F. Du pont, U. s. N. No. 10. Making
an appropriation 10 supply the deficiency
in expenditures for the survey Of the South
psss, Mississippi river. No. II. To estab.
lish standard Of time in the District OF
Columbia. No l2. To change the name
OF q National bank, in Nebraska. No. 10
To change the name Of a National bank in
Maine. The private acts are: No. !. To
remove the political disabilities Of s. II.
Lockett, Of Alabama No. 2. For the re.
lief Of Louisa Boldly. No. 8. For the relief
OF tho devises OF the late Daniel Carroll
"a District Of Columbia CASEY Public reso.
luton No. l extends the time fixed for the
joint committee appointed to cons der the
difference in ealar;es Of House and Senate
employees, to fix their report No. 9.
Authorizing the payment Of the salaries Of
employees Of the two Houses December %.
Ito give them a chance for Christmas ies.
tivities) No.3 Relating to the surrender
by George Washington Of MS commission.
No. 4. Authorizing the Secretary OF the
Interior to detail two clerks from his de-
partment to assist certain House commit.
tees. No s. Authorizing the Secretary OF
War to receive Two young men from Cen.
trail America for instruction at West Point.
No. 9, To correct an error In the enrolment
Of bill OF an act of Congress No. 7. Fix.
ipga time when the pay Of certain House
employees shall bagin. Nos. Appropriat-
ing Sl0O 900 for the relief OF certain desli.
tu!e Indians. No. 8. Authorizing Secretary
Of War 10 irsue ra.ions 10 the sufferers by
the Ohio river OVERT, w. No. 10. Making
an appropriation to ct ont the Greedy
relief expedition. No. II. Authorizing the
printing Of $4,000 copies OF the health
officer Of the District oi Columbia.
No. l2. Making further appropriations for
the relief Of the Ohio hood sufferers. No,
lS. Authorizing the expenditure Of money
for Indian educational purposes. No. Ii.
Filling: vacancy in the Board Of Regents
tfthe Smithsonian II ssitution. No. l5, For
The printing Of eulogies on Hon. Dudley
G. Haskell. Tho private resolutions pro-
vide Tor the relief of E. H. and H.eW.
Walker and for the rsllef OF Frank Cult. 4,
The above is an ntilcial transcript OF the
work actually performed by the Forty.
eighth Congress brought in on The great
tidal wave Of 1882. Which is the frying.
pan? Which is the fire? s. .sa'9
Y. CONGnEksnA AN GIBSON. !,
The Condition or IL Is . Fences ''-He tx,
| n nrcis a denomination,
From Our Special Correspondent :si3S
WAsnISoroN, D. Q. April 1.-Congressman
Gibson Of the Huntington district, who hat