The Dickinson press., 1884-07-12
Yo1x or ooxax1es.
1ass Of the Most Important Measure.
Passed by 0ongrsss-Ddlls Hot Passed.

List Of the Most Important Measures
Passed BY oonsrsss-Dills Hot Passed.
The first session of the Forty-eighth con-
gress closed on Monday last 1t has extended
over a period Of seven months and four days,
although the actual working time will not ex-
coed 165 days. In that time there have been
introduced in the senate 1857 bills and 81
joint resolutions, and in the house 1907 bills
and 2s4 resolutions. OF these, IS senate bills
houses and become laws by executive ap-
proval, and 62 house bills and AZ house reso-
buttons became laws in the same manner.
Three house bills also became laws without
the action of the president, and one was re-
turned to the house with his veto. OF meas
ures introduced in the senate, 36S bills and II
joint resolutions were indefinitely postponed,
and 6 bills laid upon the table. In the house
IA bills and 3 joint resolutions were indefinitely
postponed. A majority of the measures in
Of general Importance, such as bills for pri-
vate relief and pensions, for the erection of
public buildings, the bridging of rivers, and
other improvements only Of local importance.
BECAME Avs.
The following measures passed both houses
and were signed by the president, in addition
to the gegular annual appropriation bills and
river and harbor bills:
The bill to reduce the rate of postage OF Q
papers and periodical publications of the second
class when sent by others than publisher of
news agent to one cent for four ounces; to pro-
vide a civil government to Alaska; to extend
the duration of court commissioners Alabama
claims until December, 1885; to prevent and
punish counterfeiting in the United States of
bonds or other securities of foreign govern
ments; to grant fifteen days leave Of absence
with pay in each year to letter carriers; to
authorize the secretary of war to offer a reward
of $25,00O for the rescue of the Greedy Arctic
exploration party; to establish a bureau of la
Dor statistics; to make all public roads ana
highways post roads; to authorize legislatures
Of the states of Illinois, Arkansas, Louisiana,
and Tennessee to sell or lease certain lands np-
tain burdens from the American merchant ma
rlne, commonly known as the Dingley ship
ping bill; to establish q bureau of animal in
dustry, prevent the expectation of diseased
cattle, and provide for the suppression and ex-
tirpation of pleuro-pneumonia and other con-
IN IKE 1t felony for any person to personate any
Q iicer or employe of the United States, or any
d :partment thereof; to repeal the test oath act
o. 1862; to authorize the fitting out of
G:eely, and party in the Arctic seas; to
limit the time in which prosecutions may be
begun against persons for violation of internal
revenue laws to three years; to relieve from
charge of desertion certain soldiers of the late
war, who having, served faithfully until the
close of the war, left their commands without
leave; to provide for the location in a state
west of the Mississippi river of a branch home
for volunteer soldiers of the late war, and for
soldiers of the Mexican war and the war of
1872, whose disabilities were not incurred in
service against the United States; to provide
for the 1iSn0aa1 nf abandoned md 11co1aoS mil;
tary reservations; to reorganize the corps of
judge advocates of the army; to establish u
bureau of navigation in tho treasury depart
ment
The following measures have been incorpor-
ated in the regular appropriation bill and be-
conc laws:
To appoint q commission to visit several
countries of Central and South America to col
lect information as to the best mode of secur-
ing more intimate international and CONNER
cial relations between these countries and the
United States; to provide that hereafter all cs-
Inmates of appropriations and estimates of de-
ticiencies in appropriations extended for the
consideration Of congress shall be transmitted
to congress through the secretary of the treas
ury, and in no other Manner, to provide that
ternal revenue, CANCERS, storekeepers, anu
clerks employed in the informal revenue
service shall not been increased; to create a
board of pension appeals, to be appointed by
the secretary OF the interior; to provide for
the appointment of a scientific commission
which may, IN the name of the United States
government, conduct o national conference of
electricians in Philadelphia, in the autumn of
1884; to authorize the president in case if
threatened, or actual epidemic, to use the un-
expended balance of the appropriation. not to
exceed 100000, in aid of state ndloca lboards
or otherwise in his discretion, in preventing
and suppressing the spread Of the same and
maintaining quarantine at points of danger; to
permit the admission to government hospitals
for the insane of inmates of the soldiers home
who are now or may hereafter become insane;
to provide it shall not be lawful for the head of
an executive department or any bureau or
branch or officers of the government to cause
to be printednor for the public printer to print
any document or matter of any character what
ever except that which is authorized by law
and necessary to administer public business,
nor for any bureau officer to embrace in his
nnual or other report to be printed any mat
ter not directly pertaining to duties of his Of
flee as presented by law; to provide for the
appointment of a Missouri river commissioner
with powers and duties similar to those of the
Mississippi river commission; to appropriate
81, 10000 to pay the rebate tax On tobacco.