Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1884-08-01
WHAT HAS BEEN o n

] Close of the First Session of the Forty
eighth Congress-A Resume of the
Business Transacted During the Ses-
sion.
WASHINGTON, July s.-The first scs.
sion of the XLVIIlth Congress has
| come to a close. 1t has extended
| over o period of seven months and
four days, although the actual working
| time will rot exceed one hundred and sixty
five days. In that time there have been in
troduced in the Senate 2,3G7 bills and nine
t~y-seven joint resolutions, and in the House
1907 bills and 2S4 resolutions. OF
these siXty-six Senate bills and ten
Senate resolutions and siXty-two House
bills and thirty-two House resolutions
have, with executive approval, become laws.
Three House bills have become laws with
out the action of the President, and one was
returned to the House with his veto. OF the
measures introduced in the Senate, 1858 bills
and seventeen joint resolutions were indeti-
nitely postponed, and six bills laid upon the
table. In the House fourteen bills and
three joint resolutions were postponed in
definitely. A majority of the measures in
troduced in both houses related to matters
not of general Importance, such as bills for
private relief and pensions, for the erection
of public buildings, bridging rivers and 9TH
CT improvements of only local Importance.
The measures that passed both houses,
and were signed by the President, IN addi-
ton TO the regular annual Appropriation
bills and the River and uarbor bills. were as
follows:
To reduce the rate Of postage on newspaper
and periodical publications OF the secoed
class, when sent by others than the publisher
or news agent. to one cent for each four
49,, {r ,>,.ot tl oi,-it lyrs, M N = fnr A 1pc
ka; to extend the duration of the Court Com.
missioncrsrof Alabama Claims until Decenl-
her. 1855; to prevent and punish the counter
feiting in the United States of the bonds or
other securities of foreign Governments: to
grant fifteen days leave Of absence, with pay,
III each year to lettcr-carriers; to authorize
$4,000 for the rescue of the Greedy arctic ex-
ploring party; to establish a bureau Of labor
statistics; to make oil public ronds and high
ways post-roads; to authorize the Legislatures
Of the States of Illinois, Arkansas, louisiana,
and Tennessee, to sell or lease certain lands
appropriated for school purposes: TO remove
marine commonly known as tho Dingicy ship
ping bilD; to establish a bureau of animal i'll
dustry, prevent the expectation OF diseased
cattle, and provide for the suppression and
extirpation OF pleurc-pncumonla and other
contagious diseases among domestic animals;
to make it a felony for any person to person.
acting under the authority Of the United
States or any department thereof: to repeal
the t~est-oath act of 1872; to authorize the tit
ting out Of an expedition for the relief of
Lieut.. Greeley and party in the Arctic seas; TO
limit the time i'll which prosecutions may lie
begun against persons for violations OF the
Internal !tcNennc laws to three years; to re-
lieve from the charge OF descrtiou certain
soldiers of the late war, who, after having
served faithfully until tie close of the war,
left their commands without leave: to pro-
vide for Il local branch III IL State West OF the
Mississippi River of the home for the volun-
teer. soldiers OF the late war, and for solditrs
or ING Mo SIpDn NV1r and rf ft1 ,-,,, ~ 1nt
whose Liabilities were not incurred in the
service against the United States: to provide
for the disposal of abandoned ana useless
military reservations: TO rco1ganize the corps
of Judge Advocates of the Army: to establish
a Bureau Of Navigation in the Treasury De-
p2rtLlent-
In addition many laws have been enact
ed which We're introduced as riders to the
appropriation bills. Among them were the
following:
10 appoint Il Commission to visit the scyor-
al countries of Central and South A,ner.ca to
collect information as to the best mode Of Sc
curing more intimate international and com
mercial relations between these countries
and the United States: to provide that here
after all estimates OF appropriations, and cs.
Inmates Of the deficiencies in appr priutions,
snail be transmitted through the Score
tary of the Treasury, and in no other
n manner; TO provide that the number
gangeSs. s;orc-keepers ard clerks emil
pioyed in the acknowledgements Service shall
not be increased; to create the Board of Pen
sion appeals; to be appointed by the secre-
'ilr:y OF the interior: to provide Co. the ap.
polntment of Il Scientific Commission, which
may, in tho name of the United States Gov
eriluent conduct q National conference of
electricians in Philadelphia i'll the autumn of
lsoi; to authorize the President, in case OF a
threatened or:ctllal epidemic. to use the UNI
expended balance of the appropriations not
TO exceed SLOT OOO, in the aid of state and local
boards, or otherwise in his discreet on, and in
ma'n,alnlng a quarantine at points
O danger: TO- permit admission to tho
Government Hospital for the Insane
OF inmates OF Soldiers Homes who are,
or may hereafter, become insane; to
provide that it shall not be lawful for the
head Of any, Executive department or any bu-
rcau. branch Or Office OF the Governments, to
cause to hc printed, nor for the public print
err to print, any document or matter of any
cIaracler Whatever except that which is au-
tLoriznd ny law and necessary to administer
The public business, nor Tor any bureau oii;-
Ger TO embrace in his annual Or other report
TO De printed any matter not directly pertain
ing to the duties of his Office as prescribed
bGX law; to provide for the appoint;ncnt OF q
duties similar to those OF the Mississippi xiv
er Commission; to appropriate So, 1900 to
pay the rebntc fax on t0horro