The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1884-07-12

What Congress Has bone.
The actual working time of the ses-
sion of Congress which is now termi-
mating aggregates 165 days. In that
time there have been introduced in
the Senate 2,367 bills and 81 Joint res
olutions and in the House 1907 bills
and 284 resolutions, OF these 66 SEN
ate bills and 10 Senate resolutions
have passed both houses and become
laws by Executise approval, and 90
House bills and 80 House resolutions
have become laws i'll the same man
ner. Three House bills also became
laws without the action of the Presi-
dent and one was returned to the
House with his veto
Of the measures introduced in the
Senate 36S bills and II joint resolu-
tions were indefinitely postponed and
6 bills were laid upon the table. In
the House IA bills and 3 joint resolu-
tions were postponed indefinitely.
A majority Of the measures intro
duced in both houses related to mat
ters not of general Importance, such
as bills for private relief and pensions,
for the erection Of public buildings
bridging of rivers and for other i'm
provements OF only local importance
The following include the most import
ant measures passed by both houses
and signed by the President; To re-
duce the rate OF postage on newspapers
and periodical publications of the sec
ond class when sent by others than
the publisher or news agent to one
cent for each four ounces to prevent
and punish the counterfeiting in the
United States of bonds or other secur-
tiles of foreign governments to grant
fifteen days leave Of absence with pay
in each year to letter-carriers to re-
move certain burdens from the Amer
lean merchant marine Commonly
known as the Dingley shipping bilD ;
to establish bureau OF animal indus
try, prevent the expectation of diseased
cattle and provide for the suppression
and extirpation OF pleuro-pneumonia
and other contagious diseases among
domestic animals to repeal the test
oath act of 1862; to authorize the fit
ting out of an expedition for the relief
of Lieutenant Greely to relieve from
the charge of desertion certain soldiers
Of the late war who, after having SER
we'd faithfully until the close of the
war, left thier commands without
leave; to reorganize the corps Of judg-
es advocate of the army; to establish
a Bureau Of Navigation in the Tresury
Department,
The following measures have been
incorporated in regular appropriation
bills and become laws:
TO appoint commission to visit the
several countries of Central and South
America to collect information as to
the best mode of securing more init
mate international and commercial
relations between thes countries and
the United States to create a board
OF pension appeals, to be appointed by
the Secretary OF the Interior to pro,
vide for the appointment ola scientific
commission, which may, in the nam,
of the United States Government, con
duct national conference Of electri
clans in Philadelphia in the autumn
OF 1884 to authorize the President
in case OF threatened or actual epidom
ic, to use the uneXpended balance o
appropriation made by the act Of Au
gust 7, 1882, and March 3, 1883, not Il
exceed one hundred thousand dollars
in aid Of State and local boards, on
otherwise, in his discretion, in prevent
ing and suppressing the spread of tn,
same and maintaining quarantine n
point OF danger; to prevent the ad
mission to the Government Hospita
for the Insane OF inmates of the Sol
diers' Home who are now o.
may hereafter become insane
to provide that it shall not be Lawful
for the head Of any executive depart
ment or of any bureau, branch or OF
, fee of the government To cause to ht
printed, nor for the Public Printer t.
print, any document or matter Of an,
: character whatever except that whicl
is authorized by law and necessary t.
administer the public business, no
for any bureau officer to embrace il
!. his annual or other report to be print
8 ed any matter not directly pertaining
to the duties of his Office as prescribe,
by law; to appropriate $3,750,00O t
pay the rebate tax on tobacco,
r.