The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1884-07-11

Glosc Oh the E1rsJ session OF the r0rEy~
eighth Congress-A Resume Of the
Business Transacted During the Ses-
sion. u
i WASHINGTON, July S.-The first ses-
sion of the XLYIIlth Congress has
come to a close. 1t has extended
over a period of seven months and
four days although the actual working
time will not exceed one hundred and sixty
five days. In that time there have been in
troduced in the Senate 1867 bills and nine
ty-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.i OF the
measures introduced in the Senate, 36S bills
and seventeen joint resolutions were indefi-
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 III both houses related tolmatters
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 Harbor bills were as
follows: 3
To reduce the rate of postage on newspaper
and periodical publications of the: second
class, when sent by others than the publisher
or news agent. to one cent for each. four
ounces; to provide civil government for Alas
ka; to extend the duration of the Court Com
missioners of Alabama Claims until Decem-
Der. 1885; 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.
in each year to letter-carriers; to authorize
the Secretary of War to offer reward of
600 for the rescue of the Greedy arctic ex-
ploring party; to establish bureau of labor
statistics; to make all public roads 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
certain burdens from the American merchant
marine commonly known as the Dingley ship
ping billy; to establish a bureau of animal in
dustry, prevent the expectation of diseased
cattle, and provide for the suppression and
extirpation of pleurO-pneumon1a and other
contagious diseases among domestic animals;
to make 1t felony for any person to person
ate any officer or employe of the United States
acting under the authority of the United
States or any department thereof; to repeal
the test-oath act of 1862; to authorize the fit
ting out Of an expedition for the relief of
Lieut.. Greeley and party in the Arctic seas; to
limit the time in which prosecutions may be
begun against persons for violations of the
Internal Revenue laws to three years; to re-
lieve from the charge of desertiOn. certain
soldiers of the late war, who, after having
served faithfully until the close of the war;,
left their commands without leave; to pro-
vi lido fOr h,,u1 1f,b Mast srF4
Mississippi River of the home for the volun-
teer soldiers of the late war, and for soldiers
of the Mexican war and of the war of 1872,
whose liabilities were not incurred in the
service against the United States; to provide
for the disposal of abandoned and useless
military reservations: to reorganiZe the corps
of Judge Advocates of the Army; to establish
Bureau of Navigation in the Treasury De-
partment.
In addition many laws have been enact
ed which were introduced as riders to the
appropriation bills. Among them were the
following:
To appoint Commission to visit the sever
al countries of Central and South America 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 es-
Inmates of the deficiencies in appropriations,
intended for the consideration OF Congress,
shall be transmitted through the Secre-
.tary of the Treasury, and in no other
manner; to provide that the number
of Deputy Collectors of internal revenue,
gaugers, store-keepers and clerks emil
ployed in the Internal Revenue Service shall
not be increased; togcreate the Board of PEN
sion Appeals, to be appointed By the Seere-
tary of the Interior; to provide for the ap-
point ment of q Scientific commission, which
may, in the name of the United States Gov
eminent, conduct a National conference or
electricians in Philadelphia in the autumn of
lcS4; to authorize the President, in case of
threatened or actual epidemic, to use the un-
expended balance of the appropriations, not
to exceed 100000, in the aid of Stateand local
boards, or otherwise in his discreet. on, and in
maintaining q quarantine att points
of danger; to permit admission to the
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-
reau, branch or Office of the Government, to
cause to be printed, nor for the public print
er to print any document or matter of any
character whatever except that which is au-
thorizsd by law and necessary to administer
the public business, nor for any bureau Off
Ger to embrace in his annual or other report
to be printed any matter not directly pertain
ing to the duties of his office as prescribed
by law; to provide for the appointment of a
Missouri River Commission with power and
duties similar to those of the Mississippi Riv-
er Commission; to appropriate So, 1000 to
pay the rebate tax on tobacco.