The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1885-03-13
FORTY EIGHTH CONGRESS.
Synopsis of the Work Done in Its
Two Sessions.
List of the Important Bills Made
Laws.

The Forty eighth Congress is a thing of the
past. Its sessions have extended over
period of ten months and seven days, al
though its actual working time has been
only 234 days, of which 165 days
represent the time of the first
session and sixty-six days that of the second
session. During the two sessions there have
been introduced in the House S, 2SG bills and
345 joint resolutions and in the Senate 20G6
bills and 1874 joint resolutions. OF the House
bills, about $50 have become laws with the
approval of the Executive, five became laws
without his approval, twenty four have been
defeated by vote of the House, and nine have
been defeated by adverse reports from COM
mittees. One bill was defeated by the veto
of the President, and almost 600 which were
passed by the House in addition to those al
ready enumerated failed of final action in
the Senate. The majority of the
remaining bills were not acted upon by the
committees to which they werc referred. OF
the House joint resolutions 45 became laws
with the approval Of the President and sixteen
others which passed the House failed of action
in the Senate.
OF the legislation introduced in the Senate,
about $50 bills and thirty-tive joint resolutions
have passed. that body, and of these ia bills
and seventeen joint resolut ions were acted
upon finally by the House and became laws
with the approval Of the President, and two
bills which passed both houses became laws
without the Presidents signature. The Sen
ate acted adversely upon 52l of the bills and
eighteen of the joint resolutions introduced in
that body. The great majority of bills
introduced in both houses related
to matters not of general inn
portance, such as private relief and pension
hi vi pl of piti
porations, and States against the govern
ment; bills for the erection of public build
ings, and bills relating to the conduct of in
dividual national banks A large proportion
of the bills finally enacted into law were pri-
vate bills of this character. In addition to
the regular annual appropriation bills of both
sessions, and river and harbor bill passed at
the first session, the following named meas
ures of general Importance have been en-
acted into laws:
Bills to establish bureau of labor; to es-
n blish bureau of animal industry: to pre-
vent 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 1SG2; to establish bu-
reau of navigation in the treasury der art
ment; to provide a retired list for soldiers
and marines who have served continuously
for thirty years or upward; to reduce the
rate of postage on newspapers and other pc
riodical publications of the second class when
sent by others than the publisher or news
agent to one cent for each four
ounces; to remove certain burdens
from the American merchant
marine 0he Dngley shipping bilD; to relieve
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 declare
forfeited certain lands granted to aid in the
construction of a railroad and telegraph line
from Portland to Astoria in the Stat of Ore
gon; to provide for the ascertainment of
claims of American citizens for spoations
committed by the French prior to July 81,
1901, by referring them to the court of claims.
The following measures have been incor-
porated in regular appropriation bills, AMI
with them became laws:
To appoint commission to visit the several
countries of Central and South America, to
collect information as / the best mo.e of Sc
rurng more intimate international and Dm-
nercial relations between these countries and
he United States, incorporated in the CON
>uar and diplomatic billl to create a board
Of pension appeals - be appointed by the
secretary of the interior, incorporated in
the legislative bllll to authorize the Presi-
dent, in case of threatened or actual epidemic,
10 use the uneXpended balance of appropria-
lions made by the act of August 7,
exceed 100000, in aid of STATE
and local boards or otherwise in his discre-
ton in preventing and suppresSing the spread
of the same and maintaining quarantine at
points of danger incorporated in the sundrv
civil bin, providing for the appointment of
Missouri river commission, with powers and
duties similar to those of the Mississippi river
commission lin the river and harbor BILL 10
appropriate 50 $50 900 to pay the rebate tax
tobacco embodied in the urgency deficiency
bilD; to reduce the rate of postage
by increasing the limit of weight
Of first class matter which may he carried
for one rate Of postage of two cents TO one
ounce or fraction thereof, and to admit all
newspapers and other publications OF the
second class, including sample copies, when
from a news agency to actual subscribers or
sent from the office of publication. or
70 other news agents, to the mails at one C mt
per pound or fraction thereof incorporated
n the postotfice appropriation bill1
The following important bills were sent 20
the President for his approval and had not
received his signature when Congress came
co an end:
To prohibit the importation and migration
OF foreigners and aliens under contract or
agreement TO perform labor in this country;
TO dc ,lare the forfeiture of lands granted to
aid in the construction of the Texas Pacific
railroad; to provide for tho ere; tion of a
building to contain the records, library, and
museum Of the medical department of the
army; 70 prevent the unlawful occupation of
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