Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1886-08-13
CURRENT AFFAIRS.
THE LATE LAMENTED CONGRESS

THE LATE LAMENTED CONGRESS-
BRIEF OUTLINE OF THE THINGS DONE AND
LEFT NORTHUMBERLAND THE LATTER.
Among the few conspicuous acts Of the late
session which have become laws are the act
changing the presidential succession, the act
taxing oleomargarine two cents per pound,
the act providing for iron-clad war ships, one
more steel unarmored cruiser, and torpedo
boat or two two pension bills, increasing
pensions for widows and dependent relatives
and for victims Of amputation FORGETTING the
land grant Of the Atlantic and Pacific railroad
no far AZ ii has not been earned requiring
that the effects Of alcoholic drinks and mar
cotics upon the system shall be taught in the
military and naval academies and in all the
schools in the District Of Columbia and the
Territories winding up the business Of the
Court of Commissioners Of Alabama claims
reducing from eight TO five cents the fee on
domestic money orders not exceeding FIVE
dollars making the allowances for clerk hire
in first and second class post offices cover the
cost Of clerk hire in the money order depart
ment authorizing the President TO nominate,
and by and with the consent of the Senate to
appoint, Fitz John Porter a colonel in the
army and put him on the retired list auth.
Boom company of Brainard, Mimi, to CON
struct dam across the Mississippi river au-
thorizing the Little Falls Water Power com
pany to utilize the water power Of the Mlssis-
sppi at Little Falls, MINI, with dams piers,
canals, etc.
Most of the Objectionable measures intro.
duced have simply been side. tracked they
are very likely to become laws latter the cleo.
ton"
l. L 4
aud after repeated failures, that the naval
committee succeeded ia getting through with
very much reduced appropriation a bill for
additional naval vessels, and ~ the Senate
felt the Importance of beginning the work
of building large steel guns, and MIR. Randall
thought 1t would be bad politics on the eve of
Congressional elections to increase the total
OF the appropriations, no agreement could be
reached on this important matter, and the en-.
tire appropriation fails for the session and the
fiscal year.
The tariff question the House fatty refused
to consider
On the silver question it either could or
would take no direct action either way. 1t
decided, so far ~ it decided at all, to drift
along and let the future take care of itself
The House did attach to the sundry civil APP
preparation bill, where 1t did not belong, a
provision that would have forced silver pay
ments by the treasury at once but the Sen.
ate objected and the House receded. The
House also passed the surplus resolution in
form that would probably have precipitated
silver pay ments but the Senate again bject
ed, and the House again receded and now
the Presidtn mt has pocketed the resolution and
it fails.
The Hawaiian and the reciprocity treaties
received no action in the House one way or
the other.
The Senate passed the Blair educational
bill appropriating So, OOO, 900, but the House
committee reported substitute, setting apart
the proceeds Of the public land sales for edu.
cAtional purposes, aud the House never acted
on either.
After an enormous amount Of trading, both
branches of Congress passed the River and
Harbor bill, which the congressional experts
admit contains larger percentage OF useless
expenditures useless except to facilitate the
passage of the bilD than any Of its predeces-
sors, and it has become law.
The bankruptcy bill got through the SEN
ate, but, notwithstanding rather noisy Demo
cratic pretensions, was not considered in the
House.
The House passed bill giving pensions TO
all Mexican veterans. The Senate amended
so ~ to condition the pension on the age and
necessity OF the applicant and no agreement
was reached.
The Senate passed what is called the Blair
pension bill granting pensions to all veterans
of the civil war who have become disabled or
impoverished since the war, and who are not
now on the pension rolls, but the House did
not consider it.
The Senate passed the inter state commerce
bill early in the session. but the House waited
until the last week of the session, and then
passed the impracticable Reagan bill, which
1t WAS well known would not be accepted by
the Senate
The Senate passed the Edmunds bigamy
bill and the bill to admit the state OF Dakota
but they were not considered 10 tho House.
The House public lands committee secured
exceptional privileges at this session under the
new rules. 1t was given the right to report
at any time. II 1t had to deal with matters
that had been repeatedly investigated and dis.
cussed 1t might easily have got lite bill con-
sdered early in the session, but it did not
The bill to forfeit the Atlantic * Pacific
grant became law, as already stated. The
bill to forfeit the Northern Paclfc grant failed
because the House insisted on much more
land than the Senate would assent TO and the
courts would be likely to approve. The bill
to repeal the pr, emption laws and the timber
culture act was likewise victim OF the iIrec-
oncilable differences between the two houses
The bill for counting the Presidential vote
passed the Senate, but the House did not con.
slider it.
Congress did pass and the President APP
proved a resolution directing the commission
ers of labor to investigate the subject of CON
Wet labor, but the other important measures
relative to labor were not acted upon.
Mr.. Edmunds's bill for a national inspee-
ton OF meat exports, empowering the Presi-
dent to exclude from our ports articles i'm
nOria1 from nOuntr iaa that die.
criminate against our exports, passed the
Senate, but was not taken up in the House.
The two houses passed bills preventing
aliens from holding lands in the territories,
but the bills were not the same.
Both houses passed and the President sign.
ed bill of much Importance to Eastern in
vestors in Western local bonds. The bill lin
its the amount Of Indebtedness counties and
municipalities in the territories may contract.
OF all the II appropriation bills, only one
became a law earlier than the very last day OF
the fiscal year, and three times Congress had
to pass resolution extending into the new
fiscal year the appropriations OF the old fiscal
year, because Congress that assembled on
the 9TH of December had not been able by
the first of July to agree on appropriation
bills.
The President vetoed a little more than 100
acts of Congress- Nearly all OF these were
pension bills for the relief Of private soldiers
or their dependant relatives. The following
are the public acts that were vetoed The
Des Moines River land bill, which WAS passed
over the veto in the Senate but not in the
House the bill to promote anatomical sci
ence in the District of Columbia, which the
President believed would encourage grave
robbing the bill to make Springfield, Mass,
port of delivery the bill to grant rail
road a right of way through the Indian reSer-
walton in Montana, and bills for public build
ings in six cities
senator Edmunds ON the AdmInIsIra.
IiOn and the Political Prospect.
from an interview In the New York worldl