The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1886-12-25
The Work of Congress.
From the Baltimore .Saa.

From the Baltimore Sua.
Now that Congress has voted itself holiday
till January 4, 1887, it is gratifying to observe,
ON a review of its record during the present
short session. that more than the usual amount
of legislative work has been accomplished.
None but minor measures, it is true, have
been perfected, but good progress has been
made with the regular appropriation bills, aud
several measures of general legislation IN
which the public is greatly interested have
been advanced a stage toward their ilnai pas
sage The House has passed the Senate cleo
toral count bill, and this important measure,
now in conference committee, has fair pros
meet of becoming q law before the close OF the
session. Among other bills that have passed
the House the army and suHdry civil bills &C.
eupy a prominent place. The question of
entering upon consideration of revenue bills,
with a view to tariff reform, was voted upon
by the House with negative result, but as
the majority against considering the matter
was quite small and conflicting opinions upon
revenue topics prevail among the opponents
of the Morrison bill, it is thought to be not
improbable that the House before the session
closes will yet pass some measure giving re-
lief to the people from some portion OF their
present burden of taxation.
The Senate, having more leisure at its COM
mand, has accomplished more than the House
in the direction of general legislation. The
trade dollar BILL the bill to repeal the tenure
of office act, and the proposition to make
public the proceedings of executive sessions
have been voted upon, the first two tavorably,
the last mentioned adversely. The bill to repeal
the tenure Of office act is so fully in accord with
the views of the majority of the House that
this measure may be classed among those
almost certain to be placed on the statute
| IL al, nth reaches
its nal term of life. With respect to the
| fate of the bill to redeem the trade dollar
more doubt may be said to exist, but the
prospect is good that it will become law.
| it is to be regretted that the fate of the in
terstate commerce bill cannot be predicted
with equal confidence. In its present shape
it is u compromise measure, combining
the better features of the Cullom and the
| Reagan bills, which were passed, the one
| by the Senate and other by the House, at
the last session of Congress. Its status
in the Senate now is that OF report
of conference committee, and it Will
come up for discussion Immediately upon
the expiration of the recess. But for the
| large influence of railroad and other corpora
tons in the Senate, the passage OF the Reagan
| Cullom interstate commerce bill during the
present session might, in view OF the lmpa-
thence of the public, be accounted foregone
conclusion. Even under existing circum-
stances it is not to be despaired of. The list
of measures that have passed both houses
since the 18th of December is naturally very
brief, the bill to extend the free delivery sys-
TEN and the lands.in- severalty bill being the
principal. Should the Forty ninth Congress
| during the remainder of the present session
keep the promise of the past two weeks, it may
yet make itself very fair name among extinct
/ Congresses.