The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1886-08-17
WHAT CONGRESS- DID.
Summary Of the Results of the Late
Session.

WASHINGTON, August 0.-The first
session of the Forty ninth Congress
which ended to-day began on Mon.
day, December Z, 1885, and covered
a period of seven months and TWEEN.
ty-eight days, or 24l days, exclusive
of Sundays. OF this time the Sen
ate was in session l64 days and the
House 1S5 days. During that time
there were introduced in the two
Houses 13,202 measures, of which
1904 were House bills and 214
House joint resolutions, and 1881
bills and SO joint resolutions of the
Senate. The measures proposed fol
enactment into laws exceeded in
number by 2,949 those introduced
at the first session of the Forty
eighth Congress which sat for seven
months and four days, or 165 days
of actual working time. They GOV.
cred all sorts of subjects from the
payment of laborer at the Capitol
for extra services to the complex
questions of tariff legislation with
respect to the national finances.
Of the entire number compara-
lively few were of what may be
termed of national Importance. The
greater number were measures of a
private nature or of merely local i'm
portance, such as relief and pension
bills; bills for the erection of public
buildings; for bridging rivers; for
granting right of way to railroads
through military or Indian reserva-
tions; for the removal of political
disabilities; for changing judicial
districts; for establishing new land
offices; for changing the names of
location or increasing the capital
stock of National banks; for print
ing public documents, ETC., etc.
A very small percentage of the
whole number of bills introduced of
either general or private nature
became laws; a comparatively small
number succeeded in getting through
the committees to which they were
referred and reaching the calendars
of their respective Houses; some Sc
cured passage in the House in which
they originated, but failed of action
in the other branch, and very large
still remain unconsidered
by the committees to which they
were referred.
The total number of measures that
passed both Houses was l,10I, being
24l Senate bills and $50 bills which
in the House. Of this
total SOC became laws with the Pres
ident's approval, 1S1 became laws
by limitation, the President failing
either to approve or disapprove them
within ten days after their presenta-
ton to him, lib were vetoed and one
failed by reason of adjournment
without action by the President.
OF the new laws TAG were House
and 24l Senate measures.
The laws that became such by limi-
tation were with two exceptions pri-
vate pension and relief bills. The
exceptions were the bill to author
ize the Kansas City, Fort Scott and
Gulf Railway to construct railway
through the Indian Territory and
that to retire Lieutenant Randall.
OF the measures vetoed by the
President, BIG were Senate bills and
II bills of the House. Twenty eight
of the Senate bills vetoed were pri-
vate pension bills; three were for the
erection of public buildings Cat
Dayton, O., Sioux City, Ia, and
GAINESVILLE, o., one was to grant to
railroads the right of way through
the Indian Reservation in Northern
Montana; one-to make Springfield,
Mass, port of delivery; one to pro-
vide that the bodies of paupers,
criminals and strangers dying with
in the District of Columbia, un-
claimed within specified time after
death, shall be turned over to the
medical colleges, and one to quiet IT,
tie to settlers on the Des Moines
river lands, and one to provide for