The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1886-08-05

I'LL ptesbtu Will lll6 law Jllb vi az
tn s mass of legislation there has come
out very little of general Importance.
Most of the thousand bills sent to the
President for his signature, it turns
out, are unimportsnt measures, pTi-
vale bills and measures that are easier
passed thsnslaid aside without pass
age. Let US run over the list OF i'm
Iortaut measures passed and unpassed
and see how the books stand. The
important measures pass ed can be |
summed up pretty briefly: The oleo.
margarine bill, which started
in asking for a tax oil 10
cents a pound on imita-
ton butter, got TO the Pres
ident's desk carrying a tax of 2 cents
per pound. There was a promise that
this Congress would forfeit all the Land
grants to railroads that have been un-
earned to date. The only forfeiture
bills that have gotten through Con
gTess, however, are the one FORGETTING
the Atlantic and Pacific grant OF about
25 100000 acres, and another relating
TO some small giants in some OF the
Southern States, affecting only lew
bundled thousand acres. The Fitz
John Porter BIZ has at last pas,ed and
become law. The bill for the cree
ton Of public library building in
Washington has become law. A bill
providing q method of Presidential
succession in case OF the death OF Pres
ident and Vice President became law
because of the actual neCessitiee OF the
case. The Kill Won Kull bridge bill,
permitting the Baltimore and Ohio
railroad 10 get into New YORK
City, became law. There are
tEousand other bills, but most
of them, as indicated above,
are OF private or comparatively
unimportant nature, Now, let us look
at The other side. The promise wss
when this Congress took hold that 1t
would forfeit all the unearned land
grants. They amounifd to over hun
bred million acres. Seventy or eighty
millions OF these grants still remain
unfoIfeited Another measure that
was to be taken up and disposed OF,
and which, it was generally believed,
would he passed was the educational
bill. Tha. is very little further along
now than it was $ X months ago. Ii
has passed the Senate, to be sure, but
that means nothing without the action
Of the House, aud it really seems
doubtful il the House will ever act
upon it. There was promise, to-,
tat something important IVES 10 be
done about the silver question, but
the silver question is practically un-
changed. he Mormon problem,
which was to bs solved right away, Is
still unsolved, and the polygamous
ptiaets C ntinue to import new victims
by the sore and hundreds-yes, by
by the thousands. A new and more
satisfactory system for counting the
cleo oral vote is still on the
calendar, with little Prospect OF
action. The Supr me Coutt,
which is crowded with busint ss, ,and
which has now on hand more than IT
can attend to in three years OF work,
has had no relief from Congress, al
though relief YVES Promised. II not
another case Should be fled in the su.
preme Court, it would take 1t a tnll
three years to dispose OF the business
on hand. Nine-tenths Of the measures
| presented in Congress ave OF pilvale
n ture. They burden the record ana
take the time and labor and ingenious
efforts CT the members to secure their
passage, and yet they DO nol gel
! through, There was hope that TINS
Congress would provide some means
of Kidding the lawmakiug body OF this
burden, which practically pa-aIySes IT,
1t has not done so, however, and the
bills continue to aCCumu ate without
the slightest prospect of action upon
them. 1t was expected that this Oon-
grass would begin the work oil con-
sruciing a new navy and an elaborate
system of coast deienses. Perhaps II
will, perhaps it will not. Both OF
these measures have passed the
House in one form and III
the Senate in another, and whether
the House and Senate will agree
upon anything touching them seems
at this moment rather doubtful. The
Mexican pension bill, which has been
pendipg 50 long, and for which there
is such general demand Moth and
South, is ftill IN an unfinished and al
most hopeless condition. The various
treaties which vera pending in the
Senate and have been sent there dur
ing this stion are still unconfrmed,
The interstate commerce bills, which
were introduced in House and Senate
and OF which we have heard 60 much
for years past, still etsnd upon the cal
en1sr, with little prospect OF an agree'
ment between those two bodies upon
either OF them. The proposition fol
the expenditure of a few thou.and
dollsrs to examine into the systems il
use in Central ard South America by
which it ii is claimed yellow
fever may be rendered harm
less, has been laid on the shelf
and Congress has concluded to lei
the country take the chances of an
other devastation rather than spend {
few m mites lime end few thousent
dollars from an owe flowing Treasury
IN taking steps 10 prevent it. The nu
m erOus Territories which have beer
knocking at the doors Of Congress ask
ing admission are s.ill permitted 4
knock indefinitely. Last but not leaa
may he mentioned the tariff, whicl
both parties haze plighied themselve
10 reform. 1t is till unreformed, arc
lrssly 20 remain in that condition in
definitely.
HydrOphObIR From SuTnieI Blte
DETROIT, MICH, Angus. 4 Care!
| liar. aged is years was bitten by