The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1886-08-11
THE FoRTY.NINTH CONGRESS.
The Work Accomplished by the Two Houses
Summarized and Analysed.


Summarized and Analysed.
The first session Of the Forty-ninth
Congress, which ended on the 5th inst,
began on Monday, December 7, 1885,
and covered a period Of seven months
and twenty-eight days, or two hundred
and forty-one days, exclusive of Sun
days. Of this time the Senate was in
session one hundred and sixty-four days
and the House one hundred and eighty
five days. During that time there were
introduced in the two houses thirteen
thousand two hundred and two meas
ures, of which ten thousand and four
teen were House bills and two hundred
and fourteen House joint resolutions,
and two thousand eight hundred and
ninety-one bills and eighty-three Joint
resolutions of the Senate.
The measures proposed for enactment
into laws exceeded in number by two
hundred and forty-nine those introduced
at the first session of the Forty eighth
Congress, which sat for seven months
and four days, or one hundred and sixty
five actual working days. They covered all
sorts Of subjects, from payment at the
Capitol for extra services to complex
questions of legislation with respect to
national finances.
OF the entire number comparatively
few were of what may be termed nation
al Importance. The greater number
were measures of private nature or OF
merely local importance, such as relief
and pension bills, bills for the erection
Of public buildings, for bridging rivers,
for granting the right of way to rail
roads through military or Indian reser-
vations, for removal Of political disabili-
ties, for changing judicial districts, for
establishing new land Offices, for chang
ing names or location or increasing the
capital stock OF national banks and for
printing public documents.
A very small percentage of the whole
number Of bills introduced, of either q
general or private nature, became laws.
A comparatively small number succeeded
in getting through the committees to
witch they we're referred, and reaching
the calendars of their respective houses;
some secured passage in the house in
which they originated, but failed Of
action in the other branch, and very
large number still remain unconsidered
by the committees to which they we're
referred.
The total number of measures that
passed both houses was one thousand
onehundred and one, being two hundred
and forty-one Senate bills and eight
hundred and sixty bills which originated
in the House. OF this total eight hun
dred and six became laws with the Presi-
dents approval, one hundred and eighty
one became laws by limitation, the
President failing either to approve or
disapprove them within ten days after
their presentation to him; one hundred
and thirteen were vetoed, and one failed
by reason of adjournment without action
by the President. OF the new laws
seven hundred and forty-sx were House
measures and two hundred and forty-one
Senate measures. The laws that became
such by limitation were, with two excep-
tions, private pension and relief bills.
The exceptions were the bill to authorize
the Kansas City, Fort Scott and Gulf
Railway to construct railway through
Indian Territory, and that to retire
Lieutenant Randall.
The appended summary shows the
present condition of the more important
matters submitted Tor the action of Con-
gress upon which further action isneces-
sary before they can become laws.
Mr.. Cullom's Interstate commerce
bill was passed by the Senate and amend
ed in the House by substituting the
Reagan or House bill. It is now in con-
ference.
The Mexican pension bill passed the
House and was amended in the Senate
and sent to conference committee,
where it is still pending.
Bills to repeal the timber culture, pre-
emption and desert land laws and to for
felt the Northern Pacific land grant also
remain pending in conference commit
tees.
The Morrison tariff bill, which pro-
posed in addition to the reduction Of
duties the modification of the existing
system of administration of customs
laws, was reported favorably from the
Ways and Means Committee, but its
was objected to in the
House, and it remains on the House
calendar.
The Randall tariff bill was reported
adversely from the Ways and Means
Committee, bat was placed on the calen-
dar. where it remains.
The House bill to prevent aliens from
or owning lands in any Of the
Territories has passed both houses, but
was sent back to the Public Lands Com
mittee Of the House to consider the
Senate amendments, and remains there.
The 'tBlair" educational bill passed the
Senate early in the session, was referred
to the House Committee on Education,
but has not yet been reported from that
committee. A similar bill, introduced
IN the House by Representative Willis,
was referred to the Committee on Labor,
which reported measure formulated by
itself as q substitute, and it is now on the
House calendar.
Bills to establish uniform system Of
bankruptcy were introduced in both
houses. That introduced in the Senate
by Senator Hoar was reported fayorably,
and is on the Senate Calendar, and that
in the House by Collins was
also favorably reported and is on the
calendar.
The bill to prohibit members of Con-
gress acting as attorneys for railroads
passed the Senate, but that action was
afterwards reconsidered and the measure
sent to the Judiciary Committee, from
which substitute measure was reported,