Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1886-08-11
CONGRESS ADJOURNS.
The Session Closes at A P. M,
August 5.
work OF tho Sossion-IIOw Congress Eni-
p,0ycd Its Timc--The Veto Record Un-
parnlleJcd,

The first session Of tho 10Th congress, just
ended, began Monday, Dec, T. 1883, and ha
lasted seven months and twcnty-oight days
or2il days, exclusive Of Sundays, Tho Sen
ate was in session lGi days and tho Housc
lS5. There was introduced in the two
houses l3,2O2 measures, l0,OlI being HousC
bills, and PA llouc joint resolutions; and
2S9l bills AMI 50 jjint resolutions Of tn
Senate. The measures proposed for enact
ment into laws exceeded in number by 20it
those introduced at the 18th Congress, which
sat for seven months and four days, or lGt
days of actual working time.
The total number of measures that passed
both houses was llOl, being III Senate bills
and $50 bills which origina od in tue House;
1893 of these were received by the president,
and of that number SIi were approved. l57
became laws without the presidents sigma
turc llj were vetoed, and failed for want
of signature at the time Of adjournment, 10
days not having expired Siuc3 they reached
the president. OF tine new laws 14G were
House measures and PAL Senate measures.
Tho laws that became such by limitation
and relief bills
OF the measures vetoc,. by the president 80
We're Senate and n House bills. Twenty.
eight of the Senate bills vetoed were private
pension bill, three were for tie erection Of
public buildings, one was to grant to rail
roads the right of way through the Indian
reservation in northern Montana, one to
make Springfield, Mass, a port of delivery,
ono to provide that the bodies of paupors,
criminals and strangers dying within the
District of Co.umbil, unclaimed within n
specified time after death, shall be turned
over to the medical college, and one to quit
titles to settlers on the DeS Moincs River
lands, and one to provide for the Construc-
ton of bridge over LIKE Champaign or
the II House bills diSapprovcd by tho prcs-
dcut.7i were private pension bills and three
were for the erection of public buildings
The number of measures vetoed during the
session was four more than have been vetoed
from the foundation of the government to
the beginning of the session just closed. Only
ono bin that granting n pension to Joseph
Romisc) was passed 10y the two houses over
the veto,
Among The measures of general Importance
that have been enacted mo laws, in addition
TO the regular appropriation bills, are tho
presidential succession bill, the bills to pro-
vide for the study Of the nature and cf-
feet Of alcohol c drinks and narcot-
les, to remove the charge of descrton
against soldiers who rcenlisted without
having first received discharge from the
regiments in which thcy had previously
served: TO lcgaliZe the incorporation of ma
tional trades unions; to give the receiver Of
national bank the power to buy in any
property of the bank sod under foreclosure
when necessary to protcGJ his trust; TO OK
tend the immediate delivery system; to III
crease tho pensions of soldiers who have lost
a leg or an arm; to crmit the owners Of
United States merchant vessels, and of any
property on board thereof 10 sue the United
States for damage by collision arising from
misnanagemcnt Of any government vessel;
to provide that surveyed lands granted to
railroads contcrminous with completed por-
tions of such roads and in organized coun-
tics shall not be exempt from local taxation
on account of the lien of tho United States
upon them for the costs of Surveying, select
ingo conveying them; the oeomargarne
bill the bill for the increase Of the navy; to
reduce the fees on domestic money orders,
for sums no exceeding 81 from to ) cents;
TO allow steam towing vessels to carry, in
to their crews, as many persons as
the supervising inspector may authorize; for
the relief of Fitz John Porter; to provide for
Il G sale Of the Cherokee reservations; to
enable nat onal banking associations to in
crease their capital stock, and to change
or locations; providing that after
July /, 1856, NJ fees shall he charged to
American vessels for measurement of ton
mage issuing of licences, granting of certili-
cate of regist V, etc, mud amend ng the laws
relative TO the shipping and dscharging of
crews, the Liability OF owners of vessels the
licensing of vessels etc. to forfeit the land
granted to the Atlantic & Pacific Railroad
Company and restore the same to settlement:
to increase TO SIP month the pensions Of
widows and dependent relatives of deceased
soldiers and sailors: authorizing the tempo
rary appointment of an acting assistant
treasurer of the Uuitel States in the absence
of both the treasurer and ASST, tant treasurer;
TO direct the commissioner of labor to make
an investigation as TO convict labor; to es-
taLliSL additional | fc saving stations ut va
rious points on the Atlantic and Pacific
coasts and on the great lakes: providing that
tobacco, snuff and cigars may
i q renewed for EXPORT without payment Of
tay. rcnoolin the law providing for inSpec-
tors Of Tobacco
In addition to the foregoing, the subject
...,,,;.l an, ho. Ioo,, on
acted into law in the several appropriation