Waterbury evening Democrat., 1888-12-03
THE NATIONAL soLONs.
The Fiftieth Congress Near
 ing the End.
SOME ENTERTAINING REPORTS.


 Secretary Endicott Urges Increased De- fenses-Our Postal System the Best in the world-The National Coinage.
 WASHINGTON, Dec 3.-The Washington Post, which for long time claimed major ity in the next house for the Democratic party now admits that the Republicans will have the disputed Tennessee district and at least one of the four districts ln West Vr- ginia, and that the roll of the house will bear the names of 166 Republicans and 159 Demo crats-a Republican majority of z.
 The Fiftieth congress met to-day at noon to begin its second and final session. It is expected that this will be one of the busiest sessions in the history of congress. When congress agreed to a recess less than two months ago there was untouched on the calendars of both houses much important legislation. It is not possible that all of this will be disposed of, as the discussion of the annual appropriation bills will occupy much of the time of the house and senate between Dec. and March f.
 It tisnot expected that much progress will be made during the coming week with sthe busi- ness of the session. In the senate, the unfin- ished business is the finance committees sub stitute for the Mills tariff bill. When congress adjourned, Senator Allison, who was in charge of the bill gave notice that when congress should again assemble he would insist the senate devoting its time to the tariff ques- tion, to the exclusion of all other business, until it had been disposed of. It was even understood that there would be no recess at Christmas time if the bill had not been disposed of. Conditions have changed since congress adjourned, and although no policy has been formally discussed by the members of the ruling party in the senate it is con- sidered possible that the tariff measure will be laid aside after further discussion to give the senate opportunity to consider other business.
 s;To-day of course, will be devoted to the presidents message
 The house is prevented by its own rules from taking up any of the unfinished busi- ness of last session for six days after its first meeting, with the exception of such may have been made a special order for a particu- lar day. There is no special order for the coming week.
 Besides the tariff question, which is the most important bit of unfinished business on the calendars of congress, there to be considered bills for the admission of Dakota, Washington and other of the territories; the Blair educational bill, which sleeps in the room of the house educational committees several pension bills, and large number of measures of interest to certain localities or sections will be urged for consideration.
 SECRETARY ENDICoTT'S ANNUAL REPORT
 Secretary Endicott, in his annual report alludes feelingly to the death of Gen. Sheri- dan, which he says deprived the army of a chief pre-eminently fitted for such command whose wide experience, ready resources, and personal qualities made him a tower of strength in council and action. The secre- tary again invites the attention of congress to the defenseless condition of our sea coast n,,d 1oHa of needed defenses in which to place the new guns, for which appropriations have already been made, an appropriation of S2, $40, 900 is asked for. Torpedoes and submarine mines, the secretary says, are now acknowledged by all nations to be absolutely necessary to the efficient defense of harbors and seaports and for the purchase of these and the necessary appliances for operating them and for ex- perimenting to ascertain the best of the many torpedo inventions appropriation of S1, ,S90, GOO is recommended.
 -S Secretary Endicott renews the recommen- dation made in previous reports for the ap- pointment of assistant secretary of war; Such an officer is imperatively needed, he says, for the proper and efficient admins tration of the war department.
 The secretary's estimates of appropriations to the war department for the year ending June 30, 1890, calls for s44, ,632, ,5O7. This in- CluQoS %So, LOT buo eSUdDlSl- ment and SIS, ,7s5, ,234 for public works and river and harbor improvements. The appro- priations for the last fiscal year amounted to &41, ,165, ,107, and for the current year, $59, 679, ,934
 SECRETARY VILLAS REPORT.
 In his report of the department of the in terior, Secretary Villas makes the general recommendations that the secretary of the department be relieved of his present em. barrassing complexity of duties by legisla- tion permitting the further delegation of his work to his assistants
 The report shows that over 8, 5OO, ,OOO acres was the aggregate quantity of land for which title was passed during the year, over SOC, ,OO( acres of which were for railroad purposes The receipts from the disposal of public lands ' were the largest since 1886.
 The report of the land office shows that over S5, ,0O0, GOO acres of land have been re stored to the public domains during the present administration, and recommends the restoration of over 65, ,000, 900 more
 Over third of the entire report of tho department is devoted to the subject ol Indian affairs. It states that the genera condition of the Indian people and of tht department of the government directed tt their care has been satisfactory.
 On the subject of pensions the report pre- sents a summary, showing that the amount paid for pensions during the year was nearly $79, 900, ,00o-an increase over the previou year of s5, ,0OO, GOO
 The incomplete report for the past year O the operations of the labor bureau show that in the period from 1881 to 1886 tn number of persons involved. in successful strikes was only B. 19 per cent. of the who'll number of strikers. It is computed that for the same period of six years, the loss t. strikers was S51 ,s14, 7o3, and the loss to em ployes through lock out $8 157, TIT, or tota wage loss to employees of s59, ,972. 40
 THE POSTAL SERVICE.
 Postmaster General Dickinson's annual re port. presents concisely the condition ant n history of every branch of the postal servic A4 for the fiscal year ended June 30, 1885, wit many comparisons with previous years showing a remarkable expansion of bushes and largS increase in expenditure. Tn D gross revenue for the year was S52, ,695, 17t while the expenditures amounted to S56, 1885, . s403 The estimated deficiency is therefor e4, 190, ,227. The deficiency for the fiscal yea