Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1888-11-02

WASHINGTON, D. c., October 19.-TO-
morrow at 1 O'Clock the first session Of the
Fiftieth congress will end, the longest con-
Einued session In the history Of nearly a
century of congresses, having lasted 82I
days. The longest session previous was 3O2
days, ending September 80. Apart from
the prOtracted but interesting discussion Of
the tariff question IN both houses, and the
unparalleled deadlock In the consideration
of the bill to refund the direct tax, the ses-
sion has been remarkable In several ways
but none more than In the enormous num-
Der Of measures introduced in both branches
Of congress.
In the senate 8,641 bills and 621 joint resO-
lutions were presented, and the house record
ran up to the unequalled figures Of Il, 1913
bills and 23O joint resolutions, making the
grand total of 10, 585 measures introduced in
one session. In the senate 1884 measures
were reported back from committees and
placed on the calendar, much larger pro-
portion than in the house, where s, 3U5 meas
ures of the total number Of IL 1928 introduced
still sIumber in the committee rooms.
Among the measures OF public interest
which have become laws are the following:
Relating to permissible marks on mail mat
ter, for the division Of the Sioux reserVa-
ton, for a conference with the south and
central American nations, limiting the hours
of letter carriers, making Lieutenant Gen
era lSherldan, general OF the army, to es-
tablish a department of labor, for an inter
national maritime conference, requiring the
Pacific Railroad company to maintain tele-
graph lines, to prohibit the coming Of
Chinese labOrers to the United States
the st. Marie and other canals, to create
boards Of arbitration and to settle contro-
Vers1es between common carriers and their
employees, to prevent the return of Chinese
Ngfa of ufl
disabled soldiers, and changing the date Of
meeting of the electoral college.
In the next stage, that Is in conference be-
tween the two houses are two bills Of the
first importance, namely, repeating the pre-
emptiOn and timber culture laws, and pro-
viding a general homestead Law, and de-
clarlng forfeiture Of unearned railroad
grants.
Pending before the senate Is the house
tariff bill and the senate subsG ute. The
senate passed bills to divide Dakota and to
admit the southern half as q state and to aid
common schools. (the Blair BID but they
never reached the house for action.
J In the senate the same thing can be said
of the following bills which passed the
house, the fisheries retaliation bill, whose
passage was recommended by the president
authorizing the issue of fractional silver
CERTIFICATES; allowing the regulation, by
states, Of railways chartered by the United
States.
The following are the most important
For admission of Montana and Washing
ton Territories, to prohibit the alcoholic
liquor traffic; to declare trusts unlawful.
The following measures Of Importance
we're reported from house committees and
are still on the house calendar: To refund
the direct tax ( q vote of which viii be taken
early in December next under an agree
ment by which the memorable deadlock
over this bill was broken. For the payment
OF arrears Of pensions; requiring the invest
ment Of the national bank REDEEM ptiOn fund
IN circulating notes; the Pacific railroad
funding bill debated but never reached
the point of action) to include telegraph
companies IN the interstate commerce act;
to promote commercial union with Canada:
to incorporate the Nicaragua canal company
for the organization OF the territory of Okla
homa, debated but never finally voted on.
Inc following are important senate bills
which slumber in committee rooms: Re
squesting the president to open negotiations
with Great Britain, looking to the anneXa-
ton of Canada to the United States; for the
free coinage Of silver: 30 repeal the oleO-
margarine act; to provide a naval reserve;
the Hennepin canal bill; to reduce letter
postage to cent; to grant woman suffrage,
and measures proposing radical changes IN
the governments financial policy.
The following are original house bills,
which likewise never get out of the com
mittee room: To repeal the internal reve-
nue. law, and the tobacco tax, to prohibit
mailing Of newspapers containing Lottery
advertisements, to lay a graduated income
tax, for bounty on sugar, to repeal the
civil service laws; for full reciprocity
between the United States and Can
ada; 20 restrain Judicial proceedings to
be brought against the Pacific railroads;
to provide moro efficient mail service
between the United States and South Amer
lea, to break up trusts and various measures
proposing changes IN our pension, tariffs
and financial laws.
The most important private bills of the
session were those pensioning Mrs. Logan
and Mrs. Frank P. Clair, both of which be
came laws, and the bills to pension Mrs.
Waite and Mrs. Sheridan, which passed the
senate, but were never acted upon by the
house.