River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1888-10-25
WORK oE HE sEssI6 N.

OF 1883 Bills and Resolutions Intro
dueed In Congress, Definite Action Has
Been Taken Only About e-Third-
Some of the Most Important Measures.
WASHINGTON Oct. 20 To-day at O'Clock
the first session Of the Fiftleth Congress
will end the longest continuous session in
he history Of nearly a century OF Con.
gressess having lasted 81 days. The
longest previous session ran 302 DAYS, end
lng september 80 In the Senate 364l bills
lnd ll6 joint resolutions were pre-
sented, ard IN the House the record ran
up to the unequaled figures OF H. 59S
bills and go Joint resolutions, making q
grand total of Is SIS measures introduced
u one session. In the Senate . 394 meas
ares were reported buck from the commit
tees and placed on the calendar, a much
la ger proportion than in the House, where
) 3O5 measures still slumber in the commit
tee-room, Among the measures Of public
interest that have become laws are the fol-
lowing:
Relating 20 permissible marks on mail mat.
ter; for the division OF the Sioux reservation.
for conference with the South and Central
Amer eau nations; limiting the hours Of
lie tter-carriers; making ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Sheridan General OF The army; to
establish department Of labor
Tor an international maritime eonferepee; re
curing the Pac hc railroad companies 70
maintain telegraph lines; 10 prohibit
tie coming Of Oh nese laborers 10 the
United States; for the establishment OF rules
in respect to Sault Ste Mare and
other canals; 10 create boards OF arbitration TO
settle controversies between common carriers
and their employees; TO prevent the return OF
Chinese labOrers 10 this country; TO aid State
homes Tor disab ed soldiers, and changing the
date Of meet ng OF the electoral college.
Ia the next stege-that il, in conierence be-
tween the two houses-are two bills OF the
first Importance namely. repeating the Pre-
empton and Timber-' Ilture laws, providing a
general Homestead law and declaring a for
FIXTURE OF unearned railroad land grants, Pend
ing before the Senate is the House Tarin bill
and the senate substitute
The Senate passed bills TO divide Dakota and
admit the southern part as a State, and to aid
common school education (ihe Blair bib, but
they never reached the House for action.
In the Senate the SANE thing can be said OF
the following bills, which passed the House:
The = sheres Retaliation bill, whose pass
age was recommended by the President;
author zing the issue OF fractional silver GER
tticates; allowing the regulation by States Of
"a ways char cred by the United States.
The following are the most important bills
Enacted upon on the Senate calendar: For the
ADMISSION OF Montana ana Washington Terri
tories TO prohibit the alcoholic liquor trafic;
10 uectdre trusts uulaWful.
TIE following measures OF Importance were
reported from House co nmitiees and are still
On the House calendar. To refund the direct
tax "a vote on which will be taken early in De
cembvr next, under an agreement by which
the memorable deadlock over this bill was
brOken); for the payment OF arrears OF
pens ons; requiring the investment Of
the National bank redemption fund IN cirsulat
ing notes; the Paciic Railroad Fund ng bill
debated, but never reached the point Of &C.
ON; TO include telegraph companies under
the Interstate Commerce act; to promote
: mmerca al union with Canada; 10 incorporate
The Nicaragu1 Canal Company; for the orgahi.
cation OF the Territory of Oklahoma debated,
but never finally voted onl.
The following are important Senate bills
which slumber n committees: Requesting tie
Pres dent 70 open negotiations with Great
Britain look ng 10 the annex ltion OF Canada 70
the United States for the free coinage OF sl
yer; 10 reIeal the OleOmargar ne law; to pro.
vide naval reserve; TIE Hennepin canal bill
10 reduce letter postage TO one cent; to grant
woman suffrage, and measures proposing rad.
teal changes IN the Governments financial
ioncy.
The following are original House bills which
likewise never got out Of c.mmutees: To re-
peal the internal revenue laws and the tobacco
tax; TO prohibit ma ling OF newspapers con.
ia ming lottery advertisements; TO lay q gradu.
ated income tax; for q bounty on sugar;
TO repeal the CiviEService law; for full
reciprocity between the United States and
Canada; directing judicial procee lings to be
brought against the Pacific railroads; &c pro-
lie more efficient mail service between the
United States and South America to bresI W
trusts and various measures proposing
rh nges in our pension, tariff AMI financial
laws.
The most imr ortant private bills OF this seS.
on were those p nsion ng Nus Logan aud
Mrs. Frank p. Blair both Of which becam3
laws. ana the bills to pension Mrs. Wa te and
Mrs. Sher n, VIII ch Iassed the Senate but
never were acted on by the House.