Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1888-10-20
Famed for ItsLength.
The Session Of Congress Which
Closed To-day,
AND FOR PRECIOUS LITTLE ELSE.

luminous tariff debates, which also exceed |
greatly any previous debate on the tariff. |
OF the so called public acts very large pro-
portion are local or private in their charac-
ter. There is a long list of acts permitting
railroad companies to bridge navigable
streams and extend their lines through In
dian reservations, and creating corporations
in the District of Columbia, and permitting
various things to be done in particular places
and authorizing terms of court to be held
where they are not held now. The following
list comprises about all the general acts OF
much Importance during the session of near
ly eleven months:
The Chinese exclusion bill and bill specifically
forbidding the reentrance into the country of
Chinese laborers now here.
Authorizing the president to arrange a confer
ence between the nations of Central and South
America and the West Indies for the establish.
ment of international arbitration and the promo
ton of commerce
Reviving the grade Of general for the benefit Of
Gen Sheridan
Enabling certain volunteer soldiers, who under
a treasury ruling were denied the 800 bounty
under the act Of 1877, to receive the benefits Of
that act.
Increasing the rate of pension for total deafness
from SIS 10 $50
of Columbia
Paying state and territorial homes for old sol
diers 500 year for each inmate.
Appropria ing money for the erection Of gun
factory and the purchase Of steel forgings to be
made into heavy ordnance.
Providing in the naval appropriation bill for
several new ships Of war.
Establishing a statute of limitations for the
benefit of the bondsmeu of disbursng officers
Rendering Judgments and DEGREES in federal
courts liens on property throughout the state in
which the court is held.
Breaking up the exclusive contracts of the
Western Union Telegraph company with the Pa
cifc railroads
Limiting the hours OF work OF letter carriers to
eight per day.
For the division of the Sioux reservation ac-
cording to plan and on conditions which the In.
dams have just rejected.
Amending the act excluding offensive matter
from the mails.
Amending the act authorizing the postmaster
general to adjust the claims of postmasters for
losses by fire, burglary etc
Establishing beacon lights on the Illinois river.
Providing for an international conference 10
secure greater safety for life and property at
sea.
Making changes in the navigation laws relating
mainly to consular fees.
For the protection Of federal officials in Indian
Territory.
Authorizing marshals 10 arrest offenders and
| fugitives from Justice in Indian Territory
Furnishing robbery, burglary. and larceny in
| Indian Territory.
Authorizing the condemnation Of land for site.
| for public buildings
! Amending the law to punish timber depreda-
| tons
OF private bills about 800 have become
laws at this session, and of these 63S were
! private pension bills Among the private
| pension bills of this session are two granting
| pensions Of s., 003 year each to the widows
| of Gems Logan and Blair The bill to give
| Mrs Sheridan S., 800 has not passed the
| house on account of the failure to get unani-
NOUS consent at time when a quorum was
absent. Several generals widows have had
their special pensions doubled at this session.
/ Nancy Rains, the oldest revolutionary pen
sioner, has had her pension raised to $40
month. John W. January, the Illinois SOL
der who amputated both o. his own feet at
| Andersonville, has had a pension of 800 a
month given him, and several disabled SOL
have had their pensions raised to S72 a
month.
This congress has the distinction of voting
| more money for rivers and harbors and for
public buildings than any previous session.
| The aggregate appropriations for public
buildings amount to s., 279 SO, but more
than million OF this is contingent and may
not be required Congress provided for
twenty seven new public buildings besides
appropriating money to continue large
number now in process of erection and to re-
pair and enlarge another considerable num-
Der Chicago gets S200,0o0 in addition to
$l30, 900 on hand tor the appraisers ware,
house.
Among the joint resolutions of the session
were that directing the geological survey to
investigate the practicability of constructing
reservoirs for the storage OF water in the
arid region; appropriating $500, 900 to pre-
vent the introduction of yellow fever into the
United States or its transmission from one
state to another; making appropriations for
the representation of the United States al
the expositions to be held in Paris, Brussels
Barcelona, and Melbourne.
The bill to create a bureau of labor became
law at this session. but it merely change,
the organization of the existing bureau
Among the measures that failed for this SEES
sion are the following:
The tariff BILL the bill to quiet the title of set
tiers on the Des Moines river lands; bill for tn,
settlement of private land claims; the postal tee
graph bill; the inter state telegraph bill; the bill
to amend the Interstate commerce law; the de
pendent pension BILL bills to admit Dakota anC
Washington and to create the territory of Okla
homa the Blair educational bill; hill raising dis
trict Judges salaries S. 900: the bill for the re
peal of the pre- -emption and timber culture law
and the amendment of the homestead law; Pa
cific railroad funding bill; forfeiture of the North
ern Pacific grant and forfeiture of ali unearne
grants; anti trust bills; bill to refund the direc
tax bill TO prevent the differentiation of imports
to incorporate the Maritime Canal company o
Nicaragua; to pay the remaining losses of the de
postors in the Freeimen's bank; the Canada
retaliation bill bill for the purchase of bonds; II
dian depreciation claims settlement; bill to Great
an executive department of agriculture; INTERIM
tional copyright bill; bill for the erection of coas
defenses: eght-hour claims bill; for the taking c
I the next census bill for the inspection of mea
3 for export.
Periis and Labors of Railway Mail Clerk
D WASHINGTON CITY, Oct. GOV L. Bar
q croft, the general superintendent Of the raj
3 way mail service in his annual report to tt
postmaster general, states that the casualtit
during the year were more numerous tina
r | any precedinp wear There were 2lS arc