The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1888-10-25
WORK PERFORMED BY CONGRESS.

country
WORK PERFORMED BY CONGRESS.
In the Senate 3,641 bills and 119 joint resolu-
tions were presented, while in the House the
record ran up to the unequaled figures of
II, sos bills aud 230 joint resolutions, with a
grand total of 1855 measures introduced dur
ing the first half Of the 50th Congress. The
session has been the longest ever held in the
history of the country, having occupied 321
days, the longest previous session having only
302 days to its credit.
Among the measures of public interest that
have become laws are the following: Relating
to permissible marks on mail matter; for the
protection Of submarine cables; for the divis-
ion of the Sioux reservation; relating to the
anchorage of vessels in the port of New York;
for conference with the South and Central
American nations; limiting the hours of letter
carriers; making Lieut.-Gen Sheridan Gen
eral of the Army to establish Department of
Labor to prevent deposits in New York har-
Dor; for an international maritime conference;
to perfect the quarantine service requiring
the Pacific Railroad Companies TO maintain
telegraph lines; to authorize juries in United
States Circuit and District Courts to be used
INTERCHANGEABLE to prohibit the coming Of
Chinese laborers to the United States; for an
appraisers warehouse in New York to in
crease the detail of Army and Naval officers to
educational institutions; for the establishment
of rules in respect to the Ste Marie and other
canals; to create boards of arbitration to settle
controversies between common carriers and
their employees; to prevent the return of Chi
nese laborers to this country; to investigate
the practicability Of constructing storage res
ervors in the arid regions; to increase PEN
sions in case of deafness; to aid State Homes
for disabled soldiers, and changing the date of
meeting of the Electoral College.
WHAT THEY HAVE NOT DONE.
There have been hundreds of private pen
sion bills passed, a goodly number of which
have been vetoed, but the general pension
legislation has been entirely ignored and as
the readers of THE NATIONAL TRIBUNE have
been informed from time to time, Col. Matson,
the Chairman Of the House Committee on
Pensions, has never even tried to secure day
upon which these measures of interest to every
veteran in the land could be considered. As a
consequence there are quite number of general
| pension measures which have as yet not re-
ceived consideration, but are slumbering in the
comm ttee-room.
THE CLOSING HOURS OF CONGRESS.
Only seven Senator'S were present to hear the
| final prayer Of the session on Saturday last.
/ They were Senators ingalls, (the presiding Off
| cer), Allison, Cockreli, Mitchell, Paddock,
| Salisbury and Teller Immediately after the
reading of the Journal Senators Blackburn,
! Reagan and Sawyer entered the chamber.
The Chair appointed Senators Allison and
! Salisbury to join like Committee on the part
/ of the House to wait upon the President and
| inform him that Congress having finished its
| business was ready to close the present session
at / o'clock Saturday, Oct 20.
Business was then informally suspended
awaiting messages from the President or from
the House. The first message received was one
from the House announcing the passage Of q
joint resolution authorizing the Government
exhibit at the Cincinnati exposition to remain
there till the 18th OF November 1t was imme-
diately passed by the Senate. Also announcing
the appointment of Committee TO wait on The
| President.
The next message from the House was send
ing back the enrolled joint resolution (5igued
by the Speaker as to the Government exhibit.
at the Cincinnati Exposition. 1t was immedi
ately signed by the presiding officer aud dis.
patched to the President; but as the hands OIL
the dial Of the clock showed that but % min.
utes OF the session we're left the question o
it being approved and signed was very doubt
full.
Five minutes afterwards Mr.. Allison, Of thu
Committee to wait on the President, reported
that the Committee had performed that duty
and had been informed by the President thai
he had no further communication to offer.
THANKING lIR. INGALLS,.
A resolution rendering the thanks Of the Sen
ate to Mr.. ingalls, for The uniformly able
courteous and impartial manner in which h