Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1889-03-04
WHAT CONGRESS HAS ACCOMPLISHED
And Also some Measures That Got Left
The Veto Record.

And Also some Measures That Got Left
The Veto Record.
WASHINGTON CITY, March 4.-The Fiftietb
congress will be noted in history for four
things: First, the admission into the Union
Of four new states-North Dakota South Da-
kota, Montana and Washington; second, for
the tariff discussion which consumed SO much
time in both house and senate; third for the
creation of a new executive department, and
fourth, for the amount of flibustering that
took place in the house.
Undoubtedly the most important piece of
business congress disposed of was the admis-
sion of four new states This action would
have been almost an impossibility before the
election which settled the question Of the
presidency. II was a measure OF great i'm
portance to the Union, adding to the strength
Of the general government and relieving it
of great deal of responsibility. 1t is of i'm
portance to the Republican party also, as
surfing it a good working majority in the
next congress
The tariff discussion consumed a great deal
Of the time of house and senate, and although
no legislation resulted to reduce the revenue
and simplify Its collection, the debate served
to outline with distinctness the policy Of
either party in the election contest and pro-
baby opened the way to legislation in the
next congress
The abuse of the rules Of the house by the
minority during the second session has been
among the most striking features of the bust
ness of that body, it having been clearly
demonstrated that under the present rules Q
very small minority can successfully stop
business for any length of time or force the
majority to let the minority have its way
By this means the Pacific railway funding bill
and the Cowles tobacco tax repeal bill were
defeated. It is probable that the Fifty first
congress will make considerable change in
the rules
The business placed before congress for
consideration in the last two years has
greatly exceeded In the aggregate that OF any
previous congress. This is largely due to the
increase Of measures for private relief, a fact
which emphasizes the necessity 80 often adj
United of providing some tribunal for the
arbitration Of the claims against the govern
ment, which are now brought to congress
for adjudication. There were introduced In
the senate in the Fiftieth congress, 1899 bills
and l43 joint resolutions and 2,7l0 reports
were made from committees. In the house
there were IL, $50 bills, 267 joint resolutions
and 4 ,l54 reports. In the Forty-ninth con
gress there we're introduced 8, 358 senate bills
II, 260 house bills, lis senate joint resolutions
] ,266 house joint resolutions, and there were
received from senate committees 800, ant
from house committee 4, lS1 reports.
or the bills and joint resolutions in the
present congress, not one in twenty passed
the house, and not one in thirty passed bott
houses and went to the president for hi,
signature
OF the bills that became laws at the first
| session of the present congress the following
are the most important: Establishing de
partment of labor; giving 500 bounty b
soldiers who were enrolled or enlisted TO
three years prior to July %, 1861, and wit
were subsequently honorably discharges
from the service; remitting duties paid OF
| imported breeding animals and admittin,
free Of duty those imported in the future; in
] creasing pensions for utter deafness to $50
month; extending the eight-hour law to let