The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1889-03-15
THE LATE CONGRESS-.
What 1t Did and Did Not Ac-
complish.
The Longest Session on Record-Many
Bills That Passed and Many That
Failed-The Record Beaten
on yetoes.

a
sEd Washington Territories second, for the
tar1ff discussion which consumed so much time
in both House and Senate: third. for the crea.
ton OF a new executive department and fourth
for the amount Of fiibustering that took place
in the House.
Undoubtedly the most important piece OF
busine Congress disposed OF was the admis-
sion of four new States to the Union This
action would have been almost an impossibility
before the election which settled the question
of the Presidency II an action OF great
Importance to the Union. adding to the strength
OF the general Government and relieving IL OF a
great deal OF responsibility. tits OF importance
10 the Republican party also assuring II good
working majority in the next Congress.
The creation OF the executive Department of
Agriculture gave TO President Harrison an
other Cabinet office with which to reward some
lea er of the Republican party.
The tariff discussion consumed a great deal
of the time of the House and Senate and al
though no legislation resulted to reduce the
revenue and simplify its collec ton. the debate
served to outline with distinctness the policy
OF either party in the election contest and
probably opened the way to legislation in the
next Congress. An effort was made when the
session wa, near its close TO have tobacco tax
repealed. but while there was a majority Of
either house in favor OF tn passage of the
measure il was successfully opposed by men,
DcrS OF the committee on ways ana means
who through their friends, prevented its con-
sideration by resorting to fiiibustering tactics.
The abuse OF the rules of the House by the
minority has been among the most striking
features of the business Of that body. Mr..
Weaver and Mr.. Anderson made themselves
famous by preventing the consideration of all
business until the majority in the House would
consent to the consideration OF the measures
in which they were interested Mr.. Oates of
Alabama also a deadlock nv films
ing tactics to prevent the consideration of
the Direct Tax bill. This was in the frs
session. The fibustering in the second SEES
sion was directed principally against
the consideration of the Pa cfic Railroad
Funding bill and the Cowles bill TO repeal
the tobacco tax and in favor OF the consid-
GRAFTON of the Oklahoma bill. The Direct Tax
bill was the only one OF these measures bene-
fitted and that. after passing both houses, was
vetoed yesterday by the President The Pacifc
Railroad bill still stands on the calendar of the
House and like measure remains untouched
on the Senate calendar. The friends of the
Oklahoma bill succeeded in carrying it through
the House but il remains uiconsdered in the
Senate. The Cowles bill was efeciually DIS
posed of by the filibusters. The power placed
IN the hands of the minority by the existing
rules l. so great and il has been applied SO
often in this Congress, that il is not unlikely a
revision OF the rules will be made by the House
in the Fifty-first Congress when it meets for
organization.
The first session was made unusually inter
esting by the fact that National election was
near at hand and that the lines OF both parties
were closely drawn with the leaders watching
eagerly for every opportunity that might give
them an advantage, however slight, in the
approaching contest. Although the mea-
sure which caused the prolongation
of the first session well into the
an NM 10 s-pa bay- nd all Ier,r
failed of enactment and resulted in nothing
save mighty torrent of debate, the Congress
has nevertheless achieved a co siderable
amount of work. More bills have been intro
duced and more enacted into laws than during
any Congress.
The Congress has been in many respects a re-
markabic one, ana in its length has exceeded
that of any other Congress. 1t has been char
acterZed by some sharp and acrimonious de
bates and on several &C Casions pc sonalities
have been exchanged OF character more bitter
and exasperating than polite.
In the matter OF ve:OeS. the before unsuC-
passed record of the Forty-ninth Congress has
been beaten, President Cleveland d!sapproving
more bills during the last two years of his ad-
ministration than during the first two. He has
vetoed directly 27s bills-151 more than
all his predecessors combined from Washing
ton down, while a number OF measures
have been subjected TO what is called
the pocket NelO--Inat Is they lalcd 10 become
laws because the President did not sign them
and because the sessions or Congress expired
before the Constitutional limitation OF ter days
was I'D within which the President is required
10 express his disapproyal. -Four cen bills
failed 10 become laws in this manner, at the
close of the first session OF the present Con
gress. In the last session The President sent
veto messages in the cases OF ninety-nlne Hous
and rty-four Serat bills, or fourteen more
vetoes than were made during the pre-
yious Congress. or the House bills all except
eight were either private pension or relief bills
The eight public bills are as follows: To quiet
title OF settlers on the Dfs Moines river lands in
Iowa; for the sale OF Indian lands in Kansas:
for the disposal of the Fort Wallace military
reservation in kansas: authorizing the i'm
provement of Castle island, Boston harbor; for
the certitication OF lands to the State OF Kansas
for the benefit OF agriculture and the mechanic
arts; ana for the erection OF publ buildings AZ
Columbus, Ga. Allentown, Pa. Council Bluffs
Ia and Bar Harbor, Me.
Beginning on the first Monday in Dec mber
49,, the FIftieth Congress continued practically
uniuterruptedly in session until October 20
lSSs. when it adjourned TO meet for the second
SESSION in December and to continue until
March 4. as required by law. During the two
sessions there has been introduced in the House
12,G59 bills, I.4)D more than in the proceeding
Congress, and 26S joint resolutions. or five
more than in the Fo-ty-ninth Congress.
Committee reports have been made TO the
number of Aba In tie Senate, 3.9aS bills and
IA joint resolutions have been introduced
against 1857 bills and lis resolutions during the
Forty-ninth Congress. which broke all previous |
records in this respect. There were :, 200 writ
ten reports made, or over 40 II excess OF the |
preceding Congress. OF all these bills and Joint
resolutions. !, 79l became laws, OF which number
l.190 originated in the House and COL N the |
Senate.
Some Of the more important House bills |
which have become laws are as follows: For a 4
conference o. South and Central American /
Nations in Washington in May next: to divide |
the great Sioux reservation in Dakota. the |
Scott Chinese Exclusion act; providing for the |
taking OF the eleventh census: 10 limit the |
hours Of letter carriers: 10 provide building /
for the chief signal Office in Washington. Ter |
the protection 81 United States officials in the |
Indian Territory; TO authorize the sondemna- !
ton OF land for sites o. public buildings: 10 /
require United States circuit and dis |
trict judges 10 instruct ju:iss in writing in 1
certain cases: creating q Department Of AGri- |
culture. the head f the deDartIuent 10 be 4 4
Cabinet Office; TO protect lands belonging to In |
dams from unlawful grazing; 10 establish a
department OF labor. 10 create boards of arbi-
tration or commissions for settling controver-
sizes between Interstate common carriers and
their employees; 10 increase the maximum
amount OF international money orders from
So to 500: to punish robbery and burg
larry in the Indian Territory: accepting
an invitation TO participate in the Paris
Exposition, and for the erection, extension or
repair OF public buildings marine hospitals
al Evansville. Ind; Indianapolis, Ind; WITCH
it,, Kan: Monroe, La; Sedalia, Mo-; SPRING
field, No, Buffalo. N Y: Asheville, y. C;
StatesviIle, y. c: Portsmouth o.; Lancaster,
Pa; GreeviIle, 5. c.: Charleston, W Va;
Charleston. 5. c.; Helena, Ark arsenal, Co
lumbus, Tenn; Waterfowl, y. Y; Birming-
ham, Ala; Lowell Mass; Duluth MINI;