Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1889-03-14
THE LATE CONGRESS-.
What It Did and Did Not Ac-
complish.
The Longest Session on Record-Many
Bills That Passed and Many That
Failed-The Record Beaten
on Yetoes.

WASHINGTON March 4.-The Fiftieth Con
gress will he noted IN history for four things
First, the admission into the Union OF four new
States-North Iakota, South Dakota MontGn;
Enc Washington Territories. second, for The
tar1n discussion which consumed so much tim,
I'm both House and Senate: third, for the crea
ton OF new executive department, and fourth
for the amount Of flibustering that took place
in the House.
Undoubtedly the most important piece o.
busine Congress disposed OF was the admis
sion OF four new States to the Union This
action would have been almost an impossibihty
before the election which settled the question
Of the Presidency. 1t was an action Of Grca;
Importance to the Union, adding TO the strength
OF the general Government and relieving il Of a
great deal Of responsibility. It OF importance
to the Republican party also assuring it 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
leaaer 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 collect ton. the debate
served TO outline with distinctness the policy
OF either party in the election contest and
probably opened the way TO legislation il the
next Congress. An effort was made when the
session was near its close TO have tobacco tax
repealed. but while there was a majority of
either house in favor Of the passage of the
measure, IL was successfully opposed by mem
bers of the Committee on Ways and Means
who, through their friends, prevented its con-
sideration by resorting to hiibustering 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 created a deadlock by fillbuster-
ing tactics to prevent the consideration Of
the Direct Tax bill. This was in the first
session. The flibustering in the second ses-
sion was directed principally against
the consideration of the Pa cife Railroad
Funding bill and the Cowles bill TO repeal
the tobacco tax and in favor OF the cOnsld-
Grafton OF the Oklahoma bill The Direct Tax
bill was the only one Of these measures bene-
flied and that. after passing both houses, was
vetoed yesterday by the President. The Pacific
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 il through
the House but il remains u:.cOnsidered in the
Senate. The Cowles bill was efecLualy dts
posed of by the filibusters. The power placed
IN the hands OF the minority by the existing
rules /, so great. and il has been applied so
often in this Congress. that it is not unlikely
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 a 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
autumn and to time beyond all precedent
failed of enactment and resulted in nothing
save a 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 re
markabe one, ana in its length has exceeded
that OF any other Congress. y las been char
acteriZed by some sharp "u. crlmonious de
bates and on severl! &C rLsiC-s ne sonalities
have been exchanged OF a character more bitter
and exasperatng than polite.
In the matter of vetoes The before unsur-
passed record of the Forty-ninth Congress has
been beaten, President Cleveland disappearing
more bills during the last two years of his ad-
ministration than during the first two. He has
vetoed directly 27S bills-157 more than
all his predecessors combined from Washing
ton down. while number OF measures
have been subjected to what is called
the pocket vetO--that is they failed to become
laws because the President did not sign them
and because the sessions of Congress expired
before the Constitutional limitation Of ten days
was Up within which the President is required
TO express his disapproVal 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 House
and forty-four Senate bills, or fourteen more
vetoes than were made during the pre-
vious 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 the Des Moines river lands in
Iowa; for the sale OF Indian lands in Kansas;
for the disposal of the Fort Wallace military
reservation in kansag; authorizing the i'm
provement of Castle island. Boston harbor; for
the certihcation of lands to the State of Kansas
for the benefit Of agriculture and the mechanic
arts; and for the erection OF publ C buildings at
Columbus. GA, Allentown, Pa, Council Bluffs
la and Bar IBarbor, Me.
Beginning on the first Monday in Dec mber,
1887, the FIftieth Congress continued practically
uninterruptedly in session until October 20,
1883 when il adjourned TO meet for the second
session IN DECEMBER ana 10 continue until
March 4, as required by law. During the two
sessions there has been introducedin the House
IL $50 bills, 400 more than in the proceeding
Congress, and s6S joint resolutions. or five
more than in the Forty-ninth Congress
Committee reports have been made TO the
number of 4,154. In tie Senate, 3, 99S bills and
IA joint resolutions have been introduced
against 3 So bills and lis resolutions during the
Forty-ninth Congress, which broke all previous
flc in .
ten reports made, or over 100 in excess OF the
preceding Congress. or all these bills and Joint
resolutions. l.79l became laws, OF which number
1,l9O originated in the House and Col in the
Senate.
Some OF the more important House bills
which have become laws are as follows: For q |
conference of 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; to limit the
hours Of letter carriers; 10 provide building |
for the chief signal Office in Washington: for
the protection Of United States officials in the |
Indian Territory; to authorize the tondemna- |
ton of land for sites of public buildings; 10 |
require United States circuit and dis
trict judges TO instruct juries in writing in |
certain cases; creating q Department of Agri- |
culture, the head If the department to be a |
Cabinet office; to protect lands belonging TO In |
dams from unlawful grazing; to establish a /
department of labor; TO create boards of arbi-
tration or commissions for settling controver-
sizes between Interstate common carriers and |
their employees; 20 increase the maximum
amount OF international money orders from
S50 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 or marine hospitals
at Evansville, Ind; Indianapolis, Ind; WITCH
ita, Kan; Monroe, La; Sedalia, Mo-; Spring.
field, Mo-; Buffalo. n. Y; Asheville, n. c.;
Statesville, N c.: Portsmouth O. Lancaster