Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-03-04
CONGRESSIONAL RESUME.

Brief Review of Session In Many Ways
Remarknble-Clevela Many Vetoes
Important Bills That Became Laws,
and Others That Failed to Secure a Place
on the Statute Books.
WASHINGTON. March 3.-Undoubtedly the
most noteworthy legislative act of the Fiftieth
Congress which closes at noon tomorrow, has
been the passage of the act by which there will
be an addition of four new stars on the field
of blue of the American National colors. The
Congress has been in many respects a remark
able one, and in its length has exceeded that of
any previous Congress. It has been character
lied by some sharp and acrimonious debates,
and on several occasions. personalities have
been exchanged of a character more bitter and
exasperating than polite The first session was
made unusually interesting by the fact that
national election was near at hand, and that
the lines of both parties were closely drawn,
portunity that might give them an advantage,
however slight, in the approaching contest.
Although the measure which caused the pro-
longation of the first session well into the
autumn, and to time beyond all precedent,
failed of enactment and resulted in nothing
save mighty debate, the Congress has never.
theless achieved considerable amount OF
work More bills have been introduced and
more enacted into laws than during any other
Congress.
In the matter of vetoes, the tharetofore un-
surpassed record of the Forty-ninth Congress
has been beaten, President Cleveland disap-
proving more bills during the last two years of
his administration than during the first two.
He has vetoed directly 27S bills, l57 more than
all his predecessors combined, from Washing
tpn down, while number of measures have
been subjected to what is called the pocket
VETO, that is, they failed to become laws be-
cause the President did not sign them, and be-
tie constitutional limitation of ten days was
up within which the President is required to
express his disapproval. Fourteen of the bills
faIed to become laws in this manner at the
cloie OF the first session of the present Con-.
gres.
Beginning on the first Monday in December,
lSS7,the Fiftieth Congress continued practi-
callyun1nterruptedly in session until the Goth
of October, 1885, when it adjourned to meet for
the second session in December, and to con-
tinue until March 4 1889. as required by law.
During the two sessions there have been intro
duced in the House 1853 bills, or ,4CO more
than il the preceding Congress, and 26S joint
resolutions or more than in the Forty-ninth
Congress. In the Senate 399S bills and IA
joint resolutions have been inti oduced, against
1857 bills and llS resolutions during the Forty
ninth Congress- which broke all previous rec
ords in this respect OF all these bills and
joint resolutions ,791 became laws, Of which
number !, 100 originated in the House and COL
in the Senate. The President also sent
veto messages in the case Of 80 House and AZ
Senate hills, or IA more vetoes than were made
during the previous Congress. All OF the 80
House bills vetoed except were either private
pension Or relief bills.
About the most important House bills passed
were the Scott Chinese exclusion bill and the
bill creating Department of Agriculture, the
head of the department to be Cabinet officer.
By far the most important of the Senate bills
enacted into law has been the omnibus terri
torial admission bill, by which North and South
Dakota, Washington and Montana Territories
may acquire Statehood. Congress also passed
bills to pension Mrs. Sheridan. Mrs. Logan,
Mrs. Frank A Blair, and to retire General
Rosecrans.
Three hundred and thirty-three bills which
passed the House failed in the Senate, in con-
ference. By far the most notable Of these is
the Mills tariff bill. Another very important
House bill which failed is the Oklahoma bill.
Six hundred and eighty-four bills, after passing
the Senate, failed, through one cause or an
other. to reach the President. The most i'm
portart was the Blair educational bill. Other
important measures that came to naught were
the bill for the admission of Utah, Idaho, New
Mexico and Wyoming Territories; to declare
trusts rmlawful to promote commercial Union
with Canada, and to authorize the President to
open negotiations with view to the annexa-
tion of the Dominion; to grant women suffrage;
to repealthe civil service law; the internal rev.
enue laws and the tobacco tax; to lay gradu-
ated income tax; for the bounty on sugar; for
the free coinage of silver, and to repeal the
oleomargEine act.
Two important treaties which were rejected
| were the Canadian fisheries and the British ex-
| tradition convention,