The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1889-03-07
a BUSY SESSION.


Congress Out Of 16,657 Bills and Az
RCsoi. TONS Introduced. I..Ol Became
Laws some Of the Measures That Failed.
WASHINGTON. March 4-Undoubtcdlv the
most noteworthy act OF the Fiftieth Con.
gress, which closes at noon. has been the
passage OF the act admitting four new States
TO the Union. The Congress has been in
many respects a remarkable one, and In
its length has exceeded that OF any
previous Congress. Although the measure
which caused the prolongation OF the first
session beyond all precedent resulted IN moth
ing save a mighty torrent OF debate, the Con-
gress has nevertheless achieved considerable
amount OF work. More bills have been intro
duced and more enacted into laws than during
any other Congress. In the matter OF vctoes
the heretofore unsurpassed record or the
Forty-n nth Congress has been beaten, p-es.-
dent Cleveland disappearing more bills during
the last two years Of his Administration than
during :ha first two. Ho has vetoed rcctly
2SS mills. 49, more than all his predecessors
combined, from Washington down, while four.
teen measures have been subjected to what IS
called the pocket-yeto.
Beginning on the first Monday in December.
1887, the Fiftieth Congress continued prac-
tically uninterruptedly in session unit | De-
tober 20. 1sss. when II adjourned to meet for the
second session in December and to continue
until March 4, 1922 as required by law. Dur
ing the two sessions there have been intro
duced in the House 1869 bills, or 1.40O more
than in the proceeding Congress, and rs joint
resolutions, or more than the Forty ninth
Congress. Committee reports have been
made TO the number OF 4,1s4 In the Senate
1855 bills and Ia Joint resolutions
have been introduced, against 3357
bills and lis resolutions during the
preceding Congress- which broke all pre-
yious records in this respect. There were = 7U6
p.n
OF the preceding Congress. or all these
bills and joint resolutions 1,s9i became
laws, OF which number 1870 origi-
mated in the House and 69l in the
Senate. The President also sent veto mes
sagos in the case OF 80 House and AZ Senate
bills or IA more vetoes than were made during
the previous Congress. The principal House
bill vetoed was that for the benefit OF the Des
MONIES river settlers.
Some OF the more important House bills
which have become laws are as follows: For
. 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; creating u
Department OF Agriculture. the head of
the department 10 be a Cabinet officer;
to establish Department OF Labor; to create
boards OF arbitration commissions for set
ting controversies or differences between
Interstate common carriers and their EN-
ployes; for the erection, extension or repair OF
public buildings or marine hospitals at Evans
vile, Ind: Indianapolis, Ind: Wichita, Kan:
Portsmouth, O.; Duluth. Mimi; Bay City.
NJ ch.; jackson, Mich.
Bills originating in the Senate became laws
10 the number OF COL Of which 400 were or II
private character. Forty-seven Senate bills
were vetoed, the most important being those
for the erection Of public buildings ut Youngs.
town, O., and Sioux City, Ia, and the Direct
Tax bill.
Among the principal Senate bills which be-
come laws were the Omnibus Territorial Ad-
mission bill; to fix the passport fee at 81; to
lncOrporte the Nicaragua Canal Company; to
provide aid to State homes for the support
Of disabled soldiers; to perfect the quaran-
tine service: to prohibit the coming OF
Chinese laborers into the United States: for
the appraisers warehouse at Chicago; to allow
any honorably discharged soldier or sailor
who has abandoned or relinquished his home
stead entry TO make another entry; TO change
the time OF meeting OF the Electoral Col
lege; to enable the President to protect
the interests OF the United States at Panama
IA similar measure with reference to Samoa
was included in the Naval Appropriation billy !;
10 protect the Alaska fur-seal and salmon fish
cries; directing the Secretary OF the Interior to
investigate the practicabiity OF constructing
water-storage reservoirs in ar d regions; appro-
priating $4,000 to suppress infection in the
Interstate commerce OF the United States in
aid Of sufferers from yellow fever, and the
erection OF new public bu ldings or the en-
largemcnt or change Of the ex sting buildings
1t Milwaukee, Omaha, Sacramento. San Fran
| :isco. and Winona. MINI.
Congress also passed bills to pension Mrs.
| Sheridan, Mrs. Logan. Mrs. Frank p. Blair,
and to retire General Rosecrans.
There has been included in this statement OF
bills which have become laws those in the
Presidents hands awaiting signature.
Three hundred and thirty-three bills which
passed the House failed in the Senate in con-
| terence. by far the most notable OF these is
the Mills Tariff bill. Another very important
HouSe bill which failed is the Oklahoma bill,
many OF the provisions OF which are, however,
Incorporated in the Indian Appropriation
bill. Other important House measures which
failed are as follows: The General Land bill
and the General Forfeiture bill to prevent the
product OF convict labor from be ng used III
any Government department or upon public
works; prohibiting The allowance OF any fee
In any claim for increase OF PENSION on ac-
count or on increase Of the disability for which
the pension was allowed: to relax the rigors
81 the acknowledgements law; authoriz-
| ing the five civilized tribes TO lease
| their lands subject to the approval OF the Sec
rotary OF the Interior: authorizing the issue OF
| fractional silver certificates: to forfeit the
Hastings Dakota Railway Company's grant
| n Minnesota; to prevent the employment OF
Allan labor upon public buildings or other pub.
lie works and in the various Departments OF the
| Government; TO forfeit the Northern Pacific
land grant: the Fisheries Retaliation bill.
i Six hundred and eighty-iour bills, after pass
| ing the Senate, failed to reach the President.
The most important are: Declaring the sense
OF the United States with respect to foreign
| control Of the Panama canal: the Blair Educa-
tional bill the Dcpendent-Pension bill; the
| swamp-land bills; TO forfeit the OntonagOn &
Marquette land grant; TO regulate the I'M
pOrtatiOn OF foreign merchandise and TO secure
Uniformity In the classification and valuation
thereof; 10 increase the pension tor total dis
ability; to make telegraph companies sub
ject to regulation by the Interstate
Commerce Commissions: to retire Gen
eral John C. Fremont; TO reduce the
| rate OF postage on seeds and bulbs; TO improve
| nre OF hemp and fax; for the rel ef OF persons
| who paid S2.s0 for lands subsequently reduced
| 10 price to N.25; to prevent the Introduction
| Of contagious diseases from one state into an.
other; to ratify the Southern Ute Indian agree
mont.
The following are other important measures
which also came to naught: The Pacific Rail
road Funding bill; for the admission OF Utah
Idaho. New Mexico and Wyoming Terri
| promote commercial union with Canada
i and to authorize the President TO opeT
4 negotiations with . view 10 the annexation o.
i the Dominion; to grant women sunrage; t6
| repeal the ClvllSeryice law the internal-rev'
| graduated income tax; for the bounty
/ on sugar; for the free coinage OF sill
! yer; to repeal the Oleomargarine act
| the Compound Lard BILL the Hennepir
| limitation; for the adjudication OF French
| spoliation claims. and various measures pro
| posing radical departures in our PENSION, tariff
and financial systems.