Los Angeles daily herald., 1889-03-04
THE FIFHIETH CONGRESS-.
A Review of the Legislative
Work Done.
TWO RECORDS WERE BROKEN
The President Vetoed, and Congress
Passed, More Bills than Their
Predecessors.
Associated Presa Dispatches to the HERALD. |

EllllOlh SOhEAOoEs WhANLA SASoOo ~ hOCA
tomorrow, has been the passage of the
act by which there will be an addition of
four new stars to the National colors.
The first session WAS made unusually in
teresting by the fact that the 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 advan age, however slight, in the ap-
preaching contest. Although the meas
ure which caused the prolongation of the
first session to time beyond all preoe-
dent, failed of enactment and resulted in
nothing save mighty torrent of debate,
Congress, nevertheless, achieved con-
siderable amount of work. More bills
have been introduced and more enacted
into law than during any other Congress.
In the matter of vetoes, the heretofore
unsurpassed record OF the Forty-ninth
Congress has been beaten, President
Cleveland disappearing more bills dur
ing the last two years of his administra-
ton than during the first two. He has
vetoed directly 27S bills, 157 more than
dll ulb plO0OOOo5OAo OOuIDlhONt ilOth
Washington down; while number of
measures have been subjected to his
"pocket veto."
During the two sessions there have
been introduced in the House IL ,659 bills,
or 400 more than in the preceding Con-
gress, and 267 joint resolutions, or fifty
more than in the Forty Ninth Congress.
Committee reports have been made TO
4 ~, ,1e 4 IN thn Gnnofn
3 .998 bills and IA Joint resolutions have
been introduced, against 1857 bills and
is resolutions during the Forty Ninth
Congress, which broke all previous rec
ords in this respect. There were 2,706
| written reports made, or over 700 in
excess of the preceding Congress. OF all
these bills and joint resolutions, l,7S9
became laws, of which number 100 orig
mated in the House, and COL in the Sem
ate. The President also sent veto mes
sages in the case Of 80 House and AZ
| Senate bills, or Ia more vetoes than were
made during the previous Congress. OF
| House bills which became laws, S32 were
| private bills and 1853 measures oil pub
| lie character. All OF the 90 House bills
| vetoed, except eight, were either private
pension or relief bills. The eight public
| bills vetoed are as follows: To quiet the
titles of settlers on Des Moines river
lands, Iowa; for sale of Indian lands in
| Kansas; for the disposal of Fort Wallis
military reservation in Kansas; author
izing the improvement of Castle Island,
in Boston harbor; for the certihcation Of
lands to the State OF Kansas for the
benefit of agriculture and the mechanical
arts; for the erection of public buildings
in Columbus, Ga, Allentown, Pa, CSun-
Gil Bluffs, Ia, and Bar Harbor, Ne.
Some of the more important House
bills which became laws are as follows
For conference of the South and Cen
tral American republics in Washington,
in May next; to divide the great Sioux
reservation in Dakota the Chinese Ex-
clusion act; for the protection of United
States officials in Indian Territory; to
authorize the condemnation of land for
| city public buildings; for creating the
Department of Agriculture, the head OF
the department to be Cabinet officer
to establish the Department OF Labor,
to create boards of arbitration or com
mittees for settling controversies of diff
ferences between Interstate common
carriers and their employees.
Bills originating in the Seate became
laws to the number Of COL, of which 400
were of private character. Forty-seven
Senate bills were vetoed, the most i'm
portant being those for the erection of
public buildings at Youngstown, o.,
and Sioux City, Ia, and the direct
Tax bill.
By far the most important Senate bill
enacted into law has been the Omnibus
Admission bill, by which North and
South Dakota, Washington and Montana
Territories may acquire Statehood.
Among other Senate bills placed on the
statute books are: To provide for the
warehousing of fruit brandy; to increase
pensions for the loss of both hands and
also for deafness; to incorporate the
Nicaruaga Canal Company; to provide
aid to State homes for the support of dis
abled soldiers; to prohibit the coming of
Chinese laborers into the United States
to allow any honorably discharged
soldier or sailor who has abandoned or
relinquished homestead entry to make
another; to change the time of meeting
of the Electoral College; ratifying tho
Greek Indians agreement; to enable the
President to protect the interests of the
United States at Panama to protect the
Alaska fur seals and fisheries; directing
OhO PcCIOIdCy VI Luo 1uIOllOI w lhFobIl-
gate the practicability of constructing
water storage reservoirs in the arid
regions, and the erection of new public
buildings, or the enlargement or change
OF existing buildings, at several cities.
Congress also passet bills to pension
Mrs. Logan, Mrs. Frank A.. Blair, and to
retire General Rosecrans. There have
been included in this statement of bills
which have become laws, those in the
Presidents hands awaiting signature.
Quite number of these are subject to
''pocket veto," and the Presidents action
in regard to them may, of course, modify
this statement to some extent. There
are also pending number of measures
which may yet be passed, but the work
of Congress is practically complete.
Three hundred and thirty-three bills
which passed the House failed in the
Senate in conference. The most notable
of these is the Mills Tariff bill and the
Oklahoma bill.
Other important House measures which
failed are as follows: The General Land
bill and General Forfeiture bill; to pre-
vent the product of convict labor being
used by any government department or
upon public buildings or public works; ;
to amend the internal revenue laws by
relaxing the rigor OF those laws; author
izing the five civilized tribes to lease
their lands, subject to the approval OF
the Secretary of the Interior; authorizing
the issue Of fractional silver certificates;