The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1890-10-10
WORK OF CONGRESS.
Bills Passed and Some That Are
Still Pending.
Interesting Summary Of What Congress
Has Done Increase of Appropriations
bills That Have Not Become
Laws.

eral klectlFnS OIL WOulu not Sc w
at this session Til. BILL therefore, goes over.
The actual work accomplished Is of es-
pecIal interest because IL Is the first Con-
Rress in many years In which one OF The Two
great political parties had control of both
the legislative and executive branches OF
the Government A change In rates OF GUS
toms duties has practically been brought
about, a number of very important changes
in the existing law having been agreed to
In conference end approved by the House
They need n W only the approval OF the
Senate and the President.
The feature of the new Tariff law which
has attracted wide attention and which bore
greater Significance from the fact that It
threatened for a time 20 Greats division In
the Republican party was the provision for
she establishment OF reciprocal relations
between the United States and the Latin
American countries. This ilea, which had
been suggested I'm past years by Senator
Aldrich and other Statesman, was brought
very prominently to the notice Of Congress
and the country by letter of the Secretary
of State, transmitted to Congress by tue
President, urging the necessity of requiring
some concessions from Latin American
countries for the free admission to the
United States Of sugar and other Of their
products. The Recommendation was ignore
by the House of Representatives, but was
later adopted in a modified form by the Sen.
ate and agreed 60 In conference between the
two houses.
Next in importance to the new Tariff law
is the silver legislation enacted by Congress.
July H. 1890 a new law went into effect pro
yiding for the issue of coin certificates based
on gold or silver bullion, with requirement
that the Secretary Of the Treasury should
purchase 4,5OO. COZ ounces of silver bullion
each month. The bill as 1t passed the Sem
ate was practical free coinage bill, but the
conferrees on the part of the two houses
agreed upon a compromise, the general inn
preston being that while the majority in
both houses favored free coinage, the COM
promise was rendered necessary by the fear
of an executive vote. The effect of the new
Silver law was an immediate advance in the
price of silver, eliminating at figure higher
than any known in history.
The promise of the Republican party made
in the last campaign that more liberal pen
sion legislation would be enacted was par
TALLY fulfilled in the passage of the Dis
ability Pension act under which pension
of s12 a month Is given to any soldier who is
now disabled from whatever cause The
applications received since its enactment so
Increased the work of the Pension Office
that IL was necessary for Congress to vote
an additional appropriation for the employ
ment of nearly 500 clerks In that office and
In the war records division of the Depart
ment of War.
The addition of four new stars to the flag
made by thelast Congress has been supple
mented at this session by the admission in
TO the Union of the States of Wyoming and
Idaho
Early in the session a law In restraint Of
trusts and combinations was enacted. No
opportunity to enforce it has yet occurred
and, as 1t was generally regarded as but a
tentative measure, its value can not be esti-
mated at this time.
~ he
result of many years discussion in the two
houses of Congress, has been passed 1t in
brief provides for the forfeiture of all I'M
earned lands granted to aid In the construc-
ton of railroads opposite portions OF the
road unComPeted at the time of the pas
sage OF the Jaw.
The question of lotteries having been
brought TO public attention by the Louisi-
ana Lottery company to obtain a charter in
North DaEOta. and later to obtain a renewal
of its charter in Lhuisiana, the President
made the matter a subject of a special mes
sage to Congress in which he transmitted u
bill prepared by the Postmaster General to
prohibit the transmission through the malls
of letters and circulars relating to lotteries
and of newspapers containing lottery adj
vertisements. This bill was passed prompt
~ by both houses without modification and
without material opp Jsition, and was signed
" the President.
After a lively controversy ov r the Ques-
tion Of sci citing site. in which the cities of
New York, Chicago, ST. Louis and Washing
ton wer- concerned d. Congress passed a law
creating Nationai Commission and estsb-
Iishcd the Fair at Chicago.
As result principally of the prohibition
which shuts American meat out of certain
markets abroad, a law was enacted to pro-
vile for the inspac ton, under the direction
Il the Secretary of Agriculture of m ats in
a. Al.
tiou of adultrrated articles OF food and
1riak and enabling The President to prevent
he importation of adulte-aied articles of
food.
An important feature OF the present ses-
sion was the d feat cf the Flair Educationa al
I'll in the Senate. 1t had passed that body
Ia several other CONGRESSES and its ri ectioa
was quite unexpected
Among the less Important laws enacted
by this Congress arc the following: Increas-
ing the pension of those totally and perma-
gently helpless to sf2 per month; providing
for one Assistant Secretary of War and one
Of the Navy; author, zing the President to
cause the prhmu' cation Of regulations nee
essary To prevent the spread of contagious
diseases from one State to another; grant
ing certificates of discharge to persons who
enlisted under assume names in the war OF
the rebelli n; to prevent assertions from
the army by retaining temporarily part OF
the soldiers pay, and providing for the ex-
portation CT fermented liquor in bond with
out payment of internal revenue tax.
A number of important measures are
hanging fire, which may g to the President
be.Orc adjournment, although the chances
are greatly in favor of their rostponement
antil the next session
Nearly coo bills and resolutions that were
tsportrd to the House from committees dur
ing this session of Congress. failed of pas
= sage and IeInaia on The House calendar.
Among the important measures are: To
create 4 court of patent appeals; granting
pensions to female hospital nurses of the
rebellion; 10 increase the salaries of United
States sndgesE TO promote the efficiency of
the IL ltiai ;r nsfe-rirg the weather ser
vice 10 the Agricultural Department.; the
Service Pension bill; TO prov de a commits
SIGN on the alcoholic liquor traffic; the But
terwarth anticipation aud Anti Future bill
TO encourage the construction of a conti-
mental railway to connect North and South
America; to prevent the importation of
R2uteIated and spurious tea; the Pacific
Railroad bill; to increase the number of
regiments in the army; the Butterworth
resolution for reciprocity with Canada; a
resolution for the adjustment of questions
between the United States and Mexico;
Ersnting the right of suffrage to women
Tor the retirement of National bank circula-
lion; for the removal of General Grants
remains from New York to W ashington, and
the Copyright bill
There were few Senate bills of a general
character on the House calendar. Most Of
the measures CT this kind were either passed
by the House or were not reported from the
House committees to which they were re-
fsrred. The most important of the Senate
bills left on the House calen Ear are the Sub
sidy and shipping bills.
The number OF laws passed In the first ses-
sion of the Fftieth Congress was: Public
laws, s4oi private, s97; pubiier solutions 81
private, 6. The number enacted thus far IN
the Fifty-fi Congress Is: Public laws, asl
private, 6a1; public resolutions, AZ; private,
8 These ngures will be sweIled considera.