The Globe-republican. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1889-1910, 1890-10-08
FIFTY-FlRST CONGRESS.
Important Measures That Have
Become Laws.
interesting Summary of What Congress
Has Done Increase of Appropriations
BILLS That Have Not Become
Laws.


ate debate on the Tariff bi l was brought to
an end only by an agreement on the part ol
the mem bers of the majority that the fed'
eral Elections bill would not be called up
atthis session The bill. therefore. goes over.
The actual work accomplished is OF es-
.,ecial interest because 1t IL the first Con-
press in many years in which one OF the two
O eat political parties had control OF both
the legislative and executive branches OF
the Government 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 and approved by the House.
They need n W only the approval OF the
Senate and the President.
The feature of tine new Tariff law which
has attracted wide attention and which bore
greater significance from the fact that it
threatened for a time to Great division In
the Republican party was the provision for
the establishment of reciprocal relations
between the United Stat,s and the Latin
American countries. This i1ea which mad
Leen suggested i'm past years by Senator
AIdrich and other statesmen, was brought
q very prom nently to the notice IT Congress
and the country by q letter IT the Secretary
, OF State, transmitted to Congress bv the
Pres dent, urging the n cessity OF requiring
some concessions from L,tin- American
countries for the free admission to the
United States of sugar and other of their
Drodut ts The recommended on was L. nOre1
q by the House of Representative 8, hut was
g later adopted in "a modified form b. the Sen
ate and agreed to in conference between the
two houses.
Next n Importance t, the new Tariff law
is the silver Legislation enacte d by Congress.
Ju H. 1890. new law went into effect pro :
yiding for the issue of coin certificates based
on gold or silver bullion, with a Requirement mt
that the Secretary of the Treasury should
purchase 450).0 ounces OF silver bullion
each month. The bill as 1t passed the Sen
ate was practical free coinage bill, but the
conferrees on the part o: the two houses
agreed upon compromise, the general I'M
preston being that while the majority in
both houses favored free coinage, The com
promise WAS rendered niece sSary by the fear
of exec utive vote. The effect of the new
silver law an immediate advance in the
- ice OF silver culmi iating at a figure higher
ihan any known in history.
The promise of the Rcpub!i lean party made
In the Ia It campaign that more liberal pen
sion Iegislation would be enacted was par
riaiy fulfilled in the passage Of the Dis
ability Pension act under which pension
of SIP "A mont is Civ n to any soldier who Is
now disabled from whatever cause. The
ZAP plica, ions received sInce its enactment so
Increased the work OF the Pension Office
that it was necessary Tor Congress to vote
ment of nearly 500 c: rks in that Office and
an the war records div son of the Depart
mcnt of War.
The addition of four new stars to the flag
1ade by the last Congress has b en- supple
mented at this session 10y the admission in
TO the Union of the States of Wyoming and
idaho.
EarIy in the sess GA a law in restraint of
trusts and combinations was enacted. No
n nnrtnn n an of ed
and, as it was generally regarded as but a
tentative measure, it's value can not be esti-
mated at this time.
General Land Grant Forfeiture act, the
result of many years discussion in the two
Hoslses of Congress. has been passed 1t in
1r,ef prov Ides for the forfeiture of all un
earned lands granted to aid in the ccnstruc-
road uncompleted At the time of the pas
sage of the law.
The question of lotteries having been
brought to public a tention by the Louisi-
ana Lottery Company to obtain charter in
North Dakota. and later to obtain n renewal
OF its charter in l. 'uisiana. the President
made the matter a subject of a special mes
sage to Congress in which he transmitted a
6ill prepared by the Postmaster G neral to
prohibit the transmission through the mails
of letters and circulars relating to lotteries
and of newspapers containing lottery ad-
= ertisements. This bill was passed prompt
Iy by both houses without modification and
without material opp osition, and was signed
by the President.
After a lively controversy Ov the QueS
ton of selecting site. in which thu cities OF
New York, Chicago. st. Louis and Washing
ton Were concerned. Congress pa ssed a law
creating a National, Gonna ISIS ion and estab-
;ished the Fair ut Chicago
As :, result principally Of the prohibition
which shuts American meat out OF certain
snail ets abroad. law was enacted to pro-
vide for the inspe' sion, I'm Ter the direction
Of the Secretary of Agriculture. of IN. ats in
tended for export. prohib ting the expOrta
ton of adulteratcd articles of food and
.driak and enabling the President to prevent
he importation of aIulterated articles OF
food.
An important feature OF the present SEES
sion was the defeat of the Blair Educational
iii in the Senate. 1t had passed that body
In several other CONGRESSES and its rejection
was quite unexpected
Among the less Important laws enacted
rsS this ConRre are the following: Increas-
ing the pension of those totally and perma-
nently helpless to f72 per month; r.viding
for one Assistant Secretary of War and one
of the Navy: author ziUg the President to
cause the promu cation of regulations nee
essary 70 prevent the spread of conta yious
diseases from the state to another; grant
ing certificates of discharge to persons who
on IS ed under assumed names in the war OF
the rebellion: to prevent d.scrtions IRON
the army by retaining temporarily part OF
the soldiers pay. and providing for the ex
lsortation of fermented liquor in b md with
out payne Mt OF internal revenue tax.
A number OF important measures are
shapging fire, which may g to the President
before adjournment, although the chances
are greatly in favor of their rostponement
until the next session
Nearly coo bills and resolutions that were
reported to the House from committees dur
ing this session of Congress. failed of pas
sage and remain on the Houss calendar.
Among the Important measures are: To
create a court of patent appeals. granting
pensions to female hospital nurses of the
rebellion; to increase the salaries of United
states !ndges; to promo tc the efficiency Of
the militia; IT nsfcrrinG the weather ser.
vice TO the Agricultural Department: the
Service Pension bill: TO prov ide "a commits
sion on the alcoholic liquor tr sfic; the But.
terworth anticipation aud Anti Future Din :
TO encourage the construct IN of "A CONT
mental railway to connect North and South
America: to prevent the import alton OF
zadultcrated and spurious tea; the Pacific
Railroad bill; to increase the number of
regiments in the army: the Butterw orth
resolution for reciprocity with Canada; a
resolution for the adjustment of questions
OStween the United States and Mexico