Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1890-10-03
NOW AT HAND.
THE LONG CONGRESSIONAL
TERM is NEARLY OVER.
The Vast Amount Of Business
Transacted.
Some Figures Showing the Work or
the Session.
WAsnINorox. d. G.. sept. 80. $50

WAsHlNGToS, IL. u, sept. ~, lo0O.
IL is probable that in the few remaining
days of the session the list of senate bills
enacted into laws will be considerably in
creased, as the house will have opportunity
TO dispose of number of others now on
the calendars, while awaiting the senate's
passage Of the tariff bill. In the completed
work of the session, aside from the revision
of the tariff and internal renenue laws by
the Mcl<inley-Aldrich tariff bill" there
may be named among the more important
measures enacted ints law the bill provid-
ing Tor the monthly purchase Of $500, 900
ounces OF silver. the customs administra-
tive bill, the dependent and disability pen
sion bill, and the antitrust bill, the anti
lottery bill, the provision for a worlds fair
in Chicago in 1892 TO celebrate the four
hundredth anniversary of the dis
covery Of America the admission
Of Wyoming and Idaho TO statehood. the
meat inspection bill, the land grant forfeit
uce bill, the original package bill. the bill
recommended by the international mari
time conference TO prevent collisions at sea
and the provisions, in the naval appropria-
ton BILL TO add to the new navy three line
of-battle ships, one protected cruiser, ono
torpedo cruiser and one torpedo boat.
The number OF pension claims already
filed under the new dependent pension law
has reached 445, IS, and they are increas-
ing at the rate of about $4,000 week.
The entire number of claims will not fall
short of 600. 900, and may go above $780,
000 AS yet none of the new cases have
been taken up nor will they be until the
new force of 400 clerks shall be secured.
The old clerks are being promoted. and the
new appointments come by way of the civil
service commission. All these new people
have to be trained to the work, The great
est delay in adjusting the claims will be
due to the time taken to get the reports Of
the examinations by the local examining
boards. The new law will put at least So
600, 600 in the pockets Of those doctors all
over the country who are lucky enough to
be members of the local boards.
Mr.. Enloe brought up in the house
Thursday resolution, reciting that it is
alleged that the postmaster of the house,
J. J.. Wheat, whose dsty it is to let con-
tracts for the carrying of the mails, let a
contract to one Samuel Culbertson for So
900 year on the condition that Culbertson
should pay him (Whcat) $3.50 a month out
Of the money received from the govern
ment for his services, and that Wheat did
receive that sum for five months, and di-
recting the committee on accounts 10 inves-
tigatc these charges and such other matters
as pertain 10 Wheat's administration OF the
posto4ice of the house Of representatives
Mr.. Hopkins of Illinois suggested that the
resolution be made broad enough TO include
an investigation of the action of the last
postmaster in regard to the same matter
Agreed to.
In two o. three days the long session of
the fifty first congress will come to an end
and its work is already practically finished.
IL has been almost the longest ever held,
and IN many respects the most interesting
session for many years. Although the first
session OF the fftieth congress lasted until
October 2S, the present session, by reason
of its longer daily sessions, has far exceeded
it in working time and the amount Of legis-
lative work actually accomplished has been
extraordinary. viewed in the light of pre-
vious congresses and of the unusually i'm
portant character Of the measures consid-
cred. In figures the business of the session
is expressed as follows:
Bills and joint resolutions introduced
In the house, IL, 402 in the senate, 1850 /;
total Of IL. 9T2. against Is, 59S in the first
session of the last congress, which in this
matter far cxcelled all previous records.
Reports made-In the house, 3,2l5; in
the senate, 1917 tho account being. taken
in the senate of other than written reports. }
Bills passcd-By the house, 1,292; of
which the senate has passed $40. All
except n few of these $40 have become
laws or are awaiting the presidents
approval.
BY the senate l, 100. of which 4S6 have
been sent TO the president, making total
number of about 1, 335 acts or laws, against
1870 for the whole of the last congress.
or these acts COS house and 275 senate bills
were for pensions to individuals.