The Kinsley graphic. [volume] (Kinsley, Kan.) 1890-1940, 1890-10-03
FIFTY-FIRsT CONGRESS.
Important Measures That Have
Become Laws.
interesting Summary of What Congress
Has Done Increase of Appropriations
Him. ThSe Have Not Become
Laws.


erai Elections bill would not be called up
al this session Tho bill. therefore, goes over
The actual work accomplished Is of es-
peeial Interest because it Is the drst Con-
gress in many years in which one OF the two
g. eat political parties had control of both
the legislative and executive branches of
the Govcrnraent. charge il rates Of Gus
toms duties has practically been brought
about, a number of very Important changes
in conference and approved by the House
They need 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 tn. fact that it
threatened for a time Great. a division IN
the Republican party was The provision for
the establishment of reciprocal relations
between the United Stat and the Latin
American countries. This flea, which had
Leen suggested In past years by Senator
Aldrich aud other statesm n, WIS brought
very Prominently to the notice If Congress
and the country by letter Of the Secretary
of State, transmitted to Congress BY the
President, urging the n cessity of re qulrIng
some concessions from L tin American
countries for the free admission to the
United States Of sugar an other of their
produs is. This recon III endat on was ignore
by the IIouso of Representative s, but was
Inter adopted in n modified form b. the Sem
ate and agreed to in conference between the
two houses
Next in Importance to the now Tariff Law
is the silver iegis Htton enactt d by Congress.
Ju IA, 1880. n new law went into effect pro
Viding for the issue of coin certificates based
on gold or silver bullion, with IA requirement
that the Secretary of the Treasury should
purchase $500 00J ounces of silver bullion
eas IA month. The bill it passed the Sen
ate was a practical free coinage bill, but the
conferrees on the part OF The two houses
agreed upon a compromise, the general i'm
preston being that while the majority In
both houses favored free coinage, the COM
promise WIS rendered neco ssary by the fear
of an exec utive vote. The effect OF the new
silver law WAS an immediate ADVANCE in the
price OF silver, eliminating at a figure higher
than any known ia history.
The promise of the Repub' lean party made
In the last campaign that more liberal pen
sion lcgislatit n would lie enacted was par
TALLY fuihileI in the passage of the Dis
ability Pension act under which n pension
of si2 a mont Is Civ N to any soldier who is
now disabled from whntevcr cause The
applications received since its enactment so
increased the work OF the Pension Office
that it was necessary Tor Congress to vote
an additional appropriation for the employ
ment of nearly 500 cl rks In shat Gfiice and
In the war records division of tho Depart
ment of War.
The addition OF four new stars to the flag
made by the last Congress has b, en- supple
mented al this session by the admission In
to tho Union OF the States of Wyoming and
idaho.
Early in the sess on. a law in restraint of
trusts and combinations enacted No
opportunity TO enforce it has yet occurred
and, as it was generally regarded. as but a
tentative measure, its vaiuu can not be cstf-
mated at this tins.
General Land Grant Forfeiture act the
result of many years discussion in the two
houses of g sngres5, has bcen passed 1t in
brief provides for the forfeiture of all un-
earned lands granted to aid in the construc-
ton CT railroads oppO ait. portions OF the
"a al uncompIetea at tho time of the pas
sage of the INV.
The question Of lotteries having ben
Drought to rublic'a tention by the LOuiSi-
ana Lottery Company to obtain a charter in
North Dakota, and later to obtain a renewal
of it's charter In Louisiana, the President
made the matter q subject of a special mes
sage to Congress in which he transmitted a
bill prepared by the Postmaster C enerai to
prohibit the trans mission through the mails
of letters and ciren relating to lotteries
and of newspapers containing lottery ad-
Vcrtlsements This bill was passed prompt
ly by both houses without modification aud
without material opposition, and was signed
by the President.
After a lively controversy ov n the cues
ton of selecting a site. in which the cities of
New York, Chicago, st. Louis and w ishing
Gro ting y tions @ In,n,ssIon and est -.
lished the Fair at t-h.cago.
As a result Principally of the prohibition
which shuts ALlcrican meat out of certain
mal kets abroad. law was enacted to pro-
vile for the inspt; tion, un Ter the direc ion
OF the secretary Agriculture, of m ats in
tended fer expoTe prohib ting the cxporta-
ton of aduiter sted articles of food and
drink and enabling the President to prevent
the importation of aiulteratcd articles of
food
An Important feature of the present sos
sion was the d feat Of the Blair Educational
Ill in the Senate 1t mad passed that body
in several other Congresses and its rejection
was quite unexpected
Among the less important laws enacted
by this Cong ress are tho following: Increas-
ing the pension of those totally and persna-
nentiy helpless to s12 per month: pr.svidiny
for one Assistant Secretary of War AMI one
OF the Navy author zing the President to
cause the promul CATION of regulations nee.
essary to prevent the spread of CONTAGIOUS
diseases from enc state to anothsr; grant
ing certificates of discharge to persons who
eniis ed un Ter assume names in the war OF
the Iebelii N: to prevent d, sertIons from
the army by retaining temporarily part of
the soldiers pay, and providing for the ex-
portution { fermented liquor in nd with
out payment of internal revenue tax.
A number of important measures are
hang .nS nre, which may g to the President
e Gre adjournment, although the chances
are greatly In favor of their reinforcement
until the next session
Nearly 600 bills and resolutions that were
rrpoit Il to the House from committees dur
ing this session of Congress. failed of pas
srgs and remain tho HOUSE calendar.
Among tho important mea sures are: To
create a court of patent appeals; granting
pensions to female hospital nurses of the
rcboliion; to increase the stIaries of United
stntes judges; to promote the efficiency of
me mii'tia; tr- nsferring the weather ser
wee TO the Agricultural Department, the
Service Pension biii TO prov de a commits
sf.'n on the alcoholic liquor traffic; the But
trworth Anti Option and Anti-Future bin
to encourags the construct N of a conif-
ncnt ii railway to connect North and South
America. to prevent the importation OF
acutei ated and spurious tea; the Pacific
Railroad bill; to increase the number of
regiments In the army; the Buttsrworth
resolution for reciprocity with Canada; n
resolution for the adjustment of questions
between the United States and Mexico.
er'htihS Inc right OF suffrage to women.
Tor the retirement of National bank csrcuia-
ton; for the removal OF General Grants
remains from New York WashIagto on and
the copyiigh Till
There were few senate. bills OF a general
charact on the House calendar. Most 8 Z
the measures ef this K Ind were either passed
" the House or were not r-poste1 FROM the
House committees to which they were re-
TERED The must important of ;he Senate
bills lett on the House calen lar are the Su D.
sidy and shipping bills
TIE number of laws ssed la the firss ses-
sten OF tho Fitch Congress was PubiIc
laws, s4es private, es7; publIcr solutions 81;
private TIE number enacte thus far In,
tne = my nrse Co 1g1 ess Is: Public lays 2sf
private. ei1' pubti- resolutions, a; private
. These figures will be swelied considera-
by y the artion of the President en- a Large
number of bills now In his hands.
The number I bills and Joint resolutions
lntrs dues at IL Is session IT, date) were:
senate bills @s44i. resolutions Izs; House bills
l<i5h- resolutions f.sza Tae nu Der sntr.-
eoced in the 1rst session az the Ffftfeth
congress Was. senate bills s,sf1 resolustoaa
ties House bills II. SOS. reso ions 1zz
Athough the first session of the Ffftiefh
congress lasted until october q, the przs-
emf session, By reason OF its longer taf
- s@tons. has far exceeded ft ia ~orkin1
time In nKures the business CT the sensIon
= expressed as follows. Bfils and sosrf req
fuc n<5 In. h.