Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1890-10-09
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.

WASHINGTON, Sept Bo-Thc record OF IN,
business OF tho first session OF the Fifty frs
Congress is an important one. In the sen
ate debate on the Tarld bl was brought tc
an end only by an agreement on the part o.
the members OF the majority that the Fed
| eral Elections bill wDud not be called NJ
atthis session. Tho biz. therefore, goes ove er
The actual work accomplish Is OF es
peolai interest because It Is the first Con.
] gress In many years IN which enc OF The two
| great political parties had control OF both
the legislative and executive branches ol
the Government Achange IA rates a. Gus.
toms duties has practically been brought
about, number OF very important changes
In the existing law having been agreed ia
in conference and approved by the House.
They need 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 tho fact that II
| threatened for time TO Great division ln
| the Republican party was the provision for
the establishment OF reciprocal relations
between the United States and the Latin
American countries. This lea which had
been suggested In past years by Senator
Aldrlch aud other statesmen, was brought
very prominently to the notice of Congress
and the country by letter Of the Secretary
OF State, transmitted 20 Congress by the
President, urging the n cessity of requiring
some concessions from l. ltin- American
countries for the FREQ admission to the
United states Of sugar aud other OF their
products. Tho recommendat on was ignore
by the House OF Representatives, but was
later adopted In modified form by the SEN
ate and agreed to In conference between the
two houses.
Next in Importance 10 the new Tariff law
Is the silver legislation enacted by Congress.
Ju y a. 1880, new law went into effect pro
Viding for tho issue OF coin certificates based
on gold or silver bullion, with a requirement
that tho Secretary Of the Treasury should
purchase 10000 ounces of silver bullion
each month. The iii as It passed the Sen.
ate was practical free coinage bill but the
conferreos 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 eVeo utiye 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 In history.
Tho promise of the Repub. ican party made
Ia the last campaign that more liberal pen
sion Legislation would hc enacted was par.
TALLY fulfilled In the passage OF the Dis
ability Pension act under which pension
OF si2 a month Is Civ n to any soldier who is
now disabled from whatever cause The
applications received since it, enactment 30
increased the work Of the Pension Otlce
tlst Il was necessary Tor Congress 20 vote
an additional Appropriation for the employ
ment of nearly 500 cl rks Ia that Office and
In the war records div. on of the Depart.
mcnt OF War.
Tho addition OF four new stars to the nag
made by the last Congress has been supple
mented at this session by the admission In
to the Union OF the States OF Wyoming aud
Idaho.
Early In the session law in restraint OF
trusts and combinations was enacted No
opportunity to enforce II has yet occurred
and, as L was generally regarded as but
tentative measure, its value can not be estl.
mated at this time.
General Land Grant Forfeiture act. the
result of many years discussion in the two
houses of Congress, has been passed II in
brief prov ldes for tha forfeiture Of all un-
earned lands granted to aid In the construo-
tion Of railroads opposit portions OF tho
road uncompleted at the tlmo Of tho pas
sage OF the law.
The question of lotteries having en-
brought to public attention by the Louisi-
ana Lottery Company to obtain a charter In
North Dakota, and later TO obtain renew u
Of It's charter in l. nlsiana the President
made the matter subject OF a special mes
sage to Congress In which he transmitted
viii prepared by the Postmaster cneral TO
prohibit the transmission through the malls
u letters and circulars relating to lot, rlcs
AMI OF newspapers containing lottery adj
veIisements. This bill was passed prompt
ly by both houses without modification aud
without material opp sition, and was signed
by the Presidenr.
After II lively controversy ov r the ques
tion of sci citing IA site, in which the cities OF
New YORK, Chicago, st. Louis and washing
ton were concerned, Congress passed a law
creating a National Commission and estaD.
lished the Fair at Chicago.
As a result principally OF the prohibition
which shuts American meat out Of certain
markets abroad, a law was enacted to pro
vide for the inspection, unter the direction
II the Secretary Of Agriculture, of IN 'nts In
tended for export, pruhlb ting the exporta
tion Of adultcrated articles of food and
drink and enabling tho President to prevent
the importation OF adulteraled articles of
food.
An important feature Of the present ses-
sion was the defeat Of the Blair Educational
tnl in the Senate 1t had passed that body
In several other Congresses and It's rel elton
was quite unexpected
Among tho less important laws enacted
by this Congress are the following: Increas-
ing the pension OF those totally and porma-
nently helpless to s72 per month prvvldlng
for one Assistant Secretary OF War and one
I
cause the promul 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
enlistod under assume names In tho war OF
the Tebellirn. to prevent d, sertions from
the army by retaining temporar ly part OF
the soldiers pay, and providing for he eX
portation of fcrmented liquor in nd with
out payne mt Of internal revenue tax.
A number OF important measures are
hanging fire, which may to the President
be ore adjournment although the chances
are greatly in favor of their postponement
until the next session
Nearly 600 bills and resolutions that were
reported to the House from committees dur
ing this sessloa OF Congress, failed Of pas
sage and remain on the House calendar.
Among the important measures are: To
create a court Of patent appeals; granting
pensions TO female hospital nurses Of the
rebellion; 20 Increase the salaries Of Unlted
States indges; To promote the efficiency Of
the militia; tr nsferrng the weather ser
vice to the Agricultural Department; the
Service Pension biz; 20 prov de commits
sion on the alcoholic liquor trr ffic the But
terworth AntiOption and Anti Future bin I;
to encourage the construct n Of a conti-
| mental railway to connect North and South
1 America; g prevent the importation ut
aduiterated and spurious tea; the Pacific
i
regiments in the army; the Butterworth
resolution for reciprocity with Canada; a
resolution for the adjustment OF questions
! between the United States and Mexico
/ granting the right of suffrage to women ;
I Tor the retirement of National bank circula-
tion; for the removal OF General Grants
remains from New York to Washington, and
the Copyright bill
There were few Senate bills of a general
character on the House calendar. Most Of
the measures cf this kind were either passed
10y the House or we're not reported from the
House committees to which they were To-
fcrred. The most important Of the senate
bills left on the House calcn ar arc the Sub
: dy and shipping bills.
The number OF laws passed In the first ses-
sion Of the Fftieih Congress was; Publ ic
laws, $40; private. s97; pubicr solutions 81;
! private, s. TIE number enacted thus far la
the Fifty-frst Congress j.; Public laws. 26l
private, 6i7. publi- resolutions, ~; private.
h These flguIes will be swelled considcra-
| by by tie action OF the President on a large
number Of bills now IN his hands.
The numbcr q bills and joint resolutions
lutrt due d at this session t. date) sere
Senate bills g.4tt. resolutions l1s; House bills
II. I'D, resolutions 2 s29 Tue nn Der intro
duced In the first session Il the M, eth
| Congress nas: senate bills 3.640 resolutions
/ us. House bills ll.G09. reso ut ions 2s3.
! Although tine first session Of the Fifi
| Congress lasted until october p, the pres
snt session. by reason Of hs longer dai y