Los Angeles herald., 1891-03-05
By Their Works Ye Shall
Know Them.
What the Fifty-first Congress
Accomplished.
Appropriations Made Aggregatine
One Billion Dollars.
Only One Bill Involving Great National
Issue Enacted, and That Repudi-
ated at the Polls.
Associated Press Dispatches.

Associated Press Dispatches.
WASHINGTON, March 4.-Of the work
Of the Fifty-frst congress, three meas
ures, any of which in intrinsic import-i
ance and popular interest would be suf-.
ficient for national issue, stand forth
prominent among all others first, the
Mckinley tariff bill, which became a
law; second, the silver bill, on which in
the first session compromise was eff
fected. based on the monthly purchase
OF 100000 ounces of silver, which in
turn was followed by more radical meas
ures, that failed of passage; and third,
the federal elections bill, which. after a.
protracted struggle, failed in the senate
to reach decisive vote.
Radical innovations in the rules of
the house added to the interest of its
proceedings, but fruitless efforts to adopt
the most vital of these innovations,
formed part of the history of the latter
part of the sessions of the senate.
Even in i.e mortdary record, the
Fifty-first congress was remarkable, the
call of death summoning no less than
twelve of its representatives and threGs
of its senator's.
The total appropriations made by this
congress will reach billion dollars.
SUMMARY OF BILLS INTRODUCED, ETC.
In the Fifty-frst congress 1908 bills
were introduced in the house, and 5129
in the senate. In the Fiftieth congress
1854 were introduced in the house, and
4OOO in the senate.
In the Fifty-first congress, 297 joint
resolutions, twenty-eight more than in
the Fiftieth, were introduced in the
house, and in the senate 169, twenty.
four more than in the Fiftieth.
The bills that became laws during the
congress that just ended numbered 218&
In the Fiftieth congress 1924 bills were
enacted.
During the Fiftieth congress 161 billb
were vetod, and during the Fifty-frst
fourteen.
BILLS THAT BECAME LAWS.
Among the bills that became laws are
these The copyright bill; private land
court bill; postal subsidy bill; Indian
depredations claim BILL timber and
pre-emption law repeal bill; customs
administrative bill; general land forfeit
ure bill; bill to relieve the supreme
court by the establishment of an inter-
mediate court Of appeals; United States
judges salary bill; worlds fair bill;
Wyoming and Idaho admission
bills; anti lottery and anti
trust bills; reapportionment bills;
immigration bill; bill to ratify
agreements with various Indian tribes
and pay the friendly Sioux $500, 900; bill
to reduce the, fees of pension agents;
bill to pay the French spoliation claims;
meat inspection BILL bill to prevent the
importation of adulterated food and
drink; live cattle and hog inspection
bill; bill appropriating one million dol
lars for the improvement of the Missis-
sippi river; bill to permit sorghum
sugar manufacturers to use alcohol with
out the payment of tax; bill to limit to
to sixty per cent. of the rates
charged private parties, the
rates land grant railroads shall
charge for the transportation of govern
ment troops and supplies; bill for the
relief of settlers on Northern Pacific
railroad lands; bill topermit the export
of fermented liquors to foreign coun-
tries without the payment of tax bill
to apply thejproceeds of sales of public
lands and receipts from certain land
grant railroads to the support of agri-
cultural and industrial colleges; bill to
extend the time OF payment for public
lands, in cases Of failure of crops bill to
set aside the Big Tree tract in California
as public park; bill for the inspection
OF cattle steamers to secure more hui
name treatment.
BILLS THAT FAILED TO MATURE.
The Blair educational bill, the bill for
the appointment of an alcoholic COM
mission, and the eight-hours claims bill
were defeated on test. votes while
among those which after passing one
house failed of action in the other, are
The bankruptcy bill, Conger lard bill,
and army reorganization bill.
The Paddock pure food bill, the Mica
ragua canal bill. Pacific railroads fund
ing bill, and interstate commerce bill to
permit limited pooling, are among the
measures which failed to reach vote
in either house.
Following are some of the senate bills
which failed to pass the house: To pro-
vide for the free coinage Of silver; en-
larging the rights of homesteaders and
| the grade of. lieutenant-general of the
| 90 10y AVA uhO "a RADAAbAO4 Uu0 buitCy Va
| the interior of Alaska.
The following house bills failed to pass
the senate: To transfer the revenue
marine service to the navy; for the pen.
sioning Of telegraph operators during
the war.
Among the measures on which neither
house acted Except in some cases by
committees) were: The sub-treasury
and farm mortgages bills; the service
pension bill; the Canadian reciprocity
resolution; bill to encourage the con-
struction Of an inter-continental railway /;
ppostal savings bank and postal telegraph
bill; Buffers bill to aid negroes to emi-
| crate to Africa woman suffrage and
prohibition constitutional amendments I;
income tax bill, and various other rad
ical, financial and political measures.
PUBLIC BUILDING APPROPRIATE oNs.
A statement prepared BY the clerks to
the house committee on public build
lings and grounds, shows that during the
| past congress All bills for the erection
Of public buildings were introduced,
carrying total appropriation Of $76sl
1l rs l|l = s. ~. III stf t ~ u