New-York tribune., 1891-03-05
4 MEMORABLE CONGRESS.
,rv1Ew AND SUMMARY OF ITS ACTS.

DIRECT TAX OF 1861 - TWO NEW
STATES -REAPPORTION-
MENT-OCEAN NAIL SERVICE
LEGISLATION OF SPECIAL IN
TEREST TO FARMERS-OTHER
NOTABLE AND PRAISE
WORTHY ACTS PASSED.
x WE rrGulAE CORRESPONDENT THE TR1BUNEl
washington March 4.-The List Congress, when
,nrd by constitutional limitation at noon todaS'
s a memorable one. 1t will take lis place III
history as one OF the mos; faithful industrious ana
ui.e legislative bodies Of the century. NO oher 'oh'
rres. since the foundation Of the Government had to
daal with a greater number OF perpleXng ana ll'
rortant questions. and none did its duty more fear
,lv or wisely II is true that the achievements OF
bo last Congress failed to equal its promises in respect
IN several great measures. but IL is equally true ta'
nearly every important measure had to be calreu III
the face OF and despite strong desperate part'S''
minority gifted by nature and experience Witi a''os
superhuman powers of Obstrucuon' minority ""0'
leaders had boldly proclaimed months before ''e No'r
gress assembled that they possessed and "oud use
tho mower 10 defeat any and every propoS"'" "
which they and their party opposed Coniroh'e"
snd CHALLENGED by that threat, Congress asscholeu "
December . 1889 and organized with EepupH'''
majority of six in the House OF hepreSei'at .
a majority of eight in the senate FROM "'"' N -,
until today a period Of 4o7 days, Congress "dS " ~
between October and December /. lo9O
From first TO last hardly single measure Vi '''
portaucs TO the public welfare was proposed Ut 0o'
sidered In the House of Representatives 10 ""'"
factious opposition in some form was not o'eie" o'
the minority. When it was discovered tlat honuoi
could not be both absent and present at ''o S"'"'
time the minority true to its party instincts ana uH
di,ons seeded from the legislative chamber III
order TO break the quorum. AT other times 'neS
compelled unnecessary rOllcals WHICH, even ""u''
the code of rules framed TO gave the majority e Po"'
as well as the responsibility Of action the inio''S
could do TO large extent, and by that ar'noe no'
less than thirty-sX legislative days were a''u"'S
wasted in the first session. In the senate obstruction
usually took the form of proiX speeches" tallu";
against timeo-but on many occasions even diEhlhcu
did not dsdain to initiate the actions OF their
party associates in the other branch OF congress- au
break the quorum by sneakng from the senate
Chamber and hiding themselves. There was seldom
occasion for this. however. because "SeHatorai
couresyn or some other equally potent force forbade
the majority TO assume the power as well as the re-
sponsiblty of legislation TO that force, whatever
II was the failure of the Election BILL ana proDaoS ol
some other measures. must be ascrlbed
II was fortunate for the country that the ionse o.
Representatives chose for It's speaker man OF IRON
resolution and unyeldng courage as well as oil great
patence and wonderful power OF sencohlfoi ~
his firmness and sagacity was due great smart VI
what the last Congress accOmplSeu' 10 lic HdJo'iS
which IoyalIy supported him on every occasion an
eoual share of praise should be given. II thc
House had not feed itself flom the shackles whioh
had bound that body in previous Congresses httie
moro might have been accomplished by the last
Congress than by any OF us preueceSSors
since 1875: it is doubtful whether any taFn
or financial legislation would have been possible ana
II is certain that many other great measures III
ending the Reapporonment act, would have failed
of
restriction of debate under the new code OF rules O
3ba House No complaint could be more T0undless
as the following comparative statement VIII SNOW :
The second session of the NXNNuth CongeNs Ia'Uu
from December ., 1861, to July L. lo0-' p'fiou %
Dos DAYS, in the most exciting and trying times %
the War OF the Rebellion the first session OIL 'he
I'm Congress lasted 81 days and the first session
~ the last Congress covered a period Of BOB dars.
The comparatjvc statement was prepared Win eA-
,reme care and is believed to be absolutely correct
Sss.d@. ss.Snd sa,.ion. s.5,5 s'siian. s@,S
kAXVIIth LIN c,.-l. Li,t
Pages OF debate in House.. la%3 G'dErt 5'i2{
Pages Of deUate in senate I'1" '
Estimated number words IN -. ID, ,,o ., ooo M,
Estimated number words IN .o.c o,,
Senate ............ 4,339 800 sl"OCOO lo'ZiooO'
so much for charge which Is aa true d. o'"'
assertions IN respect 70 INC I"4eS anu ~
duct Of the last Congress
The npnher o bills offered and the number of reports
made by committees in the last Congress- a' well aS Inc
number and importance Of laws enacted were uhpIc'e
dented In the senate 5,l42 ill, were ihuO"uVcu' anu
. 475 reports were made by committees IN te Hou9c
! 500 bills were offered. and 4,Ol9 committee reports
were made OF course there were many duphcaloH9'
and in some cases even Implications and quadrupH'a
tons Of bills but after all deductions The to;al h"Def
largely exceeded that OF any preceding Congress
REVENUE AND COINAGE ACTS.
Foremost among the public acts were those relating
@o tbe nubllc revenues For six years Democratic ma
torit es had tired vain to revise the talH OH V0
,de lines Tie last Congress revised it on protection
limos I'm accordance with the pledges Ot the Kepuboa
psrty At the time and IN the same dC' 1t
authorized the establishment Of reciprocal trade rela
lions under which authority extremely Satisfactory
arrangement IA, already been effected with the kepHD
~ Draz For six year, successive secretaries OF te
1reasurv irrespective Of party, had urgently recon-
mended lccslat on 70 simplify the administration OIL inc
customs laws and 10 correct abuses from which hohc'
mporters and the Government were alike suneTlhs anu
democratic uatoIies in Congress had sul!cnly REUSED
TO act Within months after it, organization the
last Congress enacted law which met tie emergency
For six years response had been made to dehiahua
for modification Of the internal revenue laws: the
last Congress promptly responded II also corrected
errors In the tariff law then existing. construed by
the courts and thus stopped big leaks in the Treasury
and averted the disaster which threatened several i'm
portant domestic industries
For four years Democratic maioritlcs in the House OF
Representatives had been at odds with a Democratic
Administration 50 that silver legislation had been i'm
practicable ON July II, 1890, President Harrison ap
nroved an act Of the List Congress which not only adds
largely each month the currency Of the country but
has ayerted the dangers be feared from free and un
limited coinage OF all silver offered al the mnts Of the
United States.
FOR THE BENEFIT OF VETERANS.
During SIX years the surviving veterans Of the Union
had been pleading for relief for their needy and dis
abed comrades. thousands oi whom hiu Tcome IL
mates of almshouscs and carliaDe A'I IIus Ut eASeu
-, tho houn,v of their former comrades who were IN
uore fortunate circumstances; but, between u Demo
cratic President, a tyrannical Democratic speaker o
the House OF Representatives and the Indifference "'
the Democratic membership Of that body the rehei had
heen denied The last Congress promptly granted H.
7, ~ a,erdcd the mems ion law for the benefit OF vet