Morning journal and courier., 1891-03-05
NEWS BY TELEGRAPH.
From All Quarters.
REVIEWING THE WORK.
Close of a Most Remarkable
Peace Congress.
AWFUL MASSACRE IN MADAGASCAR.
Testimony of Mr.. Depew in
the Tunnel Inquest.
MINE EXPLOSION IN PENNSYLVANIA,
Many Bills Approved by
the President.
LOOKING BACKWARD.

A Review of the Work of the Fifty
First -Congress-Close of the Most
Remarkable Congress Since the
War-Three Prominent Measures
Expenditures Exceed Those OF Any
"Peace Congress'' Since the Foun-
dalton of the Government-SOme
of the Important Bills.
WASHINGTON, March 4.-The Fiffy-first
congress is considered by many veteran
legislators the most remarkable congress
since the war. In actual working time
and in the variety and import of the meas
ures acted upon it surpassed all its prede-
cessors. Three measures stand forth pre-
eminent among the others: The Mckinley
tariff bill, which became law; the silver
bill on which in the first session COM
promise was effected, based on monthly
purchases of 100000 ounces of silver
which, in this, was followed by more radi-
cal measure, that failed of passage, and the
federal elections bill, which, after a
protracted, bitter, hohy-fought and
intensely exciting. preliminary strug-
decisive vote on it's merits.
Radical innovations in the rules of the
house added interest to its proceedings
and determined but fruitless efforts to
adopt the most vital of these innovations,
formed part of the history of the latter
part of the sessions. Even in its NOR
tuary record the congress was remarkable;
the call of death having summoned no few
or than twelve of its representatives and
three of it's senator's.
EXPENDITURES.
The expenditures authorized will exceed
those of any "peace congress" since the
foundation of the government. The total
appropriations made by the Fiftieth con-
gress were, during the first session, 1895, :
337 SIG, and during the second session,
1922, 626, 343, or an aggregate of $817, $685.
session of the Fifty-frst congress were
$3.50, 627, 697, and those of the second ses-
sion will probably bring the total appro-
priations for the congress to billion of
dollars.
A comparison of the work of the con-
gress just closed with that of its immedi-
ate predecessor makes the following ex-
hibit:
Bills introduced-In the house, in the
Fifty first congress, A. 33, against in the
iFftieth congress IL, 654, an increase of l, =
379; joint resolutions, 279, an increase of
10: senate bills, 5, 1923, against 1000, or an
increase of l, 1879; joint resolutions, 100, an
increase of "A.
Bills passed-By the house, 1,749, of
which 1913 became laws, and by the sen
ate ,435 bills, of which 673 became laws,
making the total number of laws during
the Fifty-frst congress 2,186, as aga inst
1 1924 in the Fiftieth congress, an increase
of 1862.
The senate also postponed indefinitely
GIG senate and IS house bills, this being
equivalent to defeat. During the Fiftieth
congress ISL bills were vetoed and during
the Fifty-irst congress IA, including the
act for public building at Bar Harbor.
CONTESTED ELECTION CASES.
In addition to this work there were
eighteen contested election cases. The
house seated eight of the republican con-
testants and declared the seat of one dem
ocrat, Mr.. Breckenridge of Arkansas, va
cant. Two cases, Goodrich versus Bullock
from Florida and McGinlis versus Alder
son from West Virginia, in which the COM
mittee recommended seating the republi-
can contestants, were not disposed of by
the house, and the elections committee
itself never acted on the Eaton versus Phe-
Ian (Tennessee) case. The senate disposed
of its sole contested election case by seat
ing the two republican senators from Mon
tana.
Contrary to the previous experience the
more important OF the measures which
constitute the list of legislative features
found their tomb in the senate, the house
| having throughout the two years taken the
| lead in legislation and passed definitely
upon every measure of general interest on
| which the leaders of the majority desired
action.