The Big Stone post. (Big Stone Gap, Va.) 1890-1892, 1891-03-13
transacted, the minute hand on the Senate
clock was pushed forward to within half
minute of noon and the Vice President
rose and made his farewell speech. He

clock was pushed forward to within half
minute of noon and the Vice President
rose and made his farewell speech. He
said
~ am admonishcd by The dial that the life Of the
Fitty-irs; Congress is ended aud that the hour OF
separation and farewell has again arrived. The
record is made up and has gone into history. No
OF can be unmndfGl part OF the fact that all
arc not with us who answered the last summons and
have gone ont forever from the haun,S of men, They
were well worthy OF the love we bore them, and will
be cherished IN the hearts Of the people able hon
orab!e and patriotic public servants Although with
ont previous experience presiding officer came
with distrUst 10 the discharge OF the duty imposed
by the constitution upon the Vicc-PreSient in his
relation to the Scnate-ccrtain only OF unaltering
purpose 10 do right and on the patience and forbear-
ancc % this great body acknowledge with CRATE
fu scnSib'ity the courtesy and Kindness whichever,
in critical and complicated situations, the members
the Senate have been accustomed To accord me- and
the honor conferred by them last adopted in my abb
Scnce frcm the chair. With the earnest hope that
each member OF this body may be blessed in every re-
lation OF life, now declare thst the constitutional
period OF tho Fiuy-.irst Congress having been COM
plccd. the Senate stands adjourned without day"
There was a good deal Of applause on
the floor and in the galleries at the con-
clusion of Mr.. Morton's Speech which
was concluded at precisely l2l5 o'clock
actual time. For The next half hour there
were many hearty leave-takings among
Senator'S and Senate officials
REVIEW OF THE WORK DONE
WASHINGTON, March 4.-Extraordinarv
conditions governing the composition of
the Fittyfrst Congress drew to its legis-
lation the attention of the whole country.
The Republican party had, on the day the
Congress convened, once more obtained
control of the executive and legislative
branches OF the Federal Government, but
so small was the ma. ority in the House Of
Representatives that it was obvious the
success OF party measures would be greatly
impcrilcd unless radical methods were
adopted. Realizing this, the Republican
managers in the House made every pre-
paration to place their party in that body
on a stronger footing, and hardly had the
Congress convened when it became evil
dent that a vigorous and unprecedented
policy was to be pursued.
The long struggle Of the Democrats in
the House to prevent the unscating of one
of their number, and the seating of Il
Republican contestant in his place while
the House was proceeding under general
parliamentary law" and the more bitter
opposition to the adoption of new code
making radical changes in the rules which
had heretofore governed procedure in the
lower body, had the effect Of keeping on
the alert the interest in legislative pro-
ccedings, which, prior to these occur
rcnces, had been deemed by many prosy
and unintcrcstng Three great measures
considered by the Congress ust ended
f.,iy ,,1n fl,o l. ;.}o
of legislation. These arc the tariff act of
silver bill. BY the tariff act important
changes in the customs laws were brought
about, and the first practical opportunity
Of testing the theories Of the advocates
Of commercial reciprocity were made GER
tain. The reciprocity matter was brought
to the attention of Congress by Secretary
Blaine. 1t did not find enthusiastic adj
vocacy in the House, but Senator Aldrich
(who had previously espoused its doctrlnc)
succeeded, with the assistance OF several
Of his colleagues, in persuading the Sen
ate to attach clause TO the tariff bill
providing for commercial trade agree
mcnt by which the United States could
secure the free admission 10 this country
from the Latin American natsonS sugar
and other products. A modified form Of
the reciprocity amendment was inserted
in tie bill while it was in conference and
practical opportunity of testing its bene
fits has been afforded by the recent agree
ment with Brazil.
On July II, 1890, after n prolonged
struggle between the advocates OF free
silver and the conservatives on the silver
question, Il bill was enacted providing for
the issue of coin certificates based on gold
or silver bullion, with proviso the
Secretary of the Treasury should purchase
100000 ounces of silver bullion each
month. This bill was the result OF
compromise, in conference between the
two houses, the Senate having passed Il
free coinage bill.
Early in the second session of the
Congress agitation Oh
TIKI SILVER QUESTION
vas resumed. 4 bin introduced by Sen
ator Sherman, providing for certain
changes in the national banking system,
was amended in the Finance Committee
and reported back TO the Senate in the
shape of a general financial measure. a
long debate resulted in the adoption of a
free coinage amendment to the bill, ana
late one night, when the Senate had COM
pleted and finally passei on the measure,
senator Vest after expressing his dissat-
isfaction with the bill, offered as sub
stitute the free coinage bill, pure and sim
pie, that had been passed by the Senate
during the first session Of Ike Congress.
'Cu.. slt ,sjitu WAS auODFQu,
1t was sent to the House, and after hear
ing many delegations the House Commit
tee on Coinage, Weights and Measures,
ten days previous to the end of the Con-
gross. agreed to report it adversely. 1T
was never called up in the House.
The vacillating career OF
TIE FEDERAL ELECTION BILL,
giving the control Of elections of mem
hers of the Honse Of Representatives to
the Government was watched with intense
interest throughout the country, aud par
ticularlv in the South. After Il limited
but bitter debate the House passed the
measure in the first session. 1t was called
nm in the Senate, but the seemingly end
less debate caused by the opposition OF
the Democrats brought about the caucus
agreement by which The election blli was
laid aside and the tariff bill taken up,
with the understanding that the election
bin should he pushed to final vote dur
ing the second session. but the discussion
OF the measure was never completed. 1t
was taken up according to the agreement
in the second session, and laid aside for
the financial bill, previously referred to,
BY a yea and nay vote, most OF the Re
nnblican free silver men and several other
Republicans voting with the Democrats.
Again it was taken up, but the Rcpubli-