Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1891-03-12
A RECORD OF RECKLESSNESS
What Congress Has Done and
Left Undone.
NOT A DOLLAR LEFT IN THE TREASURY
The Question of Surplus Not a
Perplexing One.
BILLS That Became Laws and the Few
Measures That Failed to Pass = The
Total Number of New Laws Made by
the Fiity-first Congress 2,IS6.

WASHINGTON, March AIT noon to-
day the Fifty-first Congress lin the
opinion of many veteran Legislators the
most remarkable Congress since the
war; came to an end by constitutional
limitation.
From first to last the sessions were
interesting and eyentful, and for no
long period were they ever characterized
by the dullness which occasionally, for
days at time, marks the proceedings OF
nearly every Congress, and especially of
those Congresses in which the first ses-
sion is usually prolonged. The actual
working time Of the Fifty-tlrst Congress
exceeded that of any of its predecessors,
and the nominal working time OF all
except the Fiftieth Congress, and in the
number of measures brought to its at
tenton, and the number, variety and
importance of those acted on it likewise
surpassed all previous congresses. This
"w6rkingn or "business" feature was
perhaps the most distinguishing charac-
teiistic of the F'ifty-first Congress. 1t
seems the more remarkable when the
magnitude, character and long pen
dency of many of the topics considered
are taken into account, Three meas
ures, any Of which, in intrinsic import
ance and popular interest, would be
sufficient for national issue, stand forth
pre-eminent among ali others
First, the Mckinley Tariff bill, which
became law; second, the Silver bill, on
which, in the first session, II compro-
mise was effected, based on monthly
purchases of 4,500,000 ounces of silver,
which, in turn, was followed by more
radical measure thgt failed OF passages
and thlrd, the fedefal Eiectlohs pili,
winch, atter q protracted, Dlttef, hotly-
1ought ana intensely eXciuhg pfellmi-
nary struggle, 1alleq IN the senate 10
'each decisive vote on us lnerits.
Radical innovations IN the rules OF the
House added interest IN its proceedings,
and determined, but lrultless efforts, 70
adopt the most vital o1 tnese lhhova-
tlons, formed part OF the history oil the
latter part OF the sessions OF the Senate
ITS MoRTuARY RECORD.
Even in the mortuary record the Com
press was remarkable; the call of death
having summoned no fewer than 12 of
its representatives and three of its sena-
tors The list contains the names OF SEN
ators Beck OF hentucY, Wilson OF Mary
land and Hearst Of California and Repre-
sentatives w. ID. Kelley, Samuel j..
Z Randall and Lewis +. watson oi Penn
/ sylyania; ). ). Cox, David Wilber and
Newton ). Nutting OF New York;
Richard Townshend Of Illinois; D. Nj.
Burnes and James X walker OF Mis-
souri,; James Laird OF Nebraska; Edward
j. Gay OF Louisiana and James Phelan
OF Tennessee.
EXPENDITURES.
MANY Of The Hills enacted INTO laws
annronriated nm unusually larpe amount
IL money and tbe eynenditures author.
izad viii avreed those ~ anv .inaace,,
Concrnss since ths foundation IF tba
government The total annronrintions
made by the Fiftieth CONGRESS werc,
during ihe first session. S305 337 5l6
and during the second session.
$422 ,626,343, or an aggregate of
SSl1,965,S59, while the appropriations
tor the flrst session OF the Fifty-tlrst
Congress We're $46O,62I69 and those
OF the second session willprobably bring
the total appropriations for the Con-
gress TO billion dollars.
COMPARISON.
A comparison Of the work of the
C,onpress inst closed with that of its i'm.
mediate nradecessnr makes tbe fniIan
inp EXHIBIT.
Bills introdueed--In no House II
the 5ist Congress. IA OR a@,inst II tba m
5Oth Corprass 10 G5d .,, i,,crsosa 90 ~, ~
57O, ioint rcsoIntions o7o-Zan in"roosa
4 of ID. senate bilIs 4 100 opainst 4 oon
X or an increase az 1og. ioint resoIutin,,s
1t;9--an increase az -
Ri1ls passed-By the Housa 74s of
% which 1.5t3 hccame laws. and hy tbe
senate. / .3O5 bills, Of which GA became
laws making fhc tofaI number Of laws
durinr the 51st CONGRESS 1876 as
Il against 1,S24 in the 50th Congress-an
increase Of 1862. The Senate also post
poned indefinitely GIG Senate and 1S
House bills, this being equivalent to a
defeat
yEToEs
Duripo the Fifliatb conrross 1ft hills
xvare yefoed and dnring thc lFifiv- -first
Congress IA rs fallnws.
TIa act far = onblin buildinr nj Par
IJoyhoy. a,tbo,,iyinr 0lrlob,ns CitI. II
;ssma railr1ad bonds. ~ astalSiiei sthe
rooard and ,1orsion T,lioo n fbo yyar IA
,,artrnent. rar tho reiinf ~ thn l,airs II
lEaorgo " I,awronca. antLl,,i;;ng tha
c;ty 6f Ogden Iitab - assi,n," IN II .
.yosad ~ iSJehiodmass. ~. ,,,,i,i;,. h,l;iJ-
mos nj DALLAS. TeY. Uudson n n.
and Tuscaloosa, Ala, authorizing the
board Of supervisors of Maricopa county,
Arizona, TO issue bonds in the aid of a
certain railroad; changing the bound
aries Of the uncompahgre Indian reser-
vation and extending the time for the