The critic. (Washington, D.C.) 1890-1891, 1891-03-05
WORK OF CONGRESS.
1T WAS A WORKING" AND "BUsT.
NESS" CONGRESS SURE ENOUGH.
An Interesting Resume Of What Was
Done by the Busiest Congress Since
the War--Two Great Measures Dat
Of Three Passed-The Appropriations
LACEY Increased.

From first To last the sessions of the
F,f,r.grst corgress ,vore in,orest;ng and
nv "i'. sy" - 49, 's..ne IL. an.
e'eh'iui, "i" LUZ NUN pcrivu Werc .ney
ever characterized by the dizziness which
occasionally for days at q time marks
the croceedinos of nearly every Congress-.
10y. i a.s'ao,a,,s, 70 u,as. ca,,,.~o.ana l.,
NJ. o'p,o'"ny VI 'io'' 'ons',,oe' ="
which the hrst session Is usually pro
longed. The actual working time Of the
Fifty-first Congress exceeded that OF any
OF its predecessors, and the nominal work
ing time OF all, except the Fiftieth Con-
gTess, and in the number OF measures
brought to Its attention and the number.
varie,y and importance Of those acted on
1t likewise surpassed all previous Con
grcsses. This working or business
feature was perhaps tne most Dustin
g,iisbed characteristic OF the fifty-iirst
Congress. IL seems the more remarkable
when the magnitude, character and long
tendency OF many. OF the topics consid-
cred are taken into account. Three
measures, any one OF which in INTRINSIC
importance and popular interest would
be sufficient for national issue, stand
forth pre-eminent among all others:
First, the Mckinley Tariff bill, which
became law; second, the Silver bill, on
winch IN the iirst session compromise
was effected, based OH monthly purchases
oil 4,oOO,OO ounces OF silver which, in
turn, was followed by more radical
measure that failed OF passage, and. third,
the Federal Elections bill which, after
protractcd, bitter, hotly-fought and in
tensely. exciting preliminary struggle,
failed IN the Senate TO reach 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
iormed part OF the history OF the latter
part OF the sessions OF the Senate. Even
III its moirtuary recora the congress was
Ie.,a.haoic, .he caIi oi oem.h h ny ~
snmmoned no FEWER tnan Twelve OF It's
M Tspre ~ anu .nree Oh i.s Ssma.ors.
p ne liss G W rhe y names OF Sena.ors
and dA I 4, ~ ,io u Nd Rm an
anu be W Oh omniornia ana hepreseh,,,
atlVes w. H. , NNelley, samuel y. handaii
siG i.eM ns ~ W W;is or IeNnnsyiva'H, ..
3. .oA, -avu wiinor anu Newron D. Nut,
s'st ,i;,,a;s NJ nr,,ns "a Nv Wish, mane' ~
vi W r.nno, OF =; NJ, buTnes ana James Z.
r ahi ~ sSoTr, JANIS i- ;s; u, nc,
praska' p;uWaru =; gay Oh LOUISIANA anu
Jhmes fheiaIi on iennessee.
Maiy VI vne ui,is e,,actco ll'o laws aper
Inopri"eu " uhusuuiiy large ainpuiit o,
M1ney, an1 'ne eNpehuitures a,tmorlzeu
VIII exceed NOSE Oh any peace Con
s.ess s'n ,rt .ne l3u,iua.lon oi .ne uoyerii-
neh. n, si my .oSai apProprlations niaue py
ne rii;ie.h s S0ng pe We're Buring .he
ms. session., soo9,oo. ,odo, anu curing tne
secoba SESSION. o. S l1 OF an aSgte
sa.e % soi,,voooo, WINE tne approprla-
IONS aor .ne irst SESSION SIC, oo OF tne hiityrss
u,onRfess werc Saou ,,.;i WI, anu tnose on
tn,al eUmr Sesn VII f pr1 ,b o1s 'Ie
A. coo " Xxx ooa ioi '"e congress W
s',voV'ovv,von A.. g..
comlpaIison .. ;he WORK OF the oon-
Eiess Jus. oioseu WIN .nas ol Us ,iiluhe-
uIa'y ieoecessor hi'Aes thc ioiiowihS
EXHIBIT
bilis introduced--ln tue House III the
Fifty first Congress l4,033, against in the
Ti lna Congress l2'09 DO increase OF
i;o'9; Joint resolutions 2'o-an increase OF
~; senate Diils o, l20, against 1000, or an
increase OF 10; joint resolutions 16o-an
increase OF "a;
Bits passed-By the House, l,7iS, OF
which ,5i5 became laws, and by the SEN
ATE, i,3oo piiis, OF wnich o'3 became laws,
making the total number OF laws during
me ne. fiity-iiTs!t, . congress Z,ls3' as against
i,cza IN the flIueth CONGRESSMAN increase
OF W2.
Inc Senate also postponed indefinitely
6l0 senate and - House bills, tins beng
equivalent To ae1eat; During the tifti,
EN- congress i6i bilis were vetoed and
curing ,1e flity-hrst congress ~.
IN addition TO TINS work there were
o-'t~~@- 49,
House seated eight OF the Republican con-
testants, ana declared the seat Oh one
Democrat-Mr breckinridge OF ARKANSAS
vacant. Two cases,Goodrich VS.. Bn!-
lock, nom rlorlda, ana Mc1innls vs.. Al
derson, from West Vlrginia-in when the
SSmnlttee Iecommenoeu seating OF the
republican contestants, were not disposed
nHtee itseiI never acteu OH tne Eaton vs..
Phelan, tennessee, case. Inc Senate dis-
posed OF its sole contested-election case by
seatnB the TWO hepupllcan senators from
Montana.
Asa result OF me WORK OF the Congress
great number O, measures whlch nave
IOr years occupied more or less OF the AZ
fention OF the legislative branch OF the
government Will pc transferred 10 tne
Execuuveand judicial departments OF the
Severnment, there, perhaps, 10 become
equally familiar acquaintances. indeed,
nardiy single measure OF other imam
transient interest has failed TO receive de-
CiHve action III one OF the other Dranch
OF congress. Contrary TO previous ex-
perence, the more important OF the meas
ures which constitute the list OF Legislative
failures found Their tomb IN the senate,
the House having throughout the Two
years taken the Ieau III legisiauon ana
passed denmteiy upon every measure OF
general interest on which the leaders OF
the majority desired action.
Among the odd stagers'' which are now
laws are the Copyright bill the Private
Land Court bill TO settle disputes arising
over Mexican grants i'll tho Western States
and Terrltorlesl The Postal Subsidy bill,
the Indian depreciation Claims bill. the
Iimber and fre-emption Law Repeal bill,
tmakmg general revision OF the land
iaws), the customs Administrative oiil
General Land Forfeiture bill, the bill to
relieve the supreme Court by the estab-
lishment OF Intermediates circuit courts OF
appeal, the United States Judges, Salaries
bill, the. Direct Tax Refund bill and an
appropriation to pay the awards OF the
Court OF Claims in the French Spoliation
Claims.
The Blair Educational bill, the bill for