Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1892-08-06
WHAT CONGRESS DID.

| OOnkFooos
WASHINGTON, Aug. IA review Of the
work of the Fifty-second congress,
which was in session eight months, may
prove of interest Mt this time.
The house devoted the first two
months Of its session to the discussion
and adoption of code Of rules, after
which the regular business was taken
up. Bills to the number of 9,677 have
been introduced in the house and re-
ferred to committees. OF this number
2,115 have been reported and placed on
the calendar, about $50 Of which have
passed the house. The most important
measure considered by the house, ex-
cepting the general appropriation bills,
were the silver bill, the tariff measures
reported from the ways and means
committee, the Chinese exclusion act,
the intermediate" and army nurse
pension bills, the bill to enforce recip-
rocal commercial relations with Canada,
the bill increasing the pay of life
saving crews, to establish lineal promo
ton in the army, for the better control
of national banks in regard to loaning
money to directors and officers, and to
add the name of the secretary of agri-
culture to the cabinet officers who may
act as president in certain contingent
cies. This bill and the silver bill failed
in the house, rs did also the free coin
age bill which passed the senate. The
several tariff bills passed by the house
failed in the senate, as did also the bills
providing for the admission OF New
Mexico and Arizona as states.
OF the 3,492 bills introduced in the
senate 1,1O2 were reported upon by
committees and 700 of them passed.
Among the most important measures
passed by the senate and not acted upon
by the house were the following: To
facilitate the claims for arrears of pay
and bounty for the construction OF
revenue cutters, two each; the pure
food" bill; the bill to increase the
rate Of pension for certain cases
of deafness; to fix the price of lands en-
tered under the desert land laws; to au-
thorize the secretary of war to cause
survey to be made for ship canal from
Philadelphia across New Jersey to New
York bay and the bill for the immigra-
ton laws. A large number OF public
building and claim bills passed by
the senate also failed in the house.
One hundred and three bills have
passed both houses and been sent
to the president for his sigma
ture. There are twenty Of these
bills still under consideration by the
executive. One has been returned to
the house by its request without sign
ing; two have been vetoed-the bill to
amend the organizing of the circuit
courts of appeals so as to give it juris-
diction of certain Indian cases and the
bill referring the McGarrahan claim to
the court of private land claims. Three
have become laws without the presi-
dents approval.
Investigations were feature OF this
congress, especially in the house, and
committees devoted much time to them
The pension Office received the atten-
ton of a special committee, which re-
ported mismanagement of the bureau
under the administration of Commits
sioner Raum, and reported to the
house that the president be or
dered to dismiss that official at an
early day. They also criticised Russell
B. Harrison, the presidents son, for
his connection with securing leases
through the public parks. The COM
mittee on judiciary looked into matter
called to its attention by the attorney
general that marshals and clerks
of United States courts in Boston were
obtaining illegal fees in naturalization
cases. They reported several bills to
remedy the evil. The committee on
banking and currency was ordered to
investigate the failure OF the
keystone and Spring Garden
National banks of Philadelphia and
of the Maverick National bank OF Bos'
ton. The committee took a mass OF
testimony but did not complete their
inquiry. The committee appointed tc
investigate the census Office began Their
work late in the session and finally
postponed it until next session. The
committee on reform in the civil ser
vice investigated the Baltimore post
Office matter and filed a report
severely criticising Postmaster-Gen
eral Wanamaker, stating that he
knew that the employees were
violating the law, yet he still kept then
in Office The investigation into the so
called sweating system" of contract
labor was conducted by sub-commit
, tee of the house manufactures commit
tee. 1t did not finish taking testimony
,, and will probably resume its session
,, during the recess of congress Senator
Chandler and Representative Stump
chairman of the senate and house
committees on immigration, yigor
ously investigated the expenditure:
of money at the Ellis Island