Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1892-03-25
A BUSINESS CONGRESS.

Racord I'm the Matter of Important Busi-
ness Finished Up and Reported From
Committee.
Special TsIsor0r TO tie Register.
WASHINGTON, d. c., March 24.-The
present Congress is going at its work so
awkwardly that 1t does not get credit
for what it actually does. It's danger
is not so much in what it does not do
as in what it may do. IL it could leave
undone one or two things, 1t might
hope TO present record which would
compare with any Congress OF the past.
The great boast OF the Fifty-frSt Con-
gress was that it was a business Con-
gress," the implication being, either di1
rectly or indirectly, that no other Con-
gress, past or future, could compare
with IL in that respect. But the record
made by the present Fifty-second Con-
gress thus far clips the wings OF this
proud assumption. An examination OF
the official records shows that this Con-
gress is far ahead of the preceding one
in regard to the forwardness of legisls-
tion and the Importance of the business
already completed at this stage OF the
session.
Take the appropriation bills, for ex-
ample. In the present Congress six or
these bills have been already reported
and four Of them have been passed by
the House, while two years ago at this
time only five had been reported and
only one passed. This leaves out OF the
account the deficiency bills, which have
no effect on the comparison. In other
words, the present House has already
passed the District of Columbia, Indian,
Military Academy and Pension bills,
while the only regular appropriation
bill passed before March 24th by the
previous House was the District OF Co.
lumbia bill.
In regard to other legislation, it is
found on examination that While the
Fifty-frst House passed larger num-
Der of bills before March 21st than the
present House, most of those bills were
of an utterly unimportant nature-pri-
vate pension bills and the like-and the
number Of really important bills passed
up to that date is at least one-quarter
and probably one-third greater this year
than two years ago. To particularlze:
At this date two years ago the Fifty
first House had passed the Oklahoma
bill, bill for the increase OF
pensions in certain cases, the census
farm mortgage bill, the bill creating
the Office of Assistant Secretary OF war,
the revenue cutter service transfer Dill,
a couple OF land bills, three or four
coinage and revenue bills, and half
dozen bills relating to the United States
Courts, or about sixteen or eighteen
measures of general Importance. But
the Fifty-Second House has passed at
least twenty-five measures of that class,
including nine bills relative to tie
courts, two relating to the taking OF
depositions in certain cases, the oates
blackmail resolution, the Smithsonian
reorganization resolution, the Cheyenne,
Arrapahoe and klamath lands bills, the
army certificate of merit bill, the bill
including the Secretary OF Agriculture
In the Presidential succession, three
bills relating TO customs and internal
revenue matters, the bill for the better
control and protection OF national banks,
the Army lineal promotion bill, the
Army hospital corps amendatory bill,
besides two Important bills concerning.
the District government, the Lick OBJ
servatory bill, the Arizona Worlds Fair
appropriation bill, etc.
A still better gauge of the compare
tive extent and value Of the work per-
formed by the respective Houses, down
to a given date, is found in the condi-
tion of the House calendars at that date.
A careful search of the reports shows
that although the total number of re-
ports made to the House on or before
March 81, 1890, was about S25, against
total OF 700 this year, the number of
reports on important measures is far
greater this year, amounting to 165,
against 130 at this time two years ago.
1t is also to be noticed that the chief or
leading measures OF the session have
been reported much sooner in the Fifty
second than in the Fifty-frst Congress.
Thus the silver bill was reported weeks
earlier this year than in 1890; and the
initial tariff measures OF 1S92-the free
wool bill, binding twne and cotton bag
ging bills-were reported on March 1st,
while i'm 1890 the Mckinley bill was not
reported until April 10th.