Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1892-08-11
WHAT CONGRESS HAS DONE
Little Accomp ished Aside from Passing
Appropriation Bills.

Little Accomp ished Aside from Passing
Appropriation Bills.
The future compiler of the official
history OF the laws of the United States
will not need much space in which to
inscribe the really important laws en-
acted by the first session OF the Lid
congress, says Washington correspon-
dent. The session has not been re-
markable for It's actual accomplishments
so far as respects large legislation.
Efforts more or less vigorous have
been made to pass through both houses
OF Congress bills dealing with questions
that occupy a large share OF public at
tention, but these, with a single excep-
tidn, have failed of accomplishment.
The sole measure of the first class in
Importance, not counting the appropria-
tion bills which have become law, Is
the Chinese exclusion bill, and political
expediency has much 10 do with it's
rapid Congressional progress. This bill,
the Inman registry bill, the Black Hawk
and Seminole Indian wars pension bill,
the eight-hour BILL the bill to enable
the President tc enforce reciprocal
canal arrangements with Cana1a, the
army nurse bill. the intermediate pen
sion bill, and the bill to increase the
measures Of much general interest en-
acted into law.
Free silver, the tariff, the anti-o2tion
bill, retrenchment OF appropriations and
5000, 900 loan TO the Worlds Fair
have been the live topics of the session.
The first three subjects have been
killed, at least until after the election
while the last is still before Congress.
The House passed approximately AIS
bills, of which 2S4 were passed by the
Senate and sent to the President. OF
the bills assed by the House 2lO were
public bills, including measures relat-
ing TO the District of Columbia; 151 pri-
vate pension bills; ~ bins to remove
charges of desertiop; and Al private bills
of miscellaneous character.
The Senate passed 6g1 bills, only 113
of which succ eeded in running the CANT
let of the House and reaching the Presi-
dent. Two OF the latter number the
President vetoed, viz. the bill TO send
the famous McGarrah clam to the
Court of Claims for adjudication and a
bill to amend the Court of Appeals act.
Three bills the President permitted to
become laws without his signature.
The noteworthy feature of the private
bills which became laws was the large
ptICtHldBt VI LHeul IeldtilS W StTNlCeS
In the Mexican war, the Indian wars
and the war of 1912, the beneilciaries be-
ing chiefly Southern men. !.
The BerinR Sea trouble with Great
Britain was the ugliest complication
the Senate had to consider behind closed
doors, and a peaceful solution OF 1t was
found In It's reference 20 an arbitration
commission. The Chilian muddle also
occupied some OF the Senate's attention
tn executive session.
The total number OF bills and Joint
resolutions introduced in the House was
1886, and in the Senate 1904. In the
House 2,106 reports were made on bills.
and in the Senate I,09T written reports
we're made, no notice being paid to un-
written reports.
Aside from the passage OF the regular
annual appropriation bills the most
interesting feature OF the Congress has
been what IL did not do rather than
what IL did.