Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1892-08-01

WASHINGTON, D. c., July 31.-The
future compiler Of the official history Of
the laws Of the United States, will not
need much space in which to inscrioe
the really important laws enacted by
the first session Of the Fifty-second
Congress now ready to close as soon as
the Worlds Fair matter is out Of the
way. The session now drawing to a
close has not been remarkable for its
actual accomplishments so far as re-
spects large legislation. Efforts more
or less vigorous have been made 70 pass
through both Houses Of Congress bills
dealing with questions that occupy a
large share OF public attention, but
these. with single eXCep-
tion. have failed Of accom-
plishment. The sole measure Of
the first class I'm importance not
counting the APPROPRIATION bills which
became a law is the Chinese exclusion
bin and political eXpediency had much
70 do with It's rapid congressional pro-
s gress. This bill, the Inman registry
bill. the Black Hawk and Seminole In
dian war pension bills, the Eight Hour
bill. the bill TO enable the President 70
enforce reciprocal canal arrangements
with Canada, the army nurse bill, the
intermediate pension bill, and the bill
10 increase the pay Of life savers are
the only measures Of much general In
tereSt enacted into laws.
Free silver, the tariff, the anti-options
bill, retrenChment Of appropriation and
$4,000, 600 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, the last is still before Congress,
and the fourth question that OF apprO-
priations entered largely into the make
UP OF the appropriations bills, and pre-
vented a single public building bill from
passing the house, the session being ab-
sOlutely unique in this particular. Many
of the bills providing for new expendi-
lures, the omnibus light house bill for
instance tailed because Of the retrench-
Rent policy soJWSt N issued.
tThe aouse passed approximately AS
IN, OF which 2S4 we're passed by the
bnate and sent TO the President. OF
ne bills passed by the House eco we're
public bills, including measures relat-
hDg TO the District Of Columbia; Isl pri-
.vate pension bills; as bills 70 remove
charges OF desertiOn ana Al private bills
Of a miscellaneous character.
The Senate passed 69l bills, only ll3
of which succeeded Ia running the
gauntlet OF the House and reaching the
President. Two OF these latter mum
Der the President vetoed, viz: the bill
to send the famous McGarrahan claim
20 the Court Of Claims for adjudication,
and a bill TO amend the Court Of Appeals
act. Three bills the President permit
ted 10 become laws without his sigma
ture. The noteworthy feature OF the
private bills which became laws was the
large percentageiof them relating to
sRerviceS in the Mexican war, the Indian
wars and the war Of 1912, the benefcia-
ries being chiefly southern men.
The Senate was
NOT AS FREE AS USUAL
from election contests contestants be-
ing unsuccessful. The House had six
election contests, and four Of them
have been practically settled. The to-
tai number Of bills and Joint resolutions
introduced in the House was 9,S35, and
in the Senate 3,6O4, In the House ., 100
was made on bills aud 10 the Senate
1897 reports were made, no notice
being paid 20 unwritten reports.
Aside from the passage Of the regular
annual appropriation bills, the most in
teresting feature Of the Congress has
been what il did not rather than what
itdid do. The bill for the free coin age
of silver overshadOwed all other meas
ures in Importance and interest. The
coinage committee In the House was
made up largely of friends OF free
- coinage, and IL reported with prompt
ness a oil for free coinage, but
hen after a stormy scene it came 20 a
test vote ia the House, il was necessary
for the Speaker TO cast his vote 10 order
20 save the silver bill from a square de-
feat and when the large antI-free coin
age opposition began to 6libuster the
Dill was killed by retusOi on the part
of a majority of the Democrats In the
House TO sign request for a closure
rule without which request the speak
or announced that be would not report
rule for closing debate and forming q
measure Oh its passage.