St. Paul daily globe., 1893-03-06
A Review Of the Doings OF the
National Legislature
Since December.
Previous Republican Legisla-
tion Prevents a Decrease
in Appropriations.
The Senate Stood in the Way
OF Beneficial Tariff L9gis-
lation.
Silver and Anti-Options Have
an Altogether Stormy
Time OF 1t.

WASHINGTON, March 5.--The silver
and tariff questions, the anti-option bill
and the reduction of appropriations
were the leading topics of consideration
by the Fifty second congress, which eX-
pired by constitutional limitation at IL
o'clock noon yesterday, and secondary
only In importance to these matters
were measures relating to the worlds
fair, equipment of railroads with auto
matte car couplerS, national quarantine
and immigration. Behring sea and
Hawaiian annexation. Nothing Of an
affirmative nature, except to prevent
two items in the Mckinley bill taking
effect. was actually accomplished. SO
far as respects silver. the tariff or anti
options, the action taken on these ques-
tionS in one branch OF cOngreSs was
negatived by the action Or non-action
of the other branch. The re-
suit of the agitation of the
necessItity for retrenchment
OF expenditures is not apparent
in any considerable change in the az
gregate appropriations carried by the
national supply bills, for they amount
to about as much as in the Fifty-frst
congress- Laws on the statute books
prevent some large reductions which
otherwise possibly would have been
made. while the decreases which it was
impossible to effect were Offset by
Increased Appropriations
for pension and rivers and harbOrs.
The condition of the public treasury,
however, though it did not result in the
Fifty-second congress getting below the
billion dollar limit, undoubtedly in
tiuenced legislation to considerable
extent and prevented the authorization
of many proposed new expendi-
lures for improvement of the
public services, for public building,
payment of claims and for other pur
poses. A notable instance of the opera
ton of this influence is seen in the fact
that not single public building bill
passed the house, and it was only by
putting number of them on the sun
dry civil appropriation bill that any
authorization whatever for public build
ings was secured. The silver question
was kept steadily before the attention
of congress by the alternate efforts of
the advocates Of free coinage and of the
repeal of the Sherman law. The coin
age committee of the house in the first
session reported free silver bill,
| which, after an exciting debate, was
! saved from defeat by the casting vote
Of ( i,lc 1trar l,Itf off
FIibnsterea to Death,
the friends of the bill failing to secure
the signatures of majority Of the
Democrats to a petition asking for a
cloture bill in its behalf. The senate
| then passed a free coinage Dill, but
when the free silver men renewed their
fight i'll the house they were outnum-
bered by fourteen votes, and of course.
failed. The anti-SiTer men met a sim
| liar fate in their efforts to secure
repeal of the present law, the senate
refusing by decisive vote to consider
it, and the house killing the Andrew
Cate bill by declining TO vote so as to
give its friends the parliamentary right
to move cloture on it, without Which it
concededly could never be forced to a
vote in the closing hours of congress.
On the tariff the dominant party
in the house adopted policy of attack
ing the Mckinley bill in detail
largely for political reasons, and
partly for the reason that in view
of the political complexion of the
senate it was practically out of the
question to pass general tariff revision
Dill through the senate, while special
measures might stand some show Of
passage. The result was the enactment
into law of two bills continuing block
TIN
On tEae Free List
and fine linen at 50 per cent al valorem.
Under the Mckinley bill large duties
were to take effect on these items in the
near future. Other separate bills were
passed through the house, only to be
pigeOn-hOled by the senate. as follows:
Free wool and reduction Of duties on
wooen manufactures; free cotton and
baggiug ties: gins ana cotton Oagging
| machinery; free binding tWine; free
silver lead ores, where the value (noS
the weighD of the silver exceeds that OF
the lead in any Importation; free tin
plate, terne plate taggcrS' tin, and the
limitation to 800 OF the amount of per.
sona baggage returning tourists may
bring into the United States. Tie
anti-options bill passed both houses,
but was killed by the refusal
of the house to suspend the rules and
agree by two-thirdS vote to the amend
mentS put OH the bill by the senate, the
opponents of the measure man1uYerng
SO as to prevent Mr.. Harris making eff
fective his majority in favor of the
measure, and forcing him at the last
moment to try suspension OF the rules.
The pure food bill, the running mate of
the anti-Opti0nS bill. passed the senate,
but was never aUle to get consideration
i'll the house.
Worlds Fair Legislation
comprised the grant of 81, 500, 900 in
souvenir half-dollarS in aid of the fair.
the closing of its gates on Sunday, the
appropriation of various amounts for
different fair purposes, and the passage
of sundry acts Of d special nature and
minor Importance. An automatic car
coupler bill, shorn OF its drastic feat
ureS, was enacted into law as was also
a national quarantine bill, increasing
the powers OF the marine hospital
service to meet the/ threatened
dangers from cholera, and an inn
migration law imposing additional
restrictions Oh immigration. but not
suspending it entirely. The senate
averted the bill over the Behrng sea
seal fisheries by ratifying treaty of
arbitration. 1t also ratified eXtradition
treaties with Russia and other countries,
but still has before it a treaty OF anneA-
alton of the Hawaiian Islands. The
opening OF the Cherokee outlet was
provided for In the Indian bill under a
clause appropriating SS.2950O0 for the
purchase from the Indians, S295.O0O to
be paid in cash and $S.000.00l in five
equal annual instaIlmentS.
The Esiiis Passed
Approximately 425 house and 235
senate bills aud joint resolutions became
laws. making 660 acts put on the statute
books as the result of the work of the