The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1893-03-08
A REVIEW OF THE WORK.
WHAT THE SECOND CON.
GRESs DID FOR THE COUNTRY.
Summarizing of the Action Had On
the Important National Measures.

optjous bill and the reduction of appropra.
lions we're the leading topics of consideration
BY the Fifty Second Congress which expired
at noon March T. Secondary only in i'm
portance TO these matters were measures
relating to the Worlds Fair, equipment
OF railroads with automatic car couplers,
National quarantine and immigration,
Bering sea and Hawaiian annexation.
Nothing OF an Affirmative nature, ex-
cent TO prevent two items In the Mchin-
ley bill taking effect was actually &C
cOmplished so far as respects SILVER, tne
tariff or anti-optious, the action taken on
each OF these questions in one branch OF
Congress being negatived by the action
or non. action OF the other branch. Inc
result of the agitation of the necessity Tor
a retrcnchment Of expenditure is not ap-
parent in any considerable change In
the aggregate appropriations car
ricd by the National Supply bills,
for they amount to about as much as IN
the Effty-hrst Congress, laws on the
statute books preventing some large re-
ductions which otherwise would nave
been made. while the decreases, which II
was possible to effect, were Offset by in.
ased appropriations for pensions, and
rivers and harbors. The condition of the
public treasury however, though II did
not result in the tifty-sccond Con-
grcss getting below the billion dol.
lar limit. undoubtedly influenced
Legislation 10 COnSlue1dOlt dul
prevented the authorization OF many pro
posed new expenditures for Improvement
of the public service, tor public buildings,
for payment of claims and other purposes.
notable instance of the operation OF
this influence is seen in the fact that not
as,ngle public building bill passed the
House. and IL was only by putting num-
Der OF them on the Sundry Civil Appro
prjation bill that any authorizations
whatever for public buildings were
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 Coinage 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 the Speaker, but was afterward
II bustered to death, the friends of the
bill failing to secure the signatures of a
majority of the Democrats to petition
asking for cloture rule in its behalf
The Senate then passed free coinage
bill. but when the free silver men renewed
their fight in the House they were out
numb red by IA votes. The anti-silver
men met a similar fate in their efforts to
secure repeal of the present law, the
Senate refusing by a decisive vote to
consider IL, the House killing the An
drew-Cate bill by declining to vote so as
right to move cloture on 1t, without
which il conccdedly could never be
forced to vote in the closing hours OF
Congress.
on the tariff the dominant party in the
House adopted the policy of attacking the
Mckinley bill in detail, largely for politl.
cal reasons. and partly for the reason
that in view of the political complexion OF
the Senate II was practically out of the
question to pass general tariff revision
bill through the Senate, while special
measures might stand some show of pass.
age. The result was the enactment into
law of two bills, continuing block tin on
the free list and fine linen al 35 per cent.
ad valorem. Under the Mckinley bill
large duties were to take effect on these
bills were passed through the House, only
TO be pigeon-holed in the Senate
as follows Free wool and a reduc.
tion of duties on woolen manufactures,
free cotton bagglng machinery, free
binding twine, free silver lead ores where
the value mot the weight of the silver
exceeds that of the lead IN any importa.
tion free tin plate, terne plate and tag.
gers tin, and the limitation to s100 of the
amount of personal baggage returning
tourists may bring into the United
States.
The Anti-Options bill passed both
houses but was killed by the refusal of
the House to suspend the rules and agree,
by two-thiIds vote, to the amendments
put on the bill by the Senate, the
opponents of the measure ma
nouvering so as to prevent Mr.. Hatch
making effective 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 Anu-Option bill, passed the Senate,
but was never able TO get consideration
In the House.
,ai IL. ,.la 81 -
grant of 81, 800, 900 in souvenir half dol
lars in aid OF the fair, the closing of its
gates on Sunday, the appropriation of
various amounts for different fair pur-
poses, and the passage OF sundry acts of a
special nature and minor Importance.
The Automatic Car Coupler bill, shorn
OF its drastic features, was enacted into
law, as was also National Quarantine
bill increasing the powers of the Marine
Hospital Service to meet the threatened
dangers from cholera, and an immigra-
tion law imposing additional restriction
on immigration, but not suspending it en-
tirely. The Senate averted trouble over
the Bering Sea fisheries by ratifying a
treaty of arbitration. 1t also ratified ex.
tradition treaties with Russia and other
countries, but still has before It treaty
OF annexation Of the Hawaiian Islands.
The opening of the Cherokee outlet was
provided for In the Indian bill, under a
clause appropriating $S,295 900 for its
purchase from the Indians, $295, 900 TO
be paid in cash, and $s,0O0,O 1000 in Ave
equal annual installments.
Approximately 425 House and 235 Sen.
ate bills and joint resolutions became
laws, making $50 acts put on the statute
books as the result of the WORK of Con-
gress. A majority of these measures
were OF interest TO only individuals or To-
calities, being for the relief of citizens, for
the bridging Of streams, for the District
of Columbia, for rights of way, etc. An
usual proportion of the claims bills were
for the relief of Southern men. The
House passed, In round numbers, 626
bills. of which 200 failed of passage in
the Senate, and in the neighborhood OF
625 bills passed by the Senate failed in
the House, including long list of public
building bills, many private pension bills
and other measures involving increased
expenditures. Three bills were vetoed
by the President, viz. To refer the Nc
Garrahan claim to the Court of Claims, a
second McGarrahan bill failing of action
in the House; TO amend the Court of Ap-
peals act and in relation TO marshals In
the United States Courts in Alabama.