Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1893-03-06
ITS ACHIEVEMENTS
Work Completed by the Fifty
Second Congress.
AND sOMEMATTERs THAT GO OVER

priations Reach About the Same Fig
ures Those of the Fifty-First-Boom-
ers Will Have a Show on the Cherokee
Strip-Efect of a Worlds Fair Stipuia-
tiop on the Sunday Closing Condition
List of Laws Passed-CIosing Scenes in
House and Senate.
WASHINGTON, March 6-The silver and
'arlff question, the anti-option bill and the
reduction of appropris tions were the lead
ing topics of consideration by the Fifty
second congress, which expired b. consti
tutional limitation at IL o'clock noon Sat
urday. Secondary only in Importance to
these matters were matters relating to the
Worlds fair. equipment of railways with
automatic car couplers. national quaran-
tine and immigration, Behring sea and Ha-
walan annexation. Nothing of an aflirma
tive nature except to prevent two items in
the Mckinley bill taking effect was actu-
ally accomplished so far as respects silver,
the tariff or anti-option, the action taken
on each of these questions in one branch
OF cong ess being negatived by the action
or non-action of the other branch.
Influence of the Balance Sheet.
The result of the agitation of the neces-
slty for retrenchment of expenditures is
not apparent in any considerable change in
the aggregate appropriations carried by the
national supply bills, for they amount to
about as much as in the Fifty-first con-
gress, laws on the statute books preventing
IL
would have been made, while the decreases
which it was possible to affect were offset
loy increased appropriations for pensions
and 1ivers 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, un-
| doubtedly Influenced legislation TO con-
siderable extent and prevented the author
ization of many proposed new expenditures
| for improvement of the public service, for
| public buildings, for payment of claims
and for other purposes.
Filibustered Free Silver to Death.
The silver question was kept steadily be-
| fore the attention of congress by the alte r
nate efforts OF the advocates of free coinage
and of the repeal OF the Sherman law. The
| coinage committee of the house in the first
1
after an exciting debate was saved from de-
| feat by the casting vote of the speaker, but
| was afterward ff1ibustered to death, the
| friends of the bill falling to secure the sig
| natures of a majority of the Democrats to
| petition asking for a cloture rule in its
behalf The senate then passed a free coin
age bill, but when the free silver men re-
newed their fight in the house they were
| outnumbered by fourteen votes, and of
course failed. The anti-silver men met a
| similar fate in their efforts to secure re-
peal of the present law, the senate refusing
| by decisive vote to consider it and the
house killing the Andrew-Cate bill.
What Was Done with the Tariff
On the tariff the dominant party in the
house adopted a policy of attacking the
| Mckinley bill in detail largely for poll
tical reasons, and partly for reason that in
| view of the political complexion of the sem
| ate it was practically out of the question
to pass general tariff revision bill
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 the free list
and fine linen at 81 per cent. ad valorem
Under the Mckinley bill large duties were
| TO take effect on these items in the near
i future. Other seperate bills were passed
| through the house only to be pigeon holed
| in the senate.
Purchase of Cherokee strip.
bill that went through conta ining a
matter of Importance was the Indian
bill with the provision for the purchase of
the Cherokee outlet. around the borders of
which an army of boomers is now walt
| ing on a threat to go in ""willy nillyn to-
the Indians $ ,295 ,0On for the land Every
| body knows how the tilibusters beat the
anti-option bill, and its running-mate the
pure food bill. could not get consideration
| IN the house though passed by the senate
The automatic car coupler bill, somewhat
modified, was passed by both houses. as
was national quarantine bill and bill
further restricting immigration. Approx
imately As house and 235 senate bills and
joint resolutions became laws, making 66o
acts put on the statute books as the result
of the work of congress.
Worlds Fair legislation.
Worlds fair legislation comprised the
grant of So, 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 special nature
and minor Importance. The items in
creased by the senate during the last week
of congress were cut again by the house
and the amounts asked for the Columbian
commission, including the board of Iadv
managers, was reduced from s236,3 to
s211, $50 The appropriations for the gov
ernment board of exhibits was reduced
from S20I $50 to sl51, 1,750.
More Trouble for Sunday CIosers.
The amount asked for the committee of
awards, s57o $50, was allowed in full, but a
proviso was attached stipulating that the
money for this purpose should come out of
the receipts of the sale of the souvenir half
dollars appropriated under the act of the
last session. Several of the members of
the house who are lawyers claim that tax
ing the money for the awards out of the
appropriation of last session, under which
the Sunday closing agreement was made,
IS distinct violation of the agreement on