The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1893-03-14
THE WORK DONE.
n THOROUGH RETIEW or WHAT THE
LIST CONGRESS DID.
Tho Appropriation Bills-How the Leading
Questions Now Before the People Stand
After Adjournment-Etc., Etc.

ton OF appropriations were the leadlnS
topics of consideration by the fifty-second
congress which expired by constitutional limi-
tation at noon yesterday. Secondary only
in Importance to these matters We're meas
ures relating to the worlds fair, equipment
of railroads with automatic car couplers,
national quarantine and immigration, Bch-
ring sea and Hawaiian annexation. Nothing
of an affirmative nature. except to prevent
two items in the Mckinley law taking ct
feet. was actually accomplished so far as
respects silver, the tariff or an1i-options, 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 The result of the agitation of the
necessity for the retrenchmcnt of expendi-
lures is not apparent i'll any considerable
change in the aggregate appropriations car
ried by the national supply bills. fer they
amount to about as much as in the fifty
hrSt congress, the laws on the statute books
preventing some large reductions, which
otherwise would have been made. while the
decreases, which it was possible to effect,
were offset by increased appropriations for
pensions and rivers and harbors. The con-
dition of the public treasury, however.
though it did not result in the fifty-secOnd
congress getting below the billion dollar
limit. undoubtedly influenced legislation to ii
considerable extent and prevented the aU-
thorlZatlon OF many proposed new expendl-
lures for improvements of the public ser
vice, for public buildings, for payment Of
claims and for other purposes. \ nota-
bic instance of the operation of this infiu-
ence is seen in the fact that not single
public building bill passed the house,
number of them on the sundly
civil appropriation bill that any authorize
tons whatever for public building were Sc
cured. The silver question was kept stead
nj hnt Dpn no. of hu
alternate efforts of the advocates Of free
coinage and of the repeal of the Sherman
law. The coinage committee of the house
III the first session reported free silver bill,
which, after exciting debate, saved
from defeat by the casting vote of the
speaker. but was afterwards filibustcred
to death, the friends of the bill failing to Sc
cure the signatures of majority of the demo-
rule in its behalf. The senate then passed
free coinage bill, but when the free sill
yer men renewed their fight in the house
they We're outnumbered by fourteen votes,
and. of course, failed. The anti-silver men
met similar fate in their efforts to Sc
cure the repeal of the present law, the
senate refusing by decisive vote to con-
slider it and the house killed the Andrew
Cate bill by declining to vote, so as to give
its friends a parliamentary right to move
cloture on it, without which it concededly
could never be forced to a vote in the clos
ing hours of congress.
On the tariff the dominant party In the
house adopted the policy of attacking the
Mckinley act i'll detail, largely for political
reasons. and partly for the reason that in
view of the political complexion of the sell
ate 1t was practically out of the question
10 pass Il general tariff revision bill through
the senate, while a special measure might
stand more show of passage The result
was the enactment into law of two bills
continuing block tin on the free list and
fine linen ut 80 per cent ad yaOreIn. Under
the Mckinley law large duties were TO
take effect Oh these items in the near flu
ture. Other separate bills We're passed
through the house, only to be plgeon-holed
III the senate, as follows: Free wool,
and Il reduction of duties on WOODEN manu-
f4rtrreS, free cotton bagglng machinery,
free binding Irvine, free silver, lead ores,
where Yaue-not Wclght-ot silver exceeds
that of lead in any importation; free tin
plate. tcrne plate and taggers tin, and the
limitation to $l0O Of the amount of per
Sonal baggage returning tourists may bring
into the United States The anti-option bill
passed both houses but was killed by the
refusal of the house to suspend the rules
and agree, by n twD-thlrdS vote, to the
amendments put on the bill by the senate,
the opponents of the measure maneuyering
so as to prevent Hatch making effective
his ma jority in favor of the measure and
forcing him at the last moment to try Il
suspension of rules. The pure food BILL the
running mate of the anti-options bill. pass
ed the senate but was never able TO get
Il consideration in the house
The worlds fair legislation comprised
grant of So, sos, 900 in souvenir half dollars
in aid of the fair, the closing of it's gates
on Sunday, the appropriation of various
amounts for different fair purposes, and the
passing of sundry acts of q special nature
and of minor importance. An automatic car
coupler bill Sh0rn of its drastic features
was enacted into law. as was also a na-
tional quarantine BILL increasing the pow
ers of the marine hospital service so as To
meet threatened dangers from cholera. and
an immigration law, imposing additional re-
strictions on immigration but not suspend
ing it entirely.
The senate avcrted trouble over the
Behring sea seal fisheries by raltylng the
treaty of arbitration, 1t also rathed eA-
tradition treaties with Russia and other
countries, but still has before it the treaty
of annexation of the Hawaiian islands.
The opening of the Cherokee outlet was pro
yided for in the Indian bill. under the clause
appropriatng $S.295 900 for its purchase
from The Indians 1926 900 to be paid i'll cash
and $S,0OO.00O in five equal annual INSTALL
ments Approximately 10 house bills and
30 senate bills and joint resolutions became
laws making GO acts put on the statute
book as q result of the work of congress.
4 majority of these measures We're Of In
terest only to individuals or localities, be-
ing for relief Of citizens, for bridging Of
streams. for the District of Columbia, for
rights of ~ay. etc. An unusual proportion
of the claims bills were for the relief of
southern men.
The house passed, in round numbers. CD
bills. of which POO failed Of passage in the
senate. and i'll the neighborhood o 60 bills
passed by the senate failed in
the house, including Il long list
OF public building bills, many pri-
yatc pension bills and other measures
Involving increased expenditures. Three
bills Wre vetoed by the president, viz, 10
refer the Mc(;arrahan claim to the court
of claims. the second Mcliarrahan bill fail
ing of action in the house, TO amend the
appeals act. and inrclat0n TO marshals ill
| nitcd States courts i'll Alabama. This last
bill became a law by passage over the
veto, Senator Iioar stating that it had been
vetoed through Il misunderstanding Of its
provision.
The president subjected three bills to q
pocket veto and two other bills failed of
cngrosSment in time for presentation
TO him. All We're of comparatively small
Importance.
Among the measures of Importance which
failed to get the endorsement of either
house were bills for the creation of the
sub-treaSuIy system, for an extensive Sys-
TEN of Notifications. for uniform sys-
tenn of bankruptcy, for taxation of federal
notes and the repeal of the tax on state
banks, to transfer the revenue cutter serv-
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