The Kootenai herald. [volume] (Kootenai, Idaho) 1891-1904, 1894-08-11
A Review Of Legislation During
the Present Session.
FIVE DEFICIENCY BILLS PASSED
Much Has Been Done Aside From the
EngrOssIng Tariff StruggIe-Made
Legal Holiday.

WASHINGTON, ID. c., Aug. 5.-A re
view of the legislation which has been
accomplished by the second session of
the fifty-thiTd congress and including
August 3, shows that much has been
done aside from the engrossing tariff
struggle, which has largely diverted
public attention from matters which
would, under other conditions,
have been considered of conse-
quence. One of the most
important acts of the session, and
which passed both houses by strict
party vote, being IN fultillment of the
plank of the democratic platform, was
the act repeating all laws creating fed
eral supervisors of elections and detin-
ing their powers. Another important
act was to enable the people of Utah to
form constitution and state govern
ment and be admitted into the Union
on a full footing with the original
states, and providing machinery by
which the territory will be admitted,
probably in December, 1895.
There Is the act making the first
Monday in September a legal holiday,
to be called Labor day. Three bills
were passed to give effect to the award
OF the tribunal OF arbitration at Paris
which adjudicated the seal fisheries
disputes. Several measures were enact.
ed In accordance with the recommended
lions of the Dockcry commission ESQ.
called). for improving and simplifying
methods of doing government business.
The most important were those chang
ing the method of auditing accounts in
the treasury department, improving
the methods of accounting in the post
office department and changing the
money order system. and regulating
the making OF property returns by
officials of the government.
The naval bill, empowering the
president to fill vacancies in the grade
OF ensigns or assistant engineers by Sc
dections from the graduating class of
the naval academy, where the vacan-
cies exceed the number of cadets in the
line division or engineer division.
Also that the vacancy in the naval
school from the district which the Sec
rotary of the navy is called upon TO fill
must be filed by the appointment of a
resident of that district of two years.
standing.
hSree OF the appropriation bills have
not set gone to the president-the river
and harbor, general deficiency and
sundry civil. Incidental to the sun
dry civil is the provision granting
], 200, 600 acres OF surveyed arid public
lands to each of the states to which the
desert land law is applicable-Ne-
braska, Kansas, the territories OF Ari-
zoha, New Mexico. Oklahoma and
Utah-to be selected within 10 years.
Five Deficiency Bills.
Five deficiency bills have been nec-
essary this season. The principal items
in the first one was $l27, 500 for pay of
assistant janitors and custodians under
the treasury department and $780, 600
for mileage for members, the regular
mileage appropriation for the first SEES
sion having been used during the spe-
cial session.
The second bill included $745, 900 for
the treasury department, $500, 600 of
ii for the customs service, $500, 900 for
pension service, $500, 900 for the census
and $500, 900 for the treasury depart
ment, half Of it for the enforcement of
the Chinese exclusion act, with $685.
600 Tor treasury printing and $50. 600
for improvements TO the gInboats Cas-
tine and Machias. The fourth carried
about S2l5. 600 for the treasury, most of il
for the bureau of printing and engrav-
ing, and for United States courts ST.
1876, 600. The fifth bill, approved June
Is. carried $l65. 600 for public print
ing Office and SlS5,000 for custom ser
vice. Two resolutions appropriaiing
$500 and $4,000 for enforcing the
Chinese exclusion act we're APP
proved December Z, 1898. aud
April 4. 1894. AS most OF the ap-
prOpriGuon bills had not passed
at the beginning of the fiscal year, July
/, it was necessary to extend by resOlu-
ton all the appropriations for necessary
expenses of the government, for pen
siuns aud for the District of Columbis.
They were twice extended 80 days from
June 80 and 10 days from July 80.
Two suecial appropriation bills for the
salaries of the emnioyes of congress
were necessary, and one for expenses
of the investigation ordered by the
senate.