Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-05-15
THE APPROPRIATION BILLS
The Progress Made by Both Houses in This
Legislation
The Present Congress- as Compared
With Previous COngresses-Senate
and the Record of the Past.

The comment, usual at this season, is
he's rd about the condition of the appropria-
tion bills, and the suggestion has been made
in some quarters, that these bills are not
so far advanced as in former long ses-
sions of Congress. An examination of the
records does not sustain the opinion that
these bills have so far this session been
unusually delayed. There have, however,
been no sessions for the past eight years
when some of the appr ropriation bills have
not been farther advanced than during this
session, and none when some of the bills
have not passed previous to this date, but
the average has so far during the present
session been almost, If not quite. main
tanned.
There is still an abundance of time to
dispose of all these bills before the close
of the fiscal year If too much time Is not
required in the Senate for the consideration
of the tariff bill. Senator Cockrell, chair
nan of the committee on appropriations,
said today that there would be no effort
to pass the appropriation bills in the Sen
ate until the tarim should be out OF the
way. but that the committee would attempt
to keep them well up so as to have them
ready for administration as soon as the
tariff should be disposed of. Up to this
date nine of the fourteen appropriation
bills have passed the House. and three of
the remaining five have been reported from
the House committee on appropriations.
The legislative and the deficiency bills have
not yet been reported to the House from the
appropriations committee but the former
will make its appearance in a few days
and the latter is purposely held back so
that 1t may include all deficiencies occur
ring up to a reasonable time before the
fiscal year closes
The Chairman's Views.
Chairman Sayers expects. however. that
1t will be passed by June 10. The appro-
priations committee, under orders from the
House. will attach to the legislative bill
provisions embodying the changes in the
accounting methods of the Treasury De-
partment recommended by the Dockery
commission, resulting in reductions in
amounts necessary for the clerical force
of the department. Mr.. Sayers expects to
see all the appropriation bills with the ex-
ception of the deficiency bills. passed by the
House by the 3Oth of May. He will make no
prediction as to what time the Senate will
take to pass them, but says that If they
are not all finally acted upon by the begin
ming of the new fiscal year ii Is customary
for Congress to adopt a resolution extend
ing temporarily the provisions of existing
appropriation laws.
None of the appropriation bills have SO
far been acted upon by the Senate, though
three of them, those making appropria-
tions for Notifications. for pensions and fol
the Military Academy, have been reported
from the appropriations COMMITTEES. OF tho
six others which are under considera tion
In committee three are so far advanced as
to justify the prediction that they will be
reported this week or next. These are the
diplomatic, postoffice and the army bills
Some work has also been done the Dis
trict bill by the Senate committee. The
sundry civil and river and harbor bills have
received comparatively little attention.
Hox~ tho Ra.nr.V Ssau.Is
An examination of the records for the
long sessions since the Forty-nlnth Con.
gress shows that I'm no instance within thai
period has the Senate failed to pass upon
one or more Of the appropriation bills be-
fore the middle of May. In 1856 the post
office bill passed the Senate on the 9TH OF
May. while the Indian appropriation bill
passed as eariy-as the -i2th or April III
1888 the Military Academy bill passed. or
the 11th of April and the pension bill or
the 18th of May. In 1890, when the Nc
Kinley bill was before Congress. the Dis
trict of Columbia appropriation bill wa.
passed by the Senate early as April 22
the Military Academy bill on May 81, and
the army appropriation on the 10th of May
In 1892 six of the general appropria .ion bill.
were passed by the 10th of May. In each
of these four years, however, there wer,
several bills the passage of which was de
layed beyond the beginning of the mex
fiscal year. In 1888 the general deficiency
bill was not passed until the 44th of Sep
tember. while the sundry civil did not &c
through until August l. In 1890, notwith
standing the tariff debate, the last appro
prfation BILL the general deficiency passeC
the Senate on the 10Th of August. rt..