The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1894-08-06
What Congress Has Effected in
the Law Making Line.
Making Labor Day a. Legal HOl-
iday One Measure Passed.
UTAH WAS ADMITTED.
Appropriation Bills Make Up
the Largest Part

complished by the second session of
the Fifty third congress, up to and
including August 3, shows much that
has been done aside from the engross-
ing tariff struggle, which has largely
diverted public attention from mat
ters which would, unler other condi-
tions, have been considered of great
importance. One Of the most impor-
tant acts of the session. which pas sed
both houses by a strict party vote, be-
ing in fulfllment of a plank Of the
Democratic platform, was the act re-
pealing all laws creating federal
supervisors of elections or defining
their power. The act to enable the
people of Utah to form a constitution
and state government and to be adj
mitted into the Union on an equal
footing with the original states pro-
vides the machinery by which the
territory will be admitted, probably
in Dec -mber, 1895, by adopting a con-
stitution providing a republican form
OF government and insuring against
the supremacy of any church; the
government ceding it much public
land for charitable and educational
institutions
The act making the first Monday in
September a legal holiday. to be
called Labor day, was passed largely
at the instance Of labor organizations,
while scientific societies urged that
the act to define and establish the
units Of electrical measurement be
made law Three bills were passed
to give effect to the award of the
tribunal of arbitration at Paris which
adjudicated the seal fisheries disputes;
that act prohibiting seal fishing from
Nav to July 81 of each wear and eS-
tabtishing conditions under which the
fishing can be carried on outside of
the closed season. with penal ties for
violating such law and the machinery
for its enforceme mt Several meas
ures were enacted in accordance " tn
the recommendations of the DOckery
commission for im proving and amplify-
ing the methods Of doing the govern
ment business
First entitled to mention are the APP
prOpriat ton bills for the expenses Of
the government which form inn
portant part of the regular work of
every session. although generally the
last to be finished. The pOstOdice de-
partment bill authoriz ed the post
master general to allow pOstmasters
of first and second cla@s postofiices 10
4 sburse at their discretion the
amount allotted for the Offices and
adm tied to the mails periodical pub
LEGATIONS published at least quarterly
by benevolent and fraternal societies
and other organizations as second
class mail matter.
Provisions were included in the pen
sion bill regulating the fees and
methods Of examining boards The
naval bill empov cred the president to
fiji vacancies in the grade OF ensign or
assistant engineer by selecting from
the graduating class of the naval
academy, where the vacancies exceed
the mum Der OF cade Is IN the line di-
vision or engineer division Also that
a vacancy in the naval school from a
district, which the secretary of the
navy is called upon to fill, must be
filed by the appointment Of a resident
of that district Of two ve1rs' stand ny.
In the agricultural bill were pro
visions governing the distribution of
seeds by the Department. Incidental
TO the sundry civil Is a provision
granting 1000. 600 acres Of the sur
veyed arid public lands 10 each Of the
states to which the desert land law is
applica ble-Ne braska. Kansas and
the territories of Arizona. New Mex
leo, Oklahoma and Utah-to be
selected within ten years One of the
deficiency bills contained legislation
relating TO the suspen ion Of pension
ers from the rolls 1t was forbidden
to suspend them without thirty DAYS
notice and notification of the charges
against them.
-Four general deficiency bills have
been necessary this session. The first
one was signed Decemb r. 21. 1898. and
its principal items were Sl27, 500 for
the pay of assistant janitors and Gus
todians under the treasury depart
ment. and 5000 600 for mileage for
members. the regular mileage appro-
priation for the first session having
been used during the special session
The second deficiency bill, signed the
same day. included S175 600 for the
treasury department, $500 600 for the
customs service. 5000. 600 for the pen
sion service, $500, 900 for the census
and 5000. 600 for public public printing.
The third deficiency. signed March
~. 1894 carried 100000 for the treas
ury department. half Of it for en-
forcement of the Chinese exclusion
act. with S315. 600 for treasury print
ing; 1905, 600 for the department of
justice and $50, 600 for improvements
to the gunboats Castine and Machias.
The fourth, approved A pru 21. carried
about $215. 600 for the treasury. most
Of 1t for the bureau of printing and
engraving, and for the United Stares
courts. 81. 439, 900. The fifth bill. APP
proved June 10, carried SI65, 600 for
the public printing Office and $1S5, 900
for the customs service
Two resol utions appropriating $780,
900 and $40, 900 for enforcing the Chi
nese exclusion act were approved De-
cember 2, 1893. and April 4, 1894. As
most of the appropriation bills had
not passed at the beginning of the
Escal year, July /, It was necessary
TO extend by resolution all appropria-
tions for the necessary operations of
the governme Mt for pensions and for
the District of Colum bia-
by resolution the secretary of the
treasury was ordered to receive from
R. T.. Wilson 81 Co., and place to the
credit Of the Cherokee nation, So, 74O.-
600 for the CheroLee Outlet. BY reso-