The Weiser signal. [volume] (Weiser, Idaho) 1890-1904, 1894-08-09
WORK OF CONGRESS.
A Review Of Legislation During
the Present Session.
FIVE DEFICIENCY BILLS PASSED
Much Has Been Done Aside From the
Engrosssng Tariff Struggie-Msde
Legal Holiday.

w Ash iNtIONi -. -, aug. IA it-
view of the legislation which has been
accomplished by the second session of
the fifty-thlTd 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 fulfillment of the
plank of the democratic platform, was
the act repeating all laws creating fed
eral supervisors of elections and defin-
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 q full footing with the original
states, and providing machinery by
which the territory will be admitted,
probably in December. 1895.
3 There Is the act making the first
Monday in September 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 adjudiceted the seal fisheries
disputes. Several measures were enact
ed in accordance with the recommends
lions of the Dockcry commission $50
called). for improving and simplifying
methods of doing government business.
The most important were those chang
ing the method of auditing accounts In
tho 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 vacan cies in the grade
of enslgns or assistant engineers by Sc
lections 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 filled by the appoin tment of q
resident of that district of two years
standing.
Three Of the appropriation bills have
not yet gone to the president-the river
and harbor. general deficiency and
sundry civil. Incidental to the sun
dry civil is the provision granting
l, 000, 900 acres Of surveyed arid public
lands to each of the states to which thu
desert land law is applicable-Ne
braska, Kansas, the territories of Ari-
IONA, New Mexico, Oklahoma ant
Utah-to be selected within 10 years.
Five Deficiency Bills.
Five deficiency bills have been nee
essary this season. The principal item
in the first one was $l27, 500 for pay O
assistant janitors and custodians unde
the treasury department and 5000. 90
for mileage for members, the regula
mileage appropriation for the first set
sion having been used during the spe
cial session.
The second bill included S745. 900 70
the treasury department, $500, 900 c
1t for the customs service, 5000, 900 fo
pension service, $500, 600 for the censu
and 5000, 900 for the treasury depart
ment, half of it for the enforcement {
the Chinese exclusion act, with 1915
600 for treasury printing and $50. 90
for i'm improvements to the gunboats Ca.
tine and Machias. The fourth carrie
about $215. 900 for the treasury, most of
for the bureau OF printing and engrav
8 ing, and for United States courts 81
D 436, 900. The fifth bill, approved Jun
0 Is, carried $165, 600 for public prin
8 ing Office and $3.50 for custom sci
vice. Two resolutions appropriatin
$50, 900 and $4,000 for enforcing ii
Chinese exclusion act were a.
proved December 7. 1898, All
April A, 1894. AS most OF the a
proprietion bills had not passe
l. at the beginning of the fiscal year, Jul
!, It was necessary to extend by resol
= ton all the preparations for he cessai
20 expenses Of the government, for pc
3, sions and for the District of Columbi
II They were twice extended 80 days fro
10 June 80 and Is days from July
r Two special appropriation bills for Il
n salaries of the employees of congre
e were necessary, and one for expens
of the investigation ordered by q
It senate.
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