The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1894-08-08

WASHINGTON, Aug. "a review of the
legislation which has been accomplished by
the second session of the 53rd congress up
to and including Aug. 8 shows that much
has been done aside from the engrossing
tariff struggle which has largely diverted
public attention from matters which would
under other circumstances, been considered
of great Importance.
One of the most important acts of the ses-
sion, which passed both houses by strictly
party vote being in fulfillment of blank
OF the Democratic platform, was the act
repeating all laws creating federal super
Vlsors of election or defining their powers.
The act to enable the people Of Utah to
form constitution and state government
and to be admitted into the Union provides
the machinery by which the territory will
be admitted. probably in December, 1895.
by adopting constitution providing
republican form of government and insur-
ing against the supremacy of any church;
the government ceding it much public land
for educational and charitable institutions.
An act making the first Monday in Sep
TENDER legal holiday to be called Labor
Day was passed, largely at the instances of
labor organizations, while scientific societies
urged the act to define and establish the
units OF electrical measurements be made
law.
Three bills were passed to give effect to
the award of the tribunal of arbitration at
Paris which adjudicated the seal fisher
les disputes; that acts prohibiting seal
fishing from May to July 81 Of each year
north of degree IS north latitude and east
OF degree $50 longitude, and establishing the
conditions under which the fishing can be
carried on outside of the closed season with
penalties for violations of the law and ma
chinery for its enforcement.
Several measures were enacted in accord
ance with the recommendations of the
Dockery commission lso-called) for improv-
nf
the government business. Most important
were those changing the method of audit
ing accounts in the treasury department,
improving the methods of accounting in the
postoffice department, and changing the
money order system and that regulating the
making of property returns by the officials
of the government.
First entitled to mention are
THE APPROPRIATION BILLS
for the expenses of the government,
which form an important part of the
regular work of every session, although
generally the last to be finished. General
legislation is usually engrafted upon these
bills and from this rule those of the
past session were no exception The post
office department bill authorized the post
master general to allow postmasters of
first and second class offices to disburse
at their discretion the amount allotted for
their offices, and admitted to the mails
periodical publications published at least
quarterly by benevolent ana fraternal
cietes and other organizations as second
class mail matter. Provisions were in
cluded in the pension bills regulating the
fees and methods of examining boards
The naval bill empowered the president
to fill vacancies in the grade of ensign
assistant engineer by selecting from
the graduating class of the naval academy
where the vacancies exist the number of
cadets in the line division or engineer
division Also that vacancy in the naval
school from a district where the secretary
of navy is called upon to fill must be
filled by the appointment of resident of
that district of two years standing.
In the diplomatic and consul bill several
salaries were changed, that of the min
lister to Belgium being raised from 81. 500
to $4,000, and provision to make the
bureau of South American Republics par
TALLY self-sustaining by the sale of it's
publications was inserted No important
legislation was contained in the bill for
the military academy. The fertilization
bill contained nothing of interest to the
general public, and the legislation was
equally uninterestng.> In the agricultural
bill were provisions governing the dstri-
button of seeds by the department. Three
Of the appropriation bills have not yet
gone to the president-the river and har-
Dor, general deficiency and sundry civil
provision granting one million acres of
the surveyed arid public lands to each of
the states to which the desert land law
is appica ble-Nebraska, Kansas and the
territories of Arizona, New Mexico, Okla