New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-08-19
WHAT CONGRESS HAS DONE,
REVIEW OF ITS REMARKABLE SESSION.
CLOSING DAYS OF AN EXTRAORDINARY PERIOD
OF LEGIsLATIoN-TKE RECORD
FOR THE YEAR.
BY PRESS.

| washington, Aug. B.-ln lew DAYS history VIII
claim the second session Of the LID Congress- one
Of the most remarka bic periods of legislation
witnessed since the foundation Of the United states
Government. A little reflection Will snow ''o'
disposed to challenge this statement. on the srouhu
that II IL too general. how true the asSe'"on ''
For tn: first time since March 4. 1861. wheh Ao'a
ham Lincoln succeeded Democratic freS'ue"''
| the Executive and Legislative branches OF the
Government were In the possession OF the DEMO
| cratic party, pledged TO change the P'eN"''i,s
method of raising revenue. Added 10 'his' 'he
| country confronted by an appalling prosPec.
of financial disaster to its business interests ana
the people looked to Congress to give the'h rehe'
from the prevailing distress.
Remarkable were the radical changes pro-
posed. they made even more 80 by the c'ai-
ac;er the President. whose record OF -FOUR years
In the White House from 1855 to 1889 showed con-
clisvely that party pressure did not succee" III
making him change n policy he had ou'ii"eu'
With this knowledge OF MIR. Cleveland. II was no
wonder the people OF the country looked LOT so''e
thing out of the common during the sessions Oh '"e
| LID Congress. and II is safe TO ga! Una. '"e'
were not disappointed. The term extraordinary
| session." applied In a formal and technical sense
to the special convention OF Congress TOT 'he pu'-
| nose OF repeating the purchasing clause OF the
| Sherman Silver act might we'll apply to the entre
period from August T. 1898. to the date OF the APP
preaching adjournment
| On August II. 1893. the Wilson BILL repeating Tue
|
debate to fourteen legislative days and OH Mo"na''
August IS jus; three weeks from the day congress
| assembled the measure passed the House by ma
joriiy OF 1871 The bill dispatched TO Inc Hena'
| on the day OF It's passage Immediately Ieie'e' "
| the Finance Committee. and the following "a! sem
| tor Voorhees,. lis chairman. reported paeN '"''
| ,u,e for IL, On August 30 the bill was taken up
and started 10 It's final but by no means easy pas
| sage by n speech by Mr.. sherman. the leading
| fnancler on the Republican side TN November
the Senate substitute passed both houses ana ,ne
| same day became law through the PRESIDENT sig
nature. ~,
| The second session OF this congress organ ''7
| first Monday In December
STORY OF THE TARIFF BILL.
Tho wovs and Means Committee OF the House
having charge OF the preparation OF tar'" o'',
hogan It's work during the extra session ana worker
| during the recess The bill! prepared by ,ne con"
| m,;tee was reported to the House by Mt wilson. OF
| Veg; Virginia chairman OF the committee on pe
cenber 10 less than A fortnight after the regular
| session began; was passed by the House on feo-
mary after twenty-three days OF debate; passed
nv the Senate on July B. with ga ma'eria, changes
and finally. after d!sagreements between conie'
| rses the House. August H. accepted the vi" az
| I, came from the Senate without the cnhhse Vi I"
figure or a letter or a punctuation marx. On '.e
| day 4, was finally passed by the House 'ha' DOG.
also adopted bills placing sugar. coai' IRON ore al.
harhed wire on the free list. These bills We're sent
| 70 the Senate and referred 10 the Committee o"
| Finance and there they Will undoubtedly remain
! unac;.d on for this session. on August 10 the o'
went 10 the President. in the midst OF a general
| interchange OF opinion whether he would veto H.
| approve (; or allow It TO become law under 'he
| constitutional limit OF ten days
| Tho tariff legislation marked by the investi-
cat,on into .he sensational allegations that Sen
a,ors had been Influenced In It's consideration by the
American Sugar Refining Company. commonly
Trus nd
| Sugar stock and also by the bitterness eng"nd"red
| &, his own party IN the Senate by the Presidents
| letter to Mir. Wilson. In which he sah tha' an
| abandonment OF the provisions OF the House OIL
| ,,ou,d mean party perfdy and party dlshonor
Tho second sepsion OF the Lila Congress. inc!nd
,o ,he nrst or extraordinary session has Issued
| ALREADY, 3,e days n record exceeded only by the
Ist Congress- which held session OF vi daSs' anu
| the XXvIIth Congress- which transacted business
for 80 days.
| Cm,.,ed with other long sessions OF Congress
| 81, sess,o, fist ended has not been prolinc In the
| enactment OF important measures ADDED 10 ''s c'-
| traorllnary length was the advantage aHor""u py
| tho fact, previously stated that the leBlsht'c anu
| xoo,,i,. branches OF the Government were IN po-
| I,,cal harmony although the last days OF IN. s-s-
s,o, dev.loped some friction between the President
| and certain Senators the Wilson letter which
| seriously threatened future relations henrcuoh OF
tho vital issues TO the country involved IN IN" TWO
| 80, measures which concerned the nrs; half OF
he LII
| ,ooi thu Sherman law-anords an explanation OF
| h, moro measures OF an important character
| were not enacted into law The extraordinary SEES
| sion which began on August l. 1888 NJ the ca'' "
| ,ho President was devoted almost entirely 10 the
| ,-,os. for which It was called. the repeal OF the
| sherman act and that object Accomplished II
| t,our,ed until the regular meeting day on inc
| orst Monday in the following December Such
| vitality important measure as the wilson p''. WIZ"
ia provisions for an almost entire chhhse IN '"e
,orn Motley OF the Government. naturally consumed
| lob time but criticism OF the alleged slowness OF
| 49,, ca,o,o In dealing with IL manifested In
| - quarters no, excepting the partsans OF the
| ,,rtv in power and even by those who freely al
,r,,,ed that it's importance justhhed the most cart
| full and conscientious CONSIDERATION
ONE APPROVED. ONE VETOED.
>,ox &, general importance to the Tariff and Silver
| ro,e,l h,lls were two measures when passed DOM
| 80, corat. and the House to receive the ap-
yaI Of the President and the other to be returned
! " ,s hodv whence IL came, accompanied by veto
| oss,ge These were the Bland Seisniorage bii'
which was vetoed and the bill repeating all statutes
| relating 10 supervisors or e"cuohs anu 'pe''''
| denuty-marshas." This last measure was an ee"o
y, ,b great legislative battle in the List Congress
| -, odge Federal Elections bill. which passed
| ,h House only 10 meet with defeat In the Senate
| ,nrougb n stroke effected by Mr.. German ana MI
Faulkner In combination with several III ~
a. ,hn odae bin was party measure or the Re
nmbicans 50 the Elections Law Repeal plii was sup
| nnorted and enacted by the Democrats on S'rc''
! partisan basis -.o o,.o,od into i,w we q
| Another important measure enacted mo law Wn S
that providing that all Chimes now IN .ne Dr. W,
s,ates should register In the Offices OF Internal rev
cnnc Collector Its constitutionalliy was tested
| III sustained BY the Federal supreme Court
@t,rese residents refused almost generally TO reg
,etnr AZ first but a few DECORATIONS to China under
| the law brought about compliance win inc 'es
| traton provisions - A.. ,-,,o, ,,.s .,so
eracted and on Independence Day. July y 1879,
| another star-the forty-hfth-wil be added 10 the
! National nag Acts enabling New Mexico ana All.
|
they will receive the consideration OF the Se"e
| until the next sess lon ,. ,....o. IT,
| Much interest in the differences between the
| branch of the Democracy In New-York state when
| sunnorts President Cleveland and that headed by
| senator Hil was caused by the consideration OF
| hi providing for the erection OF bridge across
| 10 Hudson River from New-York city TO the New
Iaraar shnrc. IL was passed by both houses but