The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1894-08-31
WORK OF CONGRESS.

WORK OF CONGRESS.
A Brief Review of What was Accomplished
at tho Late Session.
WASHINGTON, Aug. 27.-The last
month of the present session of con-
gress excepting the ten days during
which the tariff bill has been in the
presidents hands have been fairly pro-
ductive of general legislation and there
is a short list of bills which have be-
come laws to add to the review of the
sessions work previously published
All of the appropriation bills have
now become laws. The general
deficiency and sundry civil bills
were both signed late in the ses-
sion and the latter measure embraces
two important pieces of legislation, the
appropriation of 5000, 900 for a govern
ment exhibit at the Cotton States ex-
hibition, to be held at Atlanta, and the
cession to each of the arid land states
and the states which may be formed
from the territories, of 1000, 900 acres
each of desert lands for reclamation, a
plan which is intended to advance the
movement for irrigation in the west
and to partially take the place of the
scheme for irrigating by the general
government which has been fostered
by the western members.
The only financial measure which
has been enacted by the Fifty-third
congress, excepting the repeal of the
purchasing clause of the Sherman act,
became a law August 13. 1t was the
bill introduced by Representative
Cooper, of Indiana, to subject to state
and municipal taxation the national
bank notes and the United States
treasury notes, under the same provis-
ions, by which gold, silver and other
money is taxed. 1t is left optional
with the states, however, to tax those
heretofore exempted forms of money.
The most important acts emanating
from the committee on judiciary were:
One authorizing the compromise and
settlement of the differences between
the government and the state of
Arkansas and of certain states of
bonds held by the government; an act
for the protection of persons furnish
ing material and labor for the con-
struction of public works by allowing
them to bring suit against contractors
in the name of the government; an act
permitting certain classes of corpora
tions to furnish bonds for government
one fixing the time for hold
ing federal courts in Nebraska; one
changing the lines between the judicial
districts of North Carolina, and an act
the funding act of Arizona.
On the recommendation of the ways
and means committee the articles of
foreign exhibitors at the Iowa inter-
state fair were exempt from the pay
ment of duties. and from the foreign
affairs committee was reported an act
for the disposal of the accretions of the
Virginius indemnity fund. an interest
and premiums of the bonds in which it
was invested to the original benefi
Charles of the fund.
The contest between the interior de-
partment and the railroads operating
in Oklahoma, which has been stub
born one, has finally been settled by
roads to maintain depots and stations
at all townsites on the lines estab-
lished by the department. An act was
passed extending from four to five
years the limit of time within
which final proof may be made
BY settlers who have declared |
their intention of taking up desert |
ands. Another law in the interest of |
western settlers was one enabling those |
who desire to locate in other than min
,ral lands to secure n survey by depos- |
ting with the government sum suffi- |
,ient to cover the cost of the survey. |
Affidavits in land entry cases made be-
ore United States commissioners in
stead of United States Circuit court |
commissioner, as provided by law, were
made valid by special enactment.
Other legislation of Importance relat-
ng to public lands includes an act to
,nable the state of Montana to select,
Is part of the lands granted to her
m becoming state, any of the lands
n the Bitter Root vally, above the
Iolo fork of the Bitter Root river; an
ICO IhC tluiC VI W
of lands of the Omaha tribe
# Indians in Nebraska to December l,
S97: an act authorizing the secretary
# the interior to lease for periods of
en- years twenty-acre tracts in the
Yellowstone park for hotel purposes;
rant of the abandoned military reser-
alton at Oklahoma City to the city for
chool purposes, and an act for the
esurvey of Grant and Hooker counties
n Nebraska; for the sale of the old
ustom house in Louisville, Ky.;a grant
f public land in Castine, Me-, for use
S a park; one to grant leases for cold
eservoir site on the Springs reserva-
ions in Arkansas, and an act for the
obstruction of a military road from
Il Paso to Fort Bliss, Tex, and one to
rant n right of way through Indian
erritory to the Arkansas, TEXAS &
lexican railway.
The bridge bills have recently been
dded to the list, one authorizing tn,
urcell Bridge and Transfer Co. to con-
truct bridge across the South Cana