The morning call., 1894-08-06
NOT ALL BL ANkS.
Congress Achieves Some
Results.
IMPORTANT BILLS PASSED.
Review of the Hard Work OF
the Second Session.
IMPROVEMENT IN SOME LAWS
Three of the Big Appropriations
Have Not Been Approved
by the President.


legislation which has been accomplished
by the second session of the FIfty-thlrd
Congress, and including August ., SHOWS
much has been done aside from the en-
crossing tariff struggle, which has largely
diverted public attention from matters
which would under other conditions have
been considered Of great consequence.
One of the most important acts OF the
session which passed both houses by
strict party vote, being in fulnllment OF
plank of the Democratic platform, was
the act repeating all laws creating Federal
Supervisors of Elections and defining thelr
power. Another important act was that
to enable the people of Utah to form a
constitution and State government and to
be admitted into the Union on full footing
with the original States, and providing the
machinery by which the Territory will be
admitted probably in December. 1895.
The act making the first Monday in Sep
tenn Der a legal holiday. to BIO called Labor
day, was also an important measure.
Three bills were passed to give effect 30
| the award OF the tribunal arbitration at
Paris which adjudicated the seal fisheries
disputes.
!
auce with the recommendations of the
/ DOckery Commission (3o-called) for I'm
proving and simplifying the methods of
| doing the Government business. Most
important were those changing the meth
DDS of auditing accounts in the Treasury
| Department. improving the methods of
accounting in the Postoffice Department
and changing the money-ordsr system,
and that regulating the making of prop
erty returns by the officials of the Govern
ment.
An interesting act was the laval bill enl-
towering the President 60 fill vacancies in
the grade of ensigns or assistant engineers
by selecting from the graduating class of
the Naval Academy where the vacancies
exceed the number of cadets in the line
division 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 appoint
ment of resident of that district of two
years standing.
Three OF the appropriation bills have
not yet gone to the Presldent-the river
and harbor, the general deficiency and
sundry civil Incidental to the sundry
/
| acres of the surveyed arid public lands to
! each of the States to which the desert
land is applica ble-Nebraska Kansas and
the Territories of Arizona. New Mexico.
! Oklahoma and Utah, to be selected within
/ ten years.
| Five deficiency bills have been necessary
| this season. The principal items in the
first one were $127. 500 for the pay of assis-
tant ianltors and custodians under the
! Treasury Department, and 100000 for
mileage for members, the regular mileage
appropria ton for the first session having
! been used during the special session. The
second bill included S754,O00 for the
! Treasury Department; $500. 600 of twas
| for the customs service. 100000 for the
| pension service, S300,0 900 for the census
and 100000 for public printing. The
third deficiency carried S100,0 for the
! Treasury Department half of it for en-
forcement of the Chinese exclusion act,
! with S315,000 for treasury printing and
! $4,000 for Improvements to the guuboats
| Castne and Machias. The fourth carried
about S215,C0 for The treasury. most of
! it for the Bureau of Printing and Engrav-
| ing, and for the United States courts ST.
436G00. The fifth bill, approved June 10,
carried $685. 900 for the public printing
office and S1S5, 0O0 for the customs service
Two resolutions appropristng $50 900
| and $4,000 for enforcing the Chinese ex-
! clusion act were approved December Z.
/ 1898, and April 4, 1894. As most of the ap.
preparation bills had not passed at the be-
! ginning of the fiscal year, July 1. it was
necessary to extend by resolution all the
necessary appropriations of the Govern
ment for pen sions and for the District of
| Columbia. They were twice extended. for
| thirty days from June 80, aud fifteen days
! from July 80.
| Two special appropriation bills for sal
aries of employees of Congress were neces-
| sary, and one for the expenses of investi-
| CATION ordered by the Senate.
| Among the laws of benefit to merchant
marine interests enacted was one to pre-
vent collisions at sea, prescribing a sys-
| tenn of signals and one to facilitate the
entry OF steamships.
! Among the acts pertaining to the Judi
ciary of the United States were those to
authorize the Fourth Assistant Postma ster-
| General to approve the postmasters'
| bonds, to regulate the inspection of iron
| and steel boiler plates and their stamping
! by the United States INSPECTORS, and fixing
penalties for unauthorized use of stamps.
Among the Territorial acts was one fix
ing the limit OF Indebtedness which may
be incurred by Salt Lake City at 6 per cent
| of the value of the taxable properly, and
one authorizing the county of Coconino,
Arlz, to issue $1,000 in bonds to build q
county building.
By a joint resolution officers and enlisted
men of both branches of the service were
authorized to wear the badge OF the Regu-
lar and Navy Union on all occasions OF
ceremony. Much legislation relating to
| public lands was omplished. One act
extends to January. 1897, the time within
which persons may purchase railroad
grant lands forfeited to the Government
by act of September %. 1890, under the
conditions of the purchase in that act
An act was signed providing for the
allotment of certain lands on the ressrva.
ton of the confederated Otoes and Mis-
souris of Nebraska and Kansas. amending
the act Of March 8. 1891.
The Commissioner of the Land Office
was authorized TO issue patents as evidence
of title for all valid locations make with
( land script issued pursuant TO DEGREES OF
the Supreme Court, which valid locations
were made prior TO the aforesaid act, in