Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1894-08-06
Did Other Things Besides
Discussing Tariff.
IMPORTANT LEGISLATION.
The Principal Work of the Second Ses.
sion Briefly Summed Up.

| FAR ahead of the senate, because the senate
occupied itself with the tariff bill for a
longer time than the house, the measure
reaching "a vote In tho latter body few
days after il was reported from the ways
and means committee, under a special
rule limiting debate.
However, the record Of general legisls-
tion which was passed by both houses and
received the presidents signature is a
diversified and interesting one. One Of
| the most important acts of the session was
the act repeating all laws creating federal
supervisors Of elections or defining their
powers.
The act 10 enable the people Of Utah to
form IA constitution and state government
and 10 be admitted into the Union on an
equal footing with the original states
| provides the machinery by which the ter
ritory will besdmtted, probably In De
cember, 1895.
An act making the first Monday In Sep
tenber legal holiday, 10 be called Labor
Day, was passed largely at the instance Of
labor organizations, while scientific socie-
ties urged that the act TO define and estab-
lish the units Of electrical Aeasuroment
bo made law.
Three bills were passed 10 give effect to
the award of the tribunal of arbitration at
Paris which adjudicated the seal fisheries
disputes; the acts prohibiting seal fishing
from May 10 July 81 of each year, north
Of degree 30 y. latitude and east of do
gree 80 OF longitude, and establishing
conditions under which the fishing can DO
carried on outside Of the closed season, with
penalties for violations of tho law and
machinery for It's enforcement.
The Dockery Measures
Several measures were enacted in no
cordanoe with the recommendations OF the
Dockery commission (so called) for Inn
proving and amphfying the methods of
doing the government business. Most i'm
portant were those changing the method
OF auditing accounts IN the treasury do
partment, improving the methods Of &c
counting in the postofllce department and
changing the money order system and
that regulating the making OF property
returns by officers of the government.
First entitled 10 mention are the appro-
prfation bills for tho expenses Of the gov.
ernment, which form an important part OF
tho regular work Of eyory session, although
generally tho last TO be finished. General
legislation Is usually engraftod on these
bills, and from this ruie those Of the past
session were no exception.
The postotiice department bill, the first
to pass, authorized the postmaster-general
to allow postmasters' offices and second
class offices TO disburse at their discretion
the amount allotted for their offices, and
admitted TO the malls periodical publica-
tions published nc least quarterly by be-
nevolent and fraternal societies and other
organizations n second-ola mail matter
Provisions were included in the pension
bills regulating the fees and methods Of
examining boards.
In the diplomatic and consular bills
several salaries were changed, that Of the
minister 20 Belgium being raised from
1880 TO sl0, 900, and a provision to make
the bureau Of South American republics
partially self-sustaining by the sale of its
publications WAS inserted.
In the agricultural bill were provisions
governing the distribution of seeds by the
department.
Three OF the appropriation bills have not
yet gone to the president-the river and
.-ArDor, general deficiency and sundry civil.
Concerning Finances.
-Four general deficiency bills have been
necessary this session. The first one was
signed Dec. 81, 1893, and it's principal
items were sl27, 800 for the pay Of assistant
janitors and custodians under the treasury
department and 10000 for mileage for
members, the regular mileage appropria-
ton for the first session having been used
during the special session.
The second deficiency bill, signed the
same day, included s745,0Oo for tho treas.
ury department, 10000 OF 1t for the cus-
toms service, s200000 for the pension serv-
ice, $500, 600 for the census and s2O0 900 for
public printing
The third deficiency, signed March le,
1894, carried 100000 for the treasury de-
partment, half Of IL for the enforcement OF
the Chinese exclusion act, with 1918 900 for
treasury printing; S305, 900 for tho depart
nent of justice and $4,000 for improve.
ments TO the gunboats Castine and Ma
chias.
The fourth bill, approved April e1, car
ricd about s2l5,OO0 for the treasury, most
OF IL for the bureau Of printing and engrav-
ing, and for United States courts 81 ,436,-
900 The fifth bill, approved June 10, car
ried Sl65,oO for the public printing Office
and slS5, 900 for the customs service.
Two resolutions, appropriatine $4,000
and 10000 for enforoingthe Chinese exolu-
sion act, were approved Dec. z, 1893, and
April 1, 1894
<AS iAonN WI phc dlpTOpTlhllOn DlllS nAO
not passed at the beginning of the fiscal
year, July /, II was necessary TO extend by
resolution all appropriations for the neoes-
sary operations of the government, for
pensions and for the District of Columbia
OF Interest tn Merchantmen.
Among tho laws of benefit TO merchant
marine interests enacted was one 10 pre-
Won't collision at sea; prescribing n system
| Of signals; 60 facilitate the entry Of
steamships by authorizing the customs
| officers 20 permit the unfolding of vessel
of a regular established line on receiving
from the master a sworn manifest of the
cargo; an act TO establish q light and fog
signal station near Butter Flats. New
Bedford, Mass; 30 transfer the Norris
ISLAND saving station, near Charleston, TO
Sullivan's island, and an act to provide On
| American register for steamer III Calico.
Among the acts pertaining TO the judici-
AIRY Of the United States were: 10 provide
for two additional associate Justices of the
supreme court of Oklahoma territory; TO
| provide that u term Of the circuit and dis
trict court Of 10 district OF Vermont may
hs held at Montpolior, to require original
roceipts for deposits of postmasters TO be
tentsso the auditor Of Ihs treasury for yhe
postoffice department; 20 regulate che In
spcction sf iron or steel boiler plates and
their stamping by the United States In