The Daily Texarkanian., 1894-08-28
THE WORK OF CONGRESS.
Some of the Important Bills that Be-
came Laws.


month of the present session of
Congress, excepting the ten days
during which the tariff bill has been
in the Presidents hands, have been
fairly productive of general legisla-
ton and there is a short list of bills
which have become laws to add to
the review of the sessions work
previously published through the
Associated Press.
All of the appropriation bills have
become laws. The general defo-
iency and the sundry civil bills we're
both signed late in the session and
the latter measure embraces two
important pieces of legislation, the
appropriation of 5000, 900 for a gov
eminent exhibit at the cotton states
exposition, 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, plan which
intended to advance the movement
for irrigation in the West and to
partially take the place of the
scheme for irrigating By the gen
eral government. which has been
fostered by the western mem
bers.
The only financial measure which
has been enacted by the ffty-third
Congress, except the repeal of the
purchasing clause of the Sherman
act, became law on the 18th. 1t
was the bill introduced by represen-
tatiye Cooper of Indiana to subject
to state and municipal taxation
national bank notes and United
States treasury notes under the
same provisions by which gold, sill
yer and other money is taxed. 1t
is left optional with the states,
however, to tax those heretofore
exempted for forms of money
Among the acts of the session re-
lating to the military, none was
more important than the plan
fathered by Representative Curtis
of New York, which recently be-
came law, regulating enlistments
in the regular army upon new prin-
ciples, most important of which are
that recruits in time of peace must
be citizens of the United States or
that those who have declared their
intention to become citizens must
be able to read write and speak
the English language and be under
30 years of age.
To promote the efficiency of the
naval MALTA, comparatively new
branch of the volunteer service,
Congress authorized the temporary
loan to any state making applica-
ton for it, of any vessel Of the navy
which was not fitted for regular
service.
An act was passed constructing
the law relating to the retirement
and pay Of mates in the navy so
that the twenty-eighth warrant
officers now serving as mates shall
be eligible to the retired list and
shall be salaried at $1,000 when at
sea and 500 while on leave or wait
ing orders.
The most important acts ema-
mating from the committee on ju-
dietary were: One authorizing the
compromise and settlement of the
differences between the government
and the state of Arkansas and of
certaid states of bonds held by the
government; an act for the protec-
ton of persons furnishing materials
and labor for the construction Of
public works by allowing them to
bring suit against contractors in
the name of the government; an
act permitting certain classes of
corporations to furnish bonds for
government officials; one fixing the
time for holding federal courts in
Nebraska; one changing the lines
between the judicial districts Of
North Carolina, and an act amend
ing the funding act of Arizona.
On the recommendation of the
ways and means committe the ar
ticles of foreign exhibitors at the
Tacoma interstate fair were ex-
empted from the payment of duties
and from the foreign affairs COM
mittee was reported an act for the
disposal of the accretions Of the
virginius indemnity fund in inter.
est and premiums of the bonds in
which it was invested to the origin
al benefciaries of the fund
The contest between the interior
department and the railroads oper-
ating in Oklahoma, which has been
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