The Washington times., 1894-08-06
ALL FOR THE DEAR PEOPLE
Legislation Enacted by Congress Dur
ing This Session.
MATTERS OF LOCAL INTEREST
Large Number of Bills Passed Affecting Only
Corporations and Individuals-Acts Of I'm
portance to the District of Columbia and
Its Residents.

A review OF legislation which has been
acc omplished by tine second session Of the
Fifty-third Congress up to and including
August 8, shows that much has been done
aside from the engrossing tariff struggle,
which has largely diverted public attention
from matters which would under other cir
cumstances have been considered Of great
Importance. In the sum total OF bills which
have been passed the reord of the House is
far ahead of the Senste, because the Senate
occupied itself with the tariff bill for longer
time than the House, the measure reaching a
vote in the latter body few days after it was
reported from the Ways and Means Commit
tee Under a special rule limiting debate. How
ever, the record of general legislation which
was passed by both houses and received the
Presidents signature is diversified and in
terestlng one.
One OF the most important acts of the ses-
sion, which passed both houses by a strictly
party vote. being in fulfllment of plank of
the Democratic platform, was the act repeal
ing all laws creating Federal supervisors OF
elections or defining their powers.
The act to enable the people OF Utah to
form a constitution and State government and
to be admitted into the Union on an equal
footing with the original States, provides the
machinery by which the Territory will be ad-
mitted, probably in December, 1895, by adopt
ing constitution. providing republican
form of government. and insuring against
the supremacy of any church. the govern
ment ceding il much public land for educa-
tional and charitable institutions.
LABOR DAY LOCALIZED.
An act making the first Monday in Sep
tember legal holiday, to be called Labor
Day, was passed largely at the instance Of
labor organizations, while scientific societies
urged the act to define and establish the
limits OF electrical measurement. Three
bills were passed to 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 l
to July 81 of each year north of degree 35
north latitude, and east of degree $50 of longi-
tude and establishing conditions under which
the fishing can be carried on outside of the
closed season, with penalties for violations OF
the law and machinery for its enforcement.
Several measures were enacted in accord
ance with the recommendations OF the Dock
cry commission $50 called) for improving
and simplifying the methods of doing the
government business. Most important were
those changing the method of auditing ac-
counts in the Treasury Department, improv-
ing the methods of accounting in the Post
office Department and changing the money
order system. and that regulating the making
OF property returns by officers OF the govern
ment.
First entitled to mention are the appropria-
ton bills for the expense of the government,
which forms an important part OF the regular
work OF every session, although generally the
last TO be finished.
PLESTY OF GENERAL LEGISLATION.
General legislation is usually engrafted
upon these bills and from this rule those OF
the past session were no exception. The
Post-ofice Department bill. the first to pass.
authorized the Postmaster General to allow
postmGsters of first and second-class Offices
to disburse at their discretion the amount al
lotted for their offices, ana admitted to the
mails periodical publications published at
least quarterly by benevolent and fraternal
societies and other organizations as second
class mail matter. Provisions were included
in the pension bill regulating the fees and
methods of examining boards.
The naval bill empowered the President to
ill vacancies in the grades of ensign or assist
ant engineer by selecting from the gradual
ing class of the Naval Academy, where the
vacancies exceed the number of cadets in the
line division or engineer division. Also that
vacancy in the naval school from district,
which the Secretary of the Navy is called
upon TO I'll must be filed by the appointment
of a resident Of that district of two years
standiag.
In the diplomatic and consular bill several
salaries were changed, that of the minister TO
Belgium being raised from $500 to SO, 900,
and provision to make the Bureau OF South
American Republics partially self-sustaIning,
by the sale of its publications. was inserted.
No important legislation was contained in
the bill for the Military Academy The forth
fications bill contained nothing of interest to
the general public. and the legislative was
uninteresting. In the agricultural
bill were provisions governing the distribu-
ton of seeds by the department. Three of
the appropriation bills have not yet gone to
the President-the river and harbor. general
and sundry civil.
ARID LANDS AND PENSIONS.
Incidental to the sundrY civil bill is pro-
vision granting 100000 acres of the sur
veyed arid public lands to each of the States
to which the land law is appiicable-Ne-
braska. Kansans, and the Territories of Ari-
zona. New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Utah. to
be selected within ten years. One of the de-
bi4Io NOhhu'Aoa iNeiciulioh ieidtiuS "
of pensioners from the rolls,
question which has excited endless discussion
during this administration. 1t was forbidden
10 suspend them without thirty days notice
and notification of the charges against them.
Five general urgent deficiency bills have
been necessary this session. The first one
was signed December 81, 1898. and its prin-
cipal items were Si27, 500 for the pay OF as
sistant janitors and custodians under the
Treasury Department, and 100000 for mile
age for members, the regular mileage appro-
priation for the first session having been used
during the special session. The second de-
fciency bill signed the same day included
S745, 900 for the Treasury Department. $780,
900 of it for the the customs service, 5000, 900
for the pension service, 100000 fer the GEN.
sus. and 100000 for public printing.
The third danciancy siOpad March 1904