The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1894-08-13

joke in this house. Sevcn Of its 3 mem
bers are qf tho somewhat radical south
c-n type, Mr.. Moses of Georgia being
chairman and Mr. Stallings Of Alabama
the chief objector. No other part of
tho session has resulted in SO littlo for
tho time occupied as the Fri@ay night
session TO consider pension bills. Ordi-
narily tho committee OH bGnzing and
currency and that on coinage, weights
and measures would be of primo i'm
portance. but the former has probably
been moro divided in opinion this year
than any other committee Of tho house,
and the irascible Bland has been COM
PEELED to alimit that his spccialties ere
just now On the ebb tide Chairman
Hatch or the committee on agriculture
has fought ably and vigorously for his
favorite bills, and several of them have
got through the house and been put
quietly to sleep in the senate At the
close. however. he had the satisfaction
Of knocking ont the Hansb-ough amend
ment, which the senate had voted, add
ing 81, 600 600 to the agricultural bill
for exrerminating the Russian thistle.
and It evidently did him good clear down
to his fetloc.zs
Tie Claims COMMITTEES.
The committee on claims has done
just about its regular work. The COM
mittee on education has killed the usual
number Of crank bills All Of the va
rious committees on expenditure have
done only routine business, and the
same may 03 said of all those commit
tees which deal with affairs of a per
manent nature, from the District of Co
lumbia down The committee on for
eign affairs has done really splendid
work. and no other committee has been
committee Oh Pacific railways was an
nounced. Senator Cu1lom said in his
quiet way, Don { trouble y self to
hunt up the details of testimony and
bills It is fxed that nothing Is 10 be
done This prophecy was pretty nearly
fulfilled as to final results, but not
quite. The committee has heard an
enormous amount of evidence aud argu-
ment on the subject and has formulated
a very elaborate measure, which will be
known as the Reilly bill, for funding
the Indebtedness and extending its pay
ment. A minority, however, consisting
of AIessrs- Roatner of Louisiana, Snod-
grass Of Tennessee. Cooper Of Wiscon-
sin and Hepburn Of Iowa hes fled 4 re-
port in favor OF a much more radical
measure It proposes that the govern
nnont shall fo-eclose its claim and sell
the road to a reorganized company. Mr..
Harris, in a supplemental report, recon-
mends that tho government takc the
road into its direct ownership and run it
as n sort of experiment to see how that
sort of thing could be done.
Unsuccessful Claims.
The last of July is the proper day "a
sum up on, for as the session draws
near al end members begin to bring in
bills by the wholesale. so or 100 per
day, for political effect only, and with
certain knowledge that they will not
pass. This congress met Aug. z, 1898. |
and the first session adjourned Nov 3. |
the second session beginning Dec. 4; so,
deducting the six weeks Of last fall and |
the Christmas holidays, this might be /
called a good 1O& months session |
On the last of July there had been !
brought into the house, printed and re- /
ferred 2, SGD bills and il the senate !
2, go, reports made to the house 1. $40 |
and to the senate 5ST, house executive |
documents 258 and senate I67, with |
miscellaneous 100. and Of the senate /
228. Nevertheless. OF laws cIassed as /
public acts there had been passed and /
signed but I31 and S8 private acts,
with 81 public and only private i
resolutions At that time, however, the /
senate was just fairly getting its hand ,
in on the pile of private and special acts |
brought over from the house. the num-
Der running far into the hundreds before |
the end There were at the same date 4
but 3 joint resolutions passed ont Of |
2I2 which had been brought in. and it /
is to be remembered that this great mass /
Of over l l, 600 bills and resolutions ac-
tally brought into the two houses and !
acted upon in some way is but the resid- /
uun Of a very much greater mass Of /
fra~.p<16 rrr,nT7 fba e.rY7of
alton Of the committees
Perseverance Rewarded.
There is tho committee on education, /