Evening star., 1895-03-04
HIS BUSY D AY
The President and His Cabinet at
the White House.
BILLS FROM TIE CAPITOL APPROVED
Anxious Congressman Fail to Get
an Audience.
MANY MEAS RES FAILED

President Cleveland and his cabinet have
had busy time of it ever since Saturday
acting upon the many important measures
that passed the Congress in its closing
hours. In accordance with his rule. the
President insisted that every bill and joint
resolution submitted to him should be
carefully examined py the head of the
department to which it belonged before he
would act upon it. When the measure was
general in its application and related to no
particular department he examined 1t him
self. He also assisted in the detailed con-
sideration of all the big general appro-
priation bills. and apparently found nothing
important in any of them to object TO, for
he approved them, one and all.
Work Done Yesterday.
If Sunday was observed at the Capitol
as the legislative day Of Saturday, so 1t
was also treated at the White House as the
executive day of Saturday. The President
and all the members of his cabinet were at
work there nearly all day Sunday from
early morn until nearly 12 o'clock last
night. A mass of bills was disposed of,
the great majority receiving the executive
approval. Although not, in fact. approved
until March 3, they were all indorsed with
the words. Approved March .. 1885. Grover
Cleveland
Owing to the expedition with which Con-
gress disposed of the large appropriation
bills several hours prior 10 Adjournment the
President was put to no special inconven-
ience in their consideration. He had them
all In good time and was enabled to sign
them conscientiously In good season. AS
turn Immediately on their receipt from
the Capitol and were all signed and out of
the way about 10 o'clock this morning.
They were all in hand earlier than is
Df a oh Of Tnr,r
there was no special occasion for the Pres-
dent to spend the expiring legislative hours
at the Capitol, even if he had been willing
to break his rule to that extent.
THIS Mornings Task.
Although he has had to work much
harder during the past two days he has
not had to extend his time of labor much
beyond the ordinary limit He was at his
desk late Saturday and Sunday nights
but on neither occasion did he find it neces-
sary to remain up later than 12 O'clock
All the members of his cabinet Joined
him in his private Office about o'clock
this morning and remained with him stead
lily at work until the presidential clock
chimed out the hour Of II o'clock. AT that
time the President had signed all the bills
that met his approval, and his desk was
piled high with those he did not look upon
with immediate favor. In accordance with
his practice, he declined to act on any
bill after the hour of noon, regardless Of
the opinion of the Court CT Claims that he
has ten full days 70 at favorably upon
any measure whether Congress is in ses-
sion or not. His rule is that all bills which
have not been approved by or before the
time of the legal expiration Of Congress
can become laws only by their re-enact-
ment and subsequent approval Unsigned
bills which fail in this way are described as
''pocketed bills" and ara in the same cate
CORY as vetoed bills.
Anxious Visitors.
Congressman and others interested in the
fate of special measures were the principal
visitors at the White House this morning
They were unable to see the President,
however, and had to be content to get their
information as to the disposition Of the
bills from Mr.. Pruden. Private Secretary
Thurber was too busy to receive callers this
morning, unless their business was most
urgent.
About II o'clock the joint congressional
and Sherman and Representatives Outh-
waite, Reed and Catchings had brief in
terview with the President and were in
formed by him that he had no further COM
munications to make to Congress.
Capitol Employees Get No Extra Pay.
A few minutes after II o'clock messen-
ger arrived hastily from the Capitol with a
bill for the Presidents action. 1t was the
hill providing an extra months pay for the
employees of the Capitol The messenger
offered the bill to Mr.. Thurber with a brief
statement of its nature. Mr.. Thurber re-
fused to take it. however, dismissing the
messenger with the laconic but fateful re-
mark, Its too late" And the bill went
back to the Capitol, where, it is safe to
assume, 1t was most unfavorably received.
Secretary Carlisle was the first member
Of the cabinet to leave the conference. He
went away about 1890 O'clock and the
other members were not far behind him.
Measures Approved.
Among the measures approved by the
President yesterday and this morning were
the following: The District of Columbia ap-
preparation bill; the legislative, executive
and judicial appropriation bill; the agricul-
tural appropriation bill; the fortifications
appropriation bill; the general pension ap-
preparation bill; acts for bridge over the
Tennessee river near Sheffield, Ala, for a
railroad bridge over the Monongahela river,
for bridge over the St. Louis river be-
tween Wisconsin ard Minnesota, for a
bridge across the Monongahela river for
the Pittsburg and Mcnongahela railroad.
for bridge across the Illinois river; to in
corporate the Capital Railway Company;
to authorize the Washington and Marlboro
Electric Railroad Company of Maryland to
extend it's line into the District of Column
bia; the act amending the act to incorpor-
ate the Washington and Maryland Railway
Company: the act to amend the act to in
appointment Of a sealer and an assistant
sealer of weights and measures in the Dis
trict Of Columbia; the act for the restora-
tion to the public domain of lands in Ala
bama and Mississippi not needed for naval
purposes; to amend the act for the relief
of certain volunteers and soldiers of
the late war and the war with Mex
leo; to amend the act to regulate liens
Of judgment and DEGREES of United
States courts, approved August ], 1SSS;
to amend the act in regard to the public
building at Chicago, ILL.,; for the relief of
Marion c. Gurney, Ida C.. Martin, Maria
T. Karge, Martha Curtis Carter, widow of
Admiral Carter, and Mary Tassin; the act
for the relief of Washington and Lee Col
lege; to authorize the Secretary of War to
give condemned cannon to G. A. R. COM
mittee at Louisville; to extend the time
for taking testimony in regard to the af-
fairs of Monongahela Navigation Co.; to
continue the present officers of the courts
in the Indian territory until the judiciary
is reorganized; to grant permission for
erection of statue Of Prof Samuel D. Gross
in the city of Washington; to authorize
Lieut.. F. d. Rockenbach, second cavalry,
to accept position at Virginia Military
Academy; for the relief of Josephine r.
oirfa to stah CHI l,ar