Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1895-03-09
WHAT III HAS DONE.
A Glance at tho Work of ths
Fifty Third Congress.
Its Most Important Legislation Was Ro-
peal of the silver Purchase Law
Tariff Revision Action ON
Financial Measures.


WASHINGTON March 4.-The three
sessions of the Fifty-third congress eX-
piring at noon to-day, were dominated
by their controlling issues. The first by
the silver question. The second by the
tariff question. The third by the f.
nancial question. A resume of the
work of the special and regular ses-
sions of the Fifty. third congress is
given below:
On the 9TH of August, 1929, the congress con-
vened in extraordinary session for the avowed
| purpose of repeating the compulsory silver
| purchase provision of the law OF 1890 This was
the silver session. Mr. w. L. Wilson, chair
man OF the committee of ways and means, pre-
| pared bill in conformity to the recommends
| tions of the presidents message, and on the
esth of August, 1893, this measure passed the
| house
| The senate In the meantime had been pre-
| pairing through the committee on finance a
! sub-bll. and on the lst OF November this sem
ate substitute received the approval of both
| houses and becume law by the approval Of
| the president This measure and the repeal
OF the remaining vestiges of the reconstruct
tion of the federal election laws closed the I'M
portant work OF the extra session
Upon its meeting in regular session in De-
cec.oer, 1899, congress entered upon The con-
sideration of the revision OF the tariff. AS In
the case of the silver question but in much
more pronounced manner, the house
proposed" and the senate disposed Z"
The Wilson tariff bill passed by
the house February l, 1894, was set aside for
the Jones. German compromise tariff bill,
| adopted by the senate on the Sd of July, 1894.
after five months debate and the
| house was given the blunt option of
| the senate bill or nothing" 1t took the sem
ate bill and sent it to the president on
the 18th Of August, 1894 President Cleveland
III
approval.
| Supplemental to the passage of the tariff
law the senate entered upon profitless and
| inconclusiyc investigation of rumors that sem
ators had been improperly influenced to vote
for the sugar schedule and had speculated in
stocks of the so-called Sugar Trust COM
pany"
The third and last, or financial" session OF
| the Fifty-third congress has been especially
marked py the refusal Of both houses to put
| into legislative shape the recommendations Of
| the president for the alevution OF the
| stringent financial situation The president
| in his annual message called attention to the
| continual depletion OF the gold reserve
| and complained that though 1t was perfectly
and palpably plain that the only way under
present conditions by which this reserve when
| dangerously depleted can be replenShed is
through the issue and sale of the bonds of the
government for gold congress has not only
| thus far declined to authorize the issue OF
bonds best suited to such u purpose, but there
seems disposition in some quarters to deny
both tho necessity and power for the issue OF
bonds at all,
The banking and currency committee of the
house, with the approval of the administra-
tion, submitted financial measure which,
among otner provisions materially modified
the national banking laws and repealed the
restrictions on state bank circulation. This
bill was defeated by six majority
1t was followed by second message from
the president received by both houses of con-
gress December 2s in which the president said
that whatever might have been the merits OF
the original plan proposed by him he was now
convinced that its reception by the congress
and our present advanced stage of financial
perpieXity necesSitated additional or different
legislation" He once again recommended the
passage OF l law authorizing the issue of low
interest bearing bonds to maintain the gold
reserve
The banking and currency committee re-
sponded to this suggestion By Offering on the
lst OF February, 1873, u bill to authorize the
secretary OF the treasury TO Issue bonds 10
maintain sufficient gold reserve and to retire
United States notes" After only two days
debate this bill was also defeated by MAORI
ty OF "a
On the next day the president informed con-
greSS that he had negotiated Il conditional sale
OF over $C2OJO,0Jo oi per cont coin bonds 20 u
syndicate largely representing foreign capital
the omission thus far on the part of congress
to benehciuily enlarge the powers OF the secre
tary of the treasury in the premises
This last message went to the ways and
means committee, whose chairman, Mr.. vii.
son, OF West Virginia, seven days after its re-
ceipt, reported a resolution authorizing the
issue of Sdj, ,ll6s15 of gold per cent. bonds, as
recommended by the president. The measure
was called UP on Feoru4ry ii and defeated the
same day by a majority, after a stormy de-
hate. These three financial measures, with
the general appropriation bills, consumed tn,
greater part OF the session.
Early in the session the democratic caucu.
of the senute agreed that the following mat
ters should be considered: a financial meas
ure OF sort, details not desig
mated; the bankruptcy bill: the bill!
for the admission of New Mexico ant
Arizona; the Nicaraguan canal bill; and tn,
state bank tax repeal bill or all these meas
ures the Nicaraguan canal bill alone passet
the senate after two months debate. L
failed TO receive consideration in the house
The bankruptcy bill was made the un
finished business, but was choked by the ap
preparation bills. Financial measures were no
acted on by the senate, and nothing planned b,
the senate caucu6 resulted in legislation, Th
so-called ''pog-gun tariff bills sent over b.
the house providing for free sugar. free Goa
and free iron were not even honored by con
sideration, and the railroad pooling bill, one o
the most important measures passed by tn
: house, was also shelved
The pooling bill was passed by the hous
early in the session. but the senate refused t.
consider it by u negative vote of A. to ~ o.
the question of consideration. Strong oppo
sition to the Reilly bill was developed In tn
house, and after very sharp debate 1t was re
committed to the committee without nstruc
tlons
The house adopted joint resolution for a
: amendment to the constitution providing 10
the election o: United States senators by di
rect vote of the people of the states, but tn
resolution was reported adversely by the sen
ate committee on privileges ana elections
: The following figures show upproximatel
: the total appropriations made during tn
present session OF congress: Agricultural
81. 3O3,700; army, S.3 23s 6OS diplomatic an
, consular, Sl.575,o7S. District OF Columbii
: i5.9l6S3i; fortihcations $i,9Oi,55T: Indian 80
r 9759iS; military academy, A2I..6l; pensions
blIl. 1881 $50: postoficc Ss9 5io ,99I general de
!, dcicncy SS,I00OOO sundry civil, Si7l,0,0Ot
urgent deficiency bills passed early In tn
session. s2,S ,3si: legislative executive an
s judicial Ssl,yOJ,0)) naval, SO, 100000, perma
nent annual, Sll3D13,956 miscellaneous, so
| M 1t1