Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1895-03-06
THE RECORD CLOSED.
A Resume Of the Work Of the
Fifty-Third Congress.
Repeal of the Silver Purchase Law-Re'
vision OF the Tariff-FinaDciaI Ques-
lions Disposed Of-Much Work Laid
Out Is Left Undone.

tions Disposed of-Much Work Laid
Out is Left Undone.
WASHINGTON, March 4.-The three
sessions of the Fifty-third congress ex-
piring at noon to-day, were dominated
by their controlling issues. The firstly
the silver question. The second by the
tariff question. The third by the fl
nancial question. A resume of the
work of the special and regular SEES
sions of the Fifty third congress is
given below:
The .Ssiver Session"
On the 9TH of August 1893 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 recommended
lions of the presidents message, and ON the
2sth of August 1885, this measure passed the
house
The senate in the meantime had been pre-
pairing through the committee on finance
sub-bill, and on the LIST of November this SEN
ate substitute received the approval Of both
houses and became o law by the approval OF
the president. This measure and the repeal
of the remaining vestiges OF the reconstruc-
ton OF the federal election laws closed the i'm
portant work of the extra session
Tariff Legislation.
Upon its meeting in regular session In De-
cember, 1898, congress entered upon the con-
sideranon of the revision of the tariff. AS ir
the case of the silver question, but in much
more pronounced manner, the house
proposed" and the senate disposed"
The Wilson tariff bill passed by
the house February 1, 1894, was set aside for
o,,,;c orif hi
adopted by the senate on the Sd of July, 1894,
after five months debate, and tho
house was given the blunt option Of
the senate bill or nothing" 1t took the SEN
ate bill and sent 1t to the president on
the 18th of August, 1894. President Cleveland
permitted the bill to become law without his
approval and In an informal manner commu-
nicated to individual members of congress his
dissatisfaction at the inadeQuacy Of the
changes made in the tariff system.
Supplemental to the passage Of the tariff
law the senate entered upon profitless and
inconclusive investigation OF rumors that sem
ators had been improperly Influenced to vote
for the sugar schedule and had specialized in
stocks of the so-called Sugar Trust COM
pany."
The "Financiar' Session.
The third and last, or financial" session Of
the Fifty-third congress has been especially
marked by the refusal of both houses to put
into legislative shape the recommendations of
the president for the alienation 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 it was perfectly
and palpably plain that the only way under
present conditions by which this reserve when
dangerously depleted can be replenished is
through the issue and sale of the bonds of the
government for gold, congress has not only
ia #
bonds best suited to such q purpose, but there
seems a.diSpositiOn in some quarters to deny
both the necessity and power for the issue Of
bonds at all /"
The banking and currency committee of the
house, with the approval of the administra-
ton, submitted financial measure which,
among other provisions materially modified
the national banking laws and repealed the
restrictions on state bank circulation This
bill was defeated by six majority.
Message No. 2.
1t was followed by second message from
the president received by both houses OF con-
gress December %, in which the president said
that whatever might have been the merits OF
the original plan proposed by him he twas now
convinced that its reception by the congress
and our present advanced stage Of financial
perplexity necessitated additional or different
legislation" He once again recommended the
passage of a 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
1st of February, 1895, a bill to authorize the
secretary of the treasury to Issue bonds to
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.
Bonds Are issued.
On the next day the president informed con-
gress that he had negotiated u conditional sale
of over Sc, 900 900 OF per cent. coin bonds to
syndicate largely representing foreign capital
lists, having no other resource left, because of
the omission thus far on the part of congress
to benehcially 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.. Will
son, OF West Virginia, seven days after it's re-
ceipt, reported u resolution authorizing the
issue OF S65, 1925 of gold per cent. bonds, as
recommended by the president The measure
same day by a majority, after stormy de-
bate. These three financial measures, with
the general appropriation bills, consumed the
greater part OF the session
Much Left Undone.
Early In the session the democratic caucus |
OF the senate agreed that the following mat
ters should be considered: A financial meas |
pre OF some sort, details not QeSlg- |
mated; the bankruptcy bill; the bills |
for the admission Of New Mexico and |
Arizona; the Nicaraguan canal bill; and the !
state bank tax repeal bill or all these meas
ures the Nicaraguan canal bill alone passed |
the senate after two months debate. 1t |
failed to receive consideration in the house
The bankruptcy bill was made the un-
finished business, but choked by the APP
bills. Financial measures were not
acted On by the senate, and nothing planned by
the senate caucu6 resulted in legislation. The
so-called .pog-gun' tariff bills sent over by
the house providing for free sugar, free coal
and free iron were not even honored by con-
sideration, and the railroad pooling bill, one of
the most important measures passed by the
house, was also shelred
The pooling bill was passed by the house
early In the session, but the senate refused to
consider it by negative vote of d. to % on
the question of consideration Strong oppo-
sition to the Reilly bill was developed in the
house, and after very sharp debate it was re-
committed to the committee without instruc-
tionR
The house adopted joint resolution for an
amendment to the constitution providing for
The election of United States senator3 by di-
rect vote Of the people of the states, but the
was reported adversely by the SEN
tie committee on privileges and elections.
appropriations.
49, 49,,