The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-03-04
WHAT they've DONE.
Much Was Attempted but Little
Was Accomplished
By the Congress Which Expired
at Noon Today.
COULD NOT AGREE.
House and Senate Seemed Unable
to Get Together.

WASHINGTON, March A review OF
the work of the last session of the
Fifty third congress must necessarily
deal more with what was attempted
to be done than that which was &C
complished, since most of the im-
portant business considered has been
relegated to the first class. The
term has been particularly marked
by the inability of the senate and
the house to agree upon any of the
scented by them. Congress met
with one perennial and imper-
ative task, to frame and enact the
various appropriation bills; next in
Importance was the financial question,
for which no definite plan of settle
ment beyond many free silver bills
and various Individual schemes were
then in view. Several important
bills came over as heritage from the
preceding session. Foremost among
them were IN the house, the Nicara-
qua canal bill, the railroad pooling
bill and the bill for the settlement of
the indebtedness of the Union Pacific
railroads, known as the Reilly bill.
The Nicaragua canal project has
not been able to secure a hearing in
the house. The pooling bill was
passed by the house early in the ses-
sion, but the senate refused to con-
slider it by a negative vote of 40 to "a
on the question of consideration. An
other unsuccessful measure was the
anti-option bill There were also on
the senate calendar the four bills
which the house had sent over to
place on the free list sugar, coal, iron
and barbed wire, but the attempt to
secure considera ton of the free sugar
bill was negatived by a small ma
jority, and the opposition to the three
others was SO apparent that they have
been allowed to pass into oblivion.
The most interesting chapter in the
history of the session was made by the
attempt at financial legislation in both
houses. These are too we'll known
to require recapitulation. No fnan-
cial Legislation has vet resulted from
the host of bills introduced during
the session, with more or less weight
of authority behind them.
The principal class of legislation
accomplished by the short session
was that of making appropria tons
for the support of the government
The diplomatic ana consular bill in
creased the salaries of several foreign
represen tatives and the senate placed
in it an amendment authorizing the
president to contract for laying a
cable between the Hawaiian Islands
and the United States and TO use
$500, 600 in the work, an amendment
which the house refused to accept
Considerable legislation was in
cluded in the sundry civil bill and
much more was attempted in the sem
ate by proposed amendments. The
completion of several public buildings
was provided for as it passed the
| house and sums were added in the
senate for new buildings. Another
senate amendment provided for the
purchase for $3.50, 600 of the site of the
! Blaine mansion. Provision was also
included for the transfer of the mill
| tary prison at Fort Leavenworth,
! Kan, TO the department of justice,
| to be known as the United States
penitentiary and main tanned for keep
| ing United States prisoners who have
heretofore been held in state prisons
under contracts The naval bill was
noticeable because of the new navy"
| provision for two battle ships and six
| torpedo boats and the increase of the
enlisted force by the addition of 1000
men. The general deficiency bill re-
| ported to the house amounted to
| $6, SIG, $50. An amendment requested
by the secretary of state to pay the
| claims of Great Britain for $425. 600
| damages for seizures of sealers in
Behring sea was voted down by the
house.
The Commercial Travellers organi-
cation secured an amendment to the
interstate commerce law permitGin z
the issuance of joint interchangeab BILE
| 5000 mile ticket good over more than
one road. The house adopted a joint
resolution for an amendment to the
constitution, providing for the cleo
ton of United States senators by
direct vote of the people of the states,
but the resolution was reported adj
versely by the senate committee on
privileges and elections.
Among important house bills which
died was one for the reorganization
of the line of the army, and one to
punish train wreckers by capital pun
! ishment and attempts at train wreck
ing by heavy terms of imprisonment
Dramatic authors of the United States
secured report of bill for punish
ment by Imprisonment of play pirat-
ing by theatrical managers, but in
the house considerable opposition was
manifested by members, who objected
to penal punishments for violation of
civil statutes, so the bill was with
drawn.
The only legislation affecting the
tariff act was a resolution to extend
to April Is the time for making re-
turns to the interrogatories to the in
come tax sections, and modifying the
questions required to be answered.