River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1895-03-07
WHAT III HAS DONE.
A Glance at the Work of the
Fifty-Third Congress.
Its Most important Legislation Was Re-
peal of the silver Purchase Law
Tariff Revision Action on
Financial Measures.


Tarin 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 fl
nancial question. A resume of the
work of the special and regular ses-
sions of the Fifty third congress is
given below:
On The IN OF August. 1898. the congress con-
vened in extraordinary sesA m for the avowed
purpose OF repeating the compulsory silver
purchase provision OF the Law OF lseo This was
the silver session Mr.. W L. Wilson. chair
man OF the committee OF ways and means. pre-
pareda bill in conformity to the recommended
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
sub-bill. and on the LIST of November this SEN
ate substitute received the approval OF both
houses and became a law by tho approval Of
the president This measure and the repeal
of the remaining vestiges OF the reeonstruc-
tion OF the federal election laws closed the i'm
portant work Of the extra session
Upon its meeting in regular session In De-
cember. 1898. congress entered upon the con-
sideration OF the revision of the tariff. As in
the case OF the silver question, but In a much
more pronounced manner. the house
proposed" aud the senate disposed"
The Wilson tariff bill passed by
the house February 1. 1897, was set aside for
the Jones. German compromise tariff bill,
adopted BY the senate on the Sd OF July, 1894,
after Ave months debate, and the
given hlunf n
the senate bill or nothing" IL took the SEN
ate bill and sent 10 II the president on
the 18th OF August. 1894 President Cleveland
permitted the bill to become Law without his
approval
Supplemental 10 the passage OF the tariff
lsv the senate entered upon q profitless and
incouclusive investigation OF rumors that SEN
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 alienation of the
stringent financial situation. The president
ia his annual message called attention to the
continual depletion OF the gold reserve
and complained that though IL 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
thus far declined to authorize the iss re OF
bonds best suited to such a 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-
tion, submitted a 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.
II was followed by n second message from
the president received by both houses OF con-
gress December IS 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
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
Ist of February, 1895. bill to authorize the
secretary OF the treasury to issue bonds to
maintain a sufficient gold reserve aud to retire
United States notes " After only two days
debate this bill was also defeated by MAORI
~ OF 81
gress that he had negotiated a conditional sale
OF over se200O,O)0 OF per cent coin bonds to a
syndicate largely representing foreign capital
lists. having no other resource let. because OF
the omission thus far on the part OF congress
to benencially 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.. VIII
son. of West Virginia, seven DAYS after its re-
ceipt, reported resolution authorizing the
issue OF s65. i1e975 Of gold per cent. bonds. as
recommended by the president. The measure
was called up on February IL and defe lted the
same day by a. majority. after n stormy de-
bate. These three financial measures. with
the general appropriation bills. consumed the
greater part OF the session.
Early in the session the democratic caucus
Of the senate agreed that the following mat
tiers should be considered: a financial meas
ure OF some sort. details not desig-
mated; the bankruptcy bill; the bills
| for the admission Of New Mexico and
/ Arizona: the Nicaragusn canal bill; and the
state bank tax repeal bill. or all these meas
ures the Nicaraguan canal bill alone passed
4 the senate after two months debate. It
/ failed TO receive consideration In the house
/ The bankruptcy bill made the I'M
/ finished business. but was cho&ed by the ap-
preparation bills. Financial measures were not
/ acted on by the senate, and nothing planned by
/ the senate caucu6 resulted in Legislation. The
sO-cal.ed "pog-gun' tariff bills sent over by
| the house providing for free sugar, free coal
l and free iron we're not even honored by con
sideration, and the railroad pooling bill. one o.
/ the most important measures passed by the
/ house was also shelved.
The pooling bill was passed by the house
| early in the session, but the senate refused 10
/ consider IL by negative vote OF a. TO "a on
/ the question OF consideration. Strong oppo-
sition 20 the Reilly bill was developed in the
! house. and after very sharp debate IL was re-
committed to the committee without instruc-
/ tions
The house adopted joint resolution for an
| amendment TO the constitution providing for
| the election OF United States senators by III
/ rect vote OF the people Of the states. but the
resolution was reported adversely by the SEN
/ ate committee on privileges and elections.
The following figures show approximate
/ the total appropriations made during thu
present session OF congress: Agricultural
/ 50 800. 700. army. s23. 252 eos; diplomatic and
! consular. a. .575.073; District OF Columbia
| s5qi6533. Notifications. 81, 9o4557: Indian. 80
| s7sess: military. academy. s424I6l; pensions
si4I ISL $40. postofice $50 So Q97; gene raj de-
/ fciency, - 900, 900. sundry civil. s47.t40000.
urgent deficiency, bills passed early IN the
session. 81. $50 32i; legislative. executive and
| judicial. s2i,9O1.0JD naval, sse,lO0O0O. perma-
nent annual, sll307s,955; miscellaneous sS0,-