Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1896-06-13
THE FlFTY-FouRTH CONGRESS.
A Resume of the Important business of
the SessIon.

Washington, June 9.-The first session OF |
the Fifty-fourth congress- now In its clos |
ing hours. enjoys the distinction of being |
the shortest long" session for period OF |
80 years. OF the measures which become |
laws, the most important from an interna' |
tional standpoint, was the bill creating the
commission to determine the true di.
Visional line between Venezuela and Brit |
ish Guiana" or scarcely less general in
terest were the bills prohibiting prize fight
ing in the territories; permitting appoint
ments in the army and navy of former
United States officers who served in the
rebellion and making one years residence
in q terrntory a prerequisite to obtaining
q divorce there.
Excepting these. however, the remainder
of the 225 bills and resolutions which re-
ceived the presidents approval were not OF
q character to deserve extended mention.
The more important were the bills incor-
porating the national society of the Daugh-
ters of the Revolution, opening the forest ,
reservations in Colorado, for the location
of mining claims; regulating proof of death
in pension cases; providing for a naval
training school in San Francisco harbor;
making 1t unlawful to shoot at any rail
way train or any person thereon or to
throw missiles into such train, and repeal
ing clause 81 of the tariff law providing for
a rebate on alcohol used in the arts.
If the session, however, be conspicuous by
reason of it's brevity and the limited num-
Der of important laws enacted, 1t resulted
In the introduction of q larger number OF
bills in the house than during any similar
period for quarter of a century. The total
| number of bills introduced during the en-
| tire last congress was S,9S7, of which 4, ,405
were introduced during the first session.
which corresponds to the session now draw
| ing to a close and in which latter the ag-
| gregate reaches $500. or these $500 were
| favorably reported by the committees to
whom they were referred. and scores OF
| them are likely to be brought to the atten-
| ton of the house next winter.
The Nicaragua canal bill is one of these
measures. After many months of consid-
| Grafton in the committee. 1t received ia
| vorable report in the face of an absolute
| certainty that II would not be taken up dur
| ing the present session. The bill to liqui.
| date the Indebtedness of the Pacific rail-
| ways to the government is another far
| reaching measure, which is also upon the
| calendar with favorable report. but which
| for prudential reasons will continue to
slumber there. Others are the service pen
| sion bill, reported by the invalid pensions
| committee; the Arizona, New Mexico and
| Oklahoma statehood bills; the Pacific
| cable bill and the joint resolution confer
ring the rank of lieutenant general upon
| Maj Gen. Miles.
The popular interest in the Cuban revo-
| luton was shown in the large number of
| resolutions, more than SO in all, that were
| introduced and referred to the committee
| on foreign affairs After careful considera-
ton, concurrent resolution was reported,
| for which was subsequently substituted, in
| conference, the senate resolution express
ing the sympathy of the United States with
| the insurgents. recognizing their belliger-
| ency and calling upon the president to use
his good offices to secure the independence
| of the island.
Measures for which there has been q
| widespread demand that have passed the
| house and will probably receive considera-
tion from the senate next session, include
| the bankruptcy bill, the Mccall bill, pro-
viding an educational test for immigrants,
the labor commission and labor arbitration
bills and the bill simplifying the rules of
the pension office so as to facilitate the
adjustment of private pension cases.
The early weeks of the session were 2
busy period for the ways and means COM
mittee. OF the 1S7 measures referred to II,
80 were acted upon. Two of the greatest
Importance were the bond and revenue
bills. The bond bill passed the house. was
sent to the senate and returned with the
addition of an amendment providing for
the free coinage of silver The revenue bill
died in the senate committee on finance.
Among other measures of interest reported
by the ways and means committee were the
bills permitting the killing of all the fur
seals in Alaskan waters: the filled cheese
bill and the bill amending the law per.
mitting Il rebate on alcohol used in the arts
The committee on invalid ~ensions broke
all previous records for work. Upwards of
$500 bills were referred to it, of which 400
private bills were reported to the house.
|
to those which passed the house, were bills
giving members of state militia a pension
able status; granting pensions to remarked
war widows; broadening the scope of the
law pensioning army nurses; increasing the
pensions of those who lost limbs in the
service and providing for the payment of
pensions by check.
The pensions committee, which deals
, with a different class of measures from
those which are referred tc the invalid PEN
| cin Sa1 of nf a
; bills referred to them.
The committees post offices and post
roads, railways and canals, coinage,
weights and measures, agriculture, mil
itary, public lands, patents, judiciary and
commerce reported the ordinary number
of measures, but with few exceptions they
were not of unusual Importance.
The results accomplished by the senate
during the session just closing are entirely
out of proportion with the legislation that
was introduced Up t9 Saturday there had
been introduced total of 3,261 bills more
than were introduced during the whole OF
the last congress. The same ratio of in
crease is found in the flood of memorials
and petitions that have been laid before
the senate. Out of this array of proposed
legislation but little has been done.
The finance committee, to which was
referred 105 different measures, has sue
/, ceeded in getting through the senate bu
three of any importance that have become
laws-the filed cheese bill; the amend,
ment to the administrative feature Of tht
, tariff act permitting express companies t.
. ! pay the duty on packages valued at moi
more than $500 and deliver them to the resi-
dence of the importer direct, and the bill
, to repeal the free alcohol clause of the
| tariff law. The Dingley bill came out OF
committee with a free coinage amendment
which prevailed in the senate, and this
proposition TO increase the revenues through
I tariff duties has ever since been hung In Tho
air between the two houses. The bank
ruptcy and contempt of court bills, the two
most important measures emanating from
the committee on the judiciary, were no
even considered by the senate. The favor
able report from the committee on priv
ileges and elections for an amendment fol
the election of senators by popular vote
became the text for many speeches tina
! never got beyond that indefinite stage.
The senate committee on pensions show:
a better record for accomplished results
Senate pension bills aggregating l.O20 wer'
referred to this committee. Smila
. | hills aperegaring 900 came over from