Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1896-06-12
A LONG SHORT SESSION
coNcREss EXPECTED TO ADJOURN
TUESDAY OR WEDNESDAY.
Brief session Due to Politician Di"er
enc~s Between senate, House
and Prestdent.


IL will be- the shortest so-called long
session" since that of the Thirty-hfth
congress, and one of the shortest In the
history of the government. This reco-d
is probably due to political differences De-
tween the senate, house and the presi-
dent which have forestalled agreements
on lines of legislation, and partly due 20
the determination which the republican
leaders in the house have carried into ef-
feet Speaker Reeds caucus prediction
that the congress would be "a do-nothine
assemblage.
Legislation means appropriations, as
the house leaders have said and as tnen
opinion was that the treasury's condition
warranted no appropriations except the
most imperatively necessary. they have
held the doors tightly shut against
classes of bills which usually receive
the parings. Foremost among the inev-
liable and regular acts of congress are
the annual appropriation bills for the
support of the government Their prep
aration has constituted a large part OF
the work of the session, and five of them
are vet hanging between the house and
senate with some of their details unset
tied, and for this reason 1t is 1mpossipie
to give the exact totals of the bill on the
grand total of appropriations made by
this congress- which aggregate about han
a billion dollars; but the disbursements
authorized during the session will be dis
cussed hereafter by Chairman Cannon OF
the appropriations committee and ex-
Chairman Sayers from the points OF view
of their respective parties.
Tariff or financial legislation of any
general character was abandoned Tor all
practical purposes when the disagree
"a ia
demonstrated by the fate of the two bills
prepared by the house ways and means
committee Other lines of business We're
also tabooed by the house because of the
| alleged lack of revenue, notably the pub
| lie buildings public and provincial claims
| and all sorts of private bills; bills entail
| ing expenditures except pension bilis, TO
which last the usual amount of time mas
been given. One of the most bitterly con-
tested fights which has occurred mas
erept out from the provisions of the IN
dian and District of Columbia bills FOL
government aid to church schools. feat
ure which still holds both bills in con
ference. The Indian bill contains pro
visions giving the homestead settlers o.
all coded Indian reserva lions an extern
sion of one year in which to make pay
ments. and for the completion of the sur
u
Incidental to the legislative, executive
and judicial bill was an entire revision
of the salaries of attorneys. marshais an'
commissioners, with the stipulation tina
the term of Office of commissioners ex
pire on June 80, 1897 The agricultural bill
conferred upon the president authorit,
to suspend the prohibition against i'm
portations Of meat cattle. domestic am
mails and hides on the certification of tn
secretary of agriculture that countries o
parts of countries are free from con
tagious or infectious diseases of animals
authorized the president to take steps I
secure the abrogation of the regulation
by Great Britain prohibiting the impo,
tation of cattle from the United State
into that country alive.
, In the sundry civil bill the most in
portant legislation is to make effectiy
the Carey arid land act, which coded arr
land to the public-land states for recls
nation by authorizing the states to gi,
liens on the land to cover the expenses
reclamation. The most noteworthy legi
lation pertaining to the navy Is contains
in the appropriation bill. The house pr
vided for Is new torpedo boats and fo'
" battleships, but the senate reduced Il
number of battleships to two, and co
ference is pending over that difference.
The bill made provision for the enlis
ment of 1000 additional seamen. 1t al
made unlawful the employment of nav
or marine officers on the active or I
tired list by parties furnishing suppl
or materials of war to the government
= A special report authorized the accer
ance by the government of the ia
J. Katahdin, which failed to make the spe
required by the contracts, but which So
= isfied the department.. being largely
experimental craft. The naval reser
J, system was strengthened by a plan
signed to draft vessels engaged N I
coastwise trade into the service IN I'll
ID of war. An act was passed to cstabli
a naval training station on Yerba Buei
or Goat Island, San Francisco harb
The secretary was empowered to acet
certified checks in lieu of bonds FRI
contractors for naval uspphes. No spec
RI legislation was contained in the ar
appropriation bill. Special bills w
passed. however, creating the positit
. of chaplain, who will also be profess
of history, geography and ethics, and
assistant professor of the same brancl
at West Point academy, making the
a, tional military park fields for maneuv
by the national guards or militia, ant
resolution appointing General Franklin
Connecticut, General Thomas Hender
of Illinois, Representative steele OF
q diana and George l.. Beale of .da
members of the board of managers
"a the national soldiers home.
The senate resolution to prohibit
issue of bonds without the authority
congress- one of the last important 6
= of the senate, was reported adversely
Y the house ways and means commit
The only one of the many propo
changes in the tariff laws which bee;
an actually was the repeal of the ella
of the Wilson bill giving free alcoho
Ia the arts and manufactures, this b.
done on the recommendation of Secret
Carlisle and Commissioner of Int
Revenue Miller. This repeal met SO m
rs. antagonism from members represen
the foreign manufacturing interests
1t could only be effected by couplin
with a compromise scheme devised
Senator Plat and Representative Ru
of Connecticut, for a congressional {
mission to recommend legislation at
beginning of the next session by
TO free alcohol can be secured under 5
Client safeguards for the government
no. terests.
The policy of reciprocity was thoro
H., ~ investigated by a subcommittee OF
Tao mn 4