The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-06-08
GLANCE AT THE
54TH CONGRESS
Review Of the Proceedings Of the Ses.
sion Drawing to . Close.
IMPORTANT MEASURES APPROVED
Only a Few Bills Out Of the 2?5 That
Received the Presidents Approval
Are Worthy Of MentiSn. Immense
Number Of Bills Introduced.

Washington, June THE first session
of the fifty-fourth congress, now in Its
closing hours, enjoys the distinction OF
being the shortest 'long" session for a
period of 80 years.
A senate passively Indifferent in
some instances, and. in others, actively
hostile, with an executive not in SYM
pathy with Republican party politics
are the reasons assigned by the house
leaders for the paucity of national leg
isla ton. OF the measures which have
became laws, the most important. from
an international standpoint, was the bill
creating the commission ito determine
the true divisional line between Nene-
zuela and British Guiana" OF scarcely
less general interest We're the bills pro-
hibiting prize fighting in the territories;
permitting appointments in the army
and navy of former United States oflic-
ers who served in the rebellion and
making one years residence in terri
tory prerequisite to obtaining a d.
vorce there.
Excepting these, however the remain
der of the 225 bills and resolutions which
received the presidents approval were
not OF Il character to deserve extended
mention. The more important were the
bills Incorporating the national society
of the Daughters of the Revolution;
opening the forest reservations in Colo
rado for the location of mining claims;
regulating proof of death in pension
cases: providing for naval training
station in San Francisco harbor; max
ing it unlawful to shoot at any railway
train or any person thereon or to throw
missiles into such train and repeating
clause sixty-one of the tariff law pro-
viding for a rebate on alcohol used in
the arts.
DELUGE OF BILLS.
If the session however, be conspicuous
by reason of its brevity, apd the limited
number of important laws enacted, II
resulted IN the introduction of large
number of bills in the house than during
any similar period for a quarter Of q
century. The total number of bills in
troduced during the entire last congress
was S,9S7, of which 4,i05 We're introduced
during the first session now drawing to
a close and in which latter the aggre-
gate is swollen to $500 OF these 1900
were favorably reported by the commit
tees to whom they We're referred, ana
placed on the calendar. NotWithstand-
ing that the session of next winter Is
limited to three months, scores of these
bills are likely to be brought to the at
tention of the house. Many members
will enjoy degree of independence af-
ter the present year and their influence
will be exerted to call up ard pass meas
ures that are now regarded as PERSONAL
ly and politically unsafe
The Nicaragua canal bill is one of
these measures. After many months of
consideration in the committee 1t re-
ceiyed favorable report in the face
of an absolute certainty that it would
not be taken up during the present
session.
MEASURES THAT SLUMBER.
The bill to liquidate the Indebtedness
of the Pacific railway to the government
Is another measure of far-reaching i'm
portance which is also upon the caien-
dar with favorable report, but which,
for prudential reasons. will continue 10
slumber there. Others are the service
pension bill reported by the invalid COM
mittee the Arizona, New Mexico ana
Oklahoma statehood bills the Pacific
cable bill, and the joint resolution con-
ferring the rank of lieutenant general
upon Major General Miles.
The popular interest in the Cuban
revolution was shown in the large num-
ber of resolutions, more than fifty in
all, that were introduced and referred
to the committee on foreign affairs.
After a careful consideration concur
rent resolution was reported for which
was subsequently substituted, in con-
ference, the senate resolution express
ing the sympathy of the United States
with the insurgents, recognizing their
belligerency, and calling upon the presi-
dent to use his good offices to secure the
independence of the island. Being
it did not call for the presidents sigma
ture and its only effect was to express
the sentiment of the American people as
reflected in the two houses Of congress.
Measures for which there has been a
widespread demand that have passed
the house and will probably receive con-
slderation from the senate next session,
include the bankruptcy bill. providing
for an educational test for immigrants;
the labor commission and labor arbitra-
tion bills and the bill simplifying TIE
rules of the pension office, so as to facili-
tate the adjustment of private pension
cases. The early weeks of the session
were a busy period for the ways and
means committee. OF the 1871 measures
referred to it, thirty We're acted upon.
THE BOND BILL.
OF the bills reported, the two Of great
est Importance We're the bond and reve-