The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-06-08

congress, as was said. has accom-
plished none. With a safe margin of
free silver votes in the senate. and a
majority of nearly two to one against
silver in the house, 1t was
EVIDENT FROM THE BEGINNING
that no general policy could be agreed
upon. The two bills, framed by the
house ways and means committee and
bearing the name of their author, Mr..
Dingley, of Maine, one a bill for the
issue of short term popular loan and
of certificates of Indebtedness, the
other to increase the rates of tariff
schedules in wool, manufactures of
wool and other articles, were killed in
the senate by the determination to sub
stitute therefor silver coinage meas
ures. On the other hand, the senate
resolution to prohibit the issue of bonds
without the authority of congress, one
of the last important acts OF the SEN
ate, was reported adversely by the
house ways and means committee.
The only one of the many proposed
changes in the tariff laws which be-
came an actuality was the repeal of
that clause of the Wilson bill giving
free alcohol in the arts and manufac-
lures, this being done ON the recon-
mendation of Secretary Carlisle and
Commissioner of Internal Revenue
Miller. This repeal met so much an
tagonism from members
REPRESENTING MANUFACTURE
ING INTERESTS
that it could only be effected by
coupling with it a, compromise scheme
devised by Senator Plat and Repre-
sentative Russell, of Connecticut, for
congressional commission to recon-
mend legislation at the beginning OF
the next session by which free alcohol
can be secured under sufficient safe
guards for the governments interests
The policy of reciprocity was thor
oughly investigated by sub-commit-
tee of the ways and means, but it was
thought not advisable by the Republi-
can leaders to attempt legislation on
that single feature of the tariff sys-
tenn.
Although the house committee on
banking and currency devoted much
time to discussion of financial ques-
tions, it was able to agree on but two
bills. one to permit banks to issue cir
culation to the amount of par value
of the bonds deposited by them as Sc
curity the other for the organization
of national banks in the smaller towns,
neither of which was passed this ses-
sion. The only important bill reached
by the house committee on coinage,
that for the adoption of the metric
system of weights and measures at
the beginning of the next century, met
with
A TEMPORARY REBUFF
in the house, but will be brought for
ward again While foreign affairs di-
vided with finance the interest of con-
gress, comparatively little legislation
resulted from the discussions because
SO great a share of the conduct of for
eign relations rests with the executive
branch. The first public resolution
adopted by congress, and that after
one hours debate in the house and
after a few days in the senate, was
that authorizing the president to Gre
ate the commission to investigate the
Venezuelan-Guiana boundary line.
The debates over Cuban affairs re-
suited in the adoption of concurrent
resolution expressing the sympathy of
this government with the insurgents;
calling upon the president to accord
them belligerent rights and TO offer the
friendly offices of the United States to
Spain to
BRING THE WAR TO AN END.
Resolutions were adopted by both
branches of congress denouncing the
massacres of Arnlenians in Turkey and
calling upon the signatory powers to
the Berlin treaty to protect the Ar
menian Christians. Seventy-five thou
sand dollars was appropriated for car
Tying out the stipulations of the Ben
ring sea seal fisheries treaty with
Great Britain. Another resolution
passed was to defray the expenses of
negotiating a convention to locate the
boundary line between Alaska and
British America. One incident of the
excitement which attended the crisis
of the Venezuelan boundary dispute
was the quick adoption by both the
senate and house of Senator Hills
proposition to repeal the law forbidding
ex-ConfederateS who relinquished COM
missions in the United States army or
navy to be again appointed to the
service.
The plans to bring about the Maher-
Fitzsimmons fight in the Indian terri
tory inspired the rapid enactment of a
law imposing extremely severe penal
and the epidemic of train robberies in
| the Indian territory brought about
AN IRON-CLAD LAW
| against crimes in that class or at
| tempts at them, with the death pen
| atty for any incidental loss of life. An
| other emergency act was that author
izing the secretary of war to lend tents
| to the cyclone sufferers of ST. Louis.
The dairy interests of the country pre-
vailed upon congress to enact the most
| important measure for their protec-
! ton since the oleomargarine law the
! filled cheese" bill, which regulates the
| manufacture and sale of adulterated
| cheese, and imposes heavy penalties
1 for receptions.
Some of the bills prepared by the
committee were not given a hearing, in
| either house or passed by the one
J considera ton during the short session
if the supporters are able to secure
! time for them.
AMONG THE MOST IMPORTANT.
of these, are the Lodge Mccall bill, for
! an educational test for immigrants
with the Corliss amendment to pre-
ment the invasion of day laborers; the
Phillips industrial commission BILL the
! Curtis bill to lessen the number OF
crimes for which the death penalty can
be imposed by the United States
courts; the bankruptcy bill and the
Picker pension bill, all of which We're
passed by the house. The old anti
option bill was killed by the house
committee on agriculture, and will not
appear in this congress. A large frac-
ton of the sessions business related te
public lands, and important amend
ments were made to the public lands
laws. Foremost among these was
Delegate F'lynns free home bill A
second importantu measure was thai
which extended for five years from the
End of March last the limit within
which the United States may bring
suits to annul patent lands heretofore
granted under railroad grants but con.
firmed the titles to all such lands hello
by bona fide purchasers A cts were