Hutchinson gazette. [volume] (Hutchinson, Kan.) 1895-1902, 1896-06-11
WHAT CONGRESS DID.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF ITS
PROCEEDINGS.
Its Appropriations Over Half a Billion
DOllars-very Few New Laws Passed.
One OF the Shortest Long Sessions" on
RecOrd-Many Bills Held Up

WASHINGTON, June s.-If as now
seems probable, the first session of
the Fifty-fourth Congress adjourns
this week, it will be the shortest So
called "long session" since that of the
Thirty-fifth Congress, and one of the
shortest in the history of the govern
ment The total appropriations made
by this Congress aggregate about half
a billion dollars. The disbursements
authorized during the session will be
discussed hereafter by Chairman Can
non of the appropriations committee
and ex-Chairman Sayres, from the
points of views of their respective
parties.
Tariff or financial legislation of any
general character was abandoned for
all practical purposes when the dis
agreements between the House and
Senate were demonstrated by the fate
of the two bills prepared BY the House
ways and means committee. Other
lines of business were also tabled by
the House because of the alleged lack
of revenue, notably public buildings,
public and private claims and all sorts
of private bills entailing expenditures,
except pension bills, to which the
usual amount of time has been given.
One Of the most bitterly contested
fights which has occurred has cropped
out from the provisions of the Indian
and District of Columbia bills for
government aid to church schools,
feature which still holds both bills in
conference. The Indian bill contains
provisions giving the homestead set
tiers on all coded Indian reservations
an extension of one year in which to
make payments and for the compile.
ton of the surveys of land in the In
dian Territory.
In the sundry civil bill, the most
important legislation is to make eff
fective the Carey arid land act (Which
coded arid lands to the public lands
states for reclamation by authorizing
the states to give liens on the land to
cover the expenses. of rec amatlon.
The only important bill recommend
ed 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 re, uff in the
house, but will be brought forward
again. While foreign affairs divided
with finances the interest of congress,
comparatively little legislation re.
suited from the discussions, because
so great share of the conduct of for
eign relations rests with the executive
branch. The first public resolution
adopted by congressional after one
hours debate in the House and few
days in the Senate-was that author
izing the President to create the COM
mission to investigate the Venezuela
British Guiana boundary line.
One incident of the excitement that
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-Confed-
crates who relinquished commissions
in the United States army or navy to
be again appointed to the service.
The dairy interests of the country
prevailed upon Congress to enact the
most important measure for their pro-
lection since the oleomargarine law,
the filled cheese" bill, which regu-
lates the manufacture and sale Of
adulteratei cheese and imposes heavy
penalties for deception.
Some of the important bills pre-
pared by the committees were not
given n hearing in either house or
passed but one house an will on
the calendar for consideration 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 Corllss amendment to prevent the
invasion of Canadian day laborers;
the Phillips industrial commission
bill, the Curtis bill to lessen the mum.
Der of crimes for which the death
penalty can be imposed by the United
States courts; the bankruptcy bill,
and the Pickler pension bill, all of
which were passed by the house. The
old anticipation bill was killed by the
house committee on agriculture and
will not appear In this Congress.