The Dakota chief. (Gann Valley, Buffalo County, S.D.) 18??-1913, 1896-06-25
LABORS OF CONGRESS-
RECENT SESSION THE SHORTEST
FOR THIRTY YEARS.
7iiis that Have Become Laws-M,rv
measures introduced, but Few of
Importance Added to the I,u,
the Country-Pending Legislation.
Done at Wnshinytor

Done at Washington
Inc Flfty-fourth Congress was Tho
shortest long session in thirty wears.
ana one OF the shortest in the history of
the government. OF the measures which
nave become laws, the most imnortant
from an international standpoint. was
the OH creating the commission $50 doter-
mine the true divisional line bet ween Won.
e"ueia ana British Guiana" OF scarcely
iess general interest were the bills pro.
hlpltlng prize fighting in the territories.
permitting appointments in the army and
navy OF former United States officers who
mad served in the rebellion. and mok;ng
one years residence in a territory = nre.
requisite to obtaining a divorce there
LAotptins these, however. the remainder
Vi .He 20 bills and resolutions which
received the Presidents approval were not
VI II character to warrant special mention.
Inc more important were the bills in
cooperating the National Society of the
daughters of the Revolution: opening the
forest reservations in Colorado for rho
location Of mining claims: rerulo+irc
PROOF of death in pension cases: providine
Tor a naval training station in San Fran
cisco harbor; making it unla vful 70 shoot
at any railway train or any person there.
on. or to throw missiles into such train
ana repeating clause G1 of the tariff lay
browning Tor a rebate on alcohol used in
'he arts. Inc session. however cOnspicu-
Gus py reason of its brevity. resulted in
the introduction of a larger number of
pliis IN the House than during any similar
period for a quarter of a century. The
total number Of bills introduced during
the entire Fifty-third Congress was & &
OF which 4,4O5 were introduced during tho
hrst session, which corresponds to the
session just closed, and in which latter
the aggregate is swollen to $500.
Status of Cuban Legislation.
The popular interest in the Cuban reyo-
luton was shown in the large mi or of
resolutions-more than fifty in all-that
was introduced and referred to the Com
mittee on Foreign Affairs. After careful
consideration n concurrent resolution was
reported, for which was subsequently, sub
stltuted, IN conference, the Senate resolu-
ton expressing the sympathy of the Unit
ed states with the insurgents, recognizing
their belligerency, and calling upon the
President to use his good Offices to secure
the independence of the island. Being a
concurrent and not a joint resolution, it
did not call for the Presidents signature.
and its only effect was to express the SEN
tinent of the American people as reflected
in the two houses Of Congress. Measures
for which there has been Il widespread
demand include the bankruptcy bill, the
Mccall bill, providing an educational test
for immigrants; the labor commission and
labor arbitration bills, and the bill SIM
plifying the rules of the pension office, so
as to facilitate the adjustment Of private
pension cases.
The Finance Committee, to which was
referred 1O5 different measures, succeed
ed in getting through the Senate but three
Of any Importance that have become laws
the filed cheese bill, the amendment to
the administrative feature of the tariff
act permitting express companies to pay
the duty on packages valued at aot more
than $500 and deliver it to the residence
Of the importer direct, and the bill to
repeal the free alcohol clause of the tariff
law. The Dingley bill came out of com
mittee with a free coinage amendment
which prevailed in the Senate, and this
proposition was rejected by the House.