Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1896-06-25


Importance Added 60 the Lave Of
the CONTEMPLATING LegisiatiOs-
Done at Washingtou
The Fifty-fourth Congress was the
shortest sIong session" In thirty years,
and one OF the shortest In the history Of
the Government. OF the measures which
have become laws, the most important,
from an International standpoint, was
the bill creating the commission Ito deter
mine the true divisional line between VEN
exuela and British Guiana" OF scarcely
less general interest were the bills pro-
hibiting prize fighting In the territories;
permitting appointments in the army and
navy of former United States officers who
had served in the rebellion, and making
one years residence in q territory pre-
requisite to obtaining a divorce there.
Excepting these, however, the remainder
Of the 225 bills and resolutions which
received the Presidents approval were not
of character to warrant special mention.
The more important were the bills in
cooperating the National Society of the
Daughters Of the Revolution; opening the
forest reservations in Colorado for the
location Of mining claims; regulating
proof Of death in pension cases; providing
for a naval training station in San Fran
cisco harbor; making it unlawful to shoot
at any railway train or any person there
on, or to throw missiles into such train,
and repeating clause 81 of the tariff law,
providing for rebate on alcohol used In
the arts. The session, however conspicu-
Gus by reason of it's brevity, resulted In
h. tu<~ Lar kor nl
bills in the House than during any similar
period for quarter Of a century. The
total number Of bills introduced during
the entire Fifty-third Congress was 1887,
Of which 4,4O5 were introduced during the
first 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 revo-
luton was shown in the large number Of
resolutions-more than fifty in alI-that
was introduced and referred to the Com
mittee on Foreign Affairs. After careful
consideration a concurrent resolution was
reported, for which was subsequently sub
stituted, 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 q
concurrent and not joint resolution, IL
did not call for the Presidents signature,
and its only effect was to express the SEN
timent Of the American people as reflected
in the two houses of Congress. Measures
for which there has been 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, 90
as to facilitate the adjustment Of private
pension cases.
The Finance Committee, to which was
referred 105 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 lot 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.
Bills Placed on the Calendar.
Some OF the most important bills pre-
pared by the committees were not given
! hearing in either house or passed but
one house, and will be on the calendar for
consideration during the short session il
their supporters are able to secure time
for them. Among the most important Of
these are the Lodge Mccall bill for an ed
ucational test for immigrants, with the
Corliss amendment to prevent the inva-
sion Of Canadian day laborers; the Phil
ips industrial commission bill; the Curtis
bill to lessen the number of crimes for
which the death penalty can be imposed
by United States courts; the bankrupt
bill, and the Picker pension BILL all Of
which were passed by the House. Among
those passed by neither house are the
statehood bills for Arizona, New Mexico
and Oklahoma; that for a territorial form
Of government for Alaska; the Pacific
railroad funding bill; the Nicaragua canal
and Pacific cable bills: the plan for the
reorganization Of the Indian territory gov
eminent, for which the Dawes commits
sion end Representative Curtis of Kan
sas are joint sponsors; the Loud bill to
reduce the scope Of the fourth-class mail
matter, and bills to reorganize the reve-
nue. marine personnel, to increase the
salaries of railway mail clerks, to revive
the grade Of lieutenant general for Gen.
Miles. A large fraction of the sessions
business related to the public lands, and
important amendments were made to the
public land laws.
Miscellaneous BiIIs
Among the miscellaneous acts passed
during the session were the following:
For the detail of revenue cutters to en-
force order ut regattas and yacht races
and insure the safety of the spectators
and participants.
To reconvene the United States dele
gates to the international marine confer
ence for the destruction OF the income tax
returns. -
For the deputation of refugee Canadian
Greek Indians from Montana.
To establish the government of Greer
County as county ef Oklahoma latter
the decision BY the Supreme Court that
Greer County was not part of Texas).
Forbidding divorces In territories unless
the parties applying have been residents
Tor one year before the applications.
Authorizing the Secretary of the Treas
ury to distribute medals and diplomas
awarded BY the Worlds Columbian Com
mission.
Authorizing the Secretary of the Treas
airy to remit fines, penalties and forfeit
ares In laws relating to vessels and TO dis