The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-06-08
NOT A LONG SESSION
What Has Been Accomplished BY the
Rfty-Pourth Congress,
ITS POLITICAL DIFFERENCES
pisagreements on Lines OF Legls-
lation-Reed Predicted That II
Would Be Know N othing As
sembly-A General Resume.


week, II will be the shortest so-oalled
long session" since that of the Thir-
ty-fifth congress and one OF the short
est In the history OF the government.
This record Is probably partly due to
the political difference between the
senate, house and president which have
forestalled agreements on lines Of leg
islation, and partly due to the deter
mination with which the republican
leaders In the house have carried into
effect Speaker Reeds caucus predic-
tion that the congress would be a
know-nothing assembly. Legislation
means appropriations. the house lead
ers have said. and as their opinion was
that the treasury condition warranted
no appropriations except the most i'm
peratively necessary, they have held
the doors tightly shut against classes
OF bills which usually receive the par
ings. Foremost among the inevitable
and regular acts OF congress are the
annual appropriation bills for the sup
port OF the government. Their appro-
priation has constituted a large part
OF the work Of the session. and five of
them are yet hanging between the
house and senate with some OF their de-
tails unsettled. and for this reason II
impossible to give the exact totals OF
the bills on the grand total OF appro-
priations made by this congress, was
an aggregate OF about half a billion
dollars. but the disbursements author
lied during the session will be dis
cussed hereafter by Chairman Cannon
OF the appropriations committee and
ex-Chairman Sayres from the points OF
view OF their respective parties. Tariff
or financial legislation OF any general
character was abandoned for all prac-
tical PURPOSES when the disagreement
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 bus
mess were also tabooed by the house
because Of the alleged lack of revenue,
notably public buildings. public and
provincial claims and all sorts OF pri-
vate bills; bills entailing expenditures.
except pension bills, to which last the
usual amount Of time has been given.
= oae-se the most bitterly contested
fights which has occurred has cropped
out from the provisions Of the Indian
and District Of Columbia bills for gov
ernment aid to church schools. a fea-
ture which still holds both bills In con-
ference. The Indian bill contains pro-
visions giving the homestead settlers
on all ceded Indian reservations an
extension OF one year In which TO make
payments and for the completion OF
the surveys Of land In Indian territory.
Incidental to the legislative. execu-
tive and judicial bill was an entire re-
vision OF the salaries OF the United
States district attorneys. marshalJ and
commissioners with the stipulation
that the terms OF office OF all commits
sioners expire on June 30. 1897 The
agricultural bill conferred upon the
president authority to suspend the pro-
hibition against the importations Of
meat cattle, domestic animals and
hides on the certiflcation of the secre-
tary OF agriculture that countries or
parts Of countries are free from conta-
gious or infectious diseases OF animals,
authorised the president to take steps
to secure the abrogatlon OF the regu-
lations by Great Britain prohibiting
the Importation Of cattle from the Uni
ted States into that country alive.
In the sundry civil bill the most Inn
portant legislation Is to make effective
the Carey arid land act, which ceded
arid land to the public land states for
reclamation, by authorizing the states
TO give liens on the land to cover the
expenses OF reclamation. The most
noteworthy legislation pertaining to
the navy is contained In the appro-
priation bill. The house provided for
Is new torpedo boats and four battle
ships. but the senate reduced the num-
ber Of battleships TO two and a con-
ference Is pending over that difference.
The bill made provision for the en-
listment Of 1000 additional seamen. II
also made unlawful the employment OF
naval or marine officers on the active
or retired lists by parties furnishing
supplies or materials OF war to the
government. A special report author
ICED the acceptance by the government
of the ram Katahdin. which failed to
make the speed required Of the con-
tracts. but which satisfied the depart
ment. being laGely an experimental
craft. The naval reserve system was
strengthened by a plan designed to
draft vessels engaged In the coastwise
trade into service In time OF war. An
act was passed 70 establish naval
training station on Yerba Buena, or
Goat island. in San Francisco harbor.
The secretary was empowered TO ac-
cept certified checks In lieu OF bonds
from contractors for naval supplies.
No special legislation was contained In
the army appropriation bill. Special
bills were passed. however. creating
the positions Of chaplain. twho will
also be professor OF history. geography
and ethics). and an assistant professor
OF the same branches at West Point
academy. making the national military
park fields for maneuvers by the ma
tional guard or militia, and a resolu-
tion appointing Gen. W. :. Franklin
OF Connecticut. Gen. Thomas J. Hen
derson Of Illinois. Representative Steele
OF Indiana and George l.. Beale of
Maine members Of the board OF man
ayers for the national soldiers home.
OF tariff and financial legislation this
congress, as was said. has accomplish
ed none. with a safe margin OF free
silver votes In the senate and a MAJOR
ity Of nearly To l against silver In
the house. II was evident from the be-
ginning that no general policy could
be agreed upon. The two bills. framed
by the house ways and means COM
mittee and bearing the name OF their
author, Mr.. Dlngley OF Maine. one a
bill for the issue OF short term popu-
lar loan and OF certificates of lndeht-
ednesS. the other to increase the rates
OF tariff schedules in wool. manufac-
tIlres OF wool and other articles. were