The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1897-03-19
WHAT CONGRESS DID.
FEW IMPORTANT THINGS DONE AND
MANY LEFT UNDONE.
Over 1O,4Oo Bills and 3,1OO Resolutions
Were introduced In the Lower House.
Some Things 1t WSls Remarkable For.
Third II ,oOo, 600. 900 Congress.

The Fifty fourth congress will be held
remarkable principally for what it fail
ed to accomplish. In one respect-in
the number of bills and resolutions In.
troduced-it was record breaker. In
the house alone over 10, 400 bills and
S,1OO resolutions were introduced and
referred to the various committees. On.
ly fraction Of these passed the house.
and fewer still became laws.
The principal business Of the congress,
aside from the passage Of the appropria.
tion bills, was limited to the first ses
sion, the net results Of which were the
enactment into laws of the bills creating |
the commission to determine the true |
divisional line between Venezuela and
British Guiana, prohibiting prizefght- |
ing in the territories, permitting ap-
pointments in the army and navy OF
former United States officers who
served in the rebellion, making one
years residence in a territory necessary
for a divorce, Incorporating the Nation
al Society of the Daughters Of the Revo-
luton, defining the penalty for inter
ference with railway trains and persons
riding thereon, and substituting sala-
| ries for fees to United States marshals
| and district attorneys. Aside from the
| foregoing measures, the remaining bills,
| excepting the immigration bill and the
| Joint resolution for an international
monetary conference passed at the Sec
ond session, were of no general interest.
Included in these were 700 private pen
sion bills, an unprecedented number.
In another respect the Fifty fourth
congress was remarkable. This was its
failure to pass a single bill providing
for public buildings. The house calen-
dar contained 100 bills of this class, in
Guiding the senate bill for custom
house in New York city. Speaker Reed,
however, in his determination to re-
duce the expenditure to the lowest pos
sible limit consistent with the necessi-
ties of the government, set his face
sternly against all legislation of this
character. Notwithstanding this cir
cumstance, the present congress is the
third in American history in which the
appropriations have exceeded 81, 000;-
600, COO II, 1t is claimed, these appro-
priations be deducted from the . I'M to-
tai, the aggregate for the past two years
would be little il excess of 81 600, ,OOO,-
900.
A number of important measures,
which We're reported to the house the
previous session and were expected to
receive favorable consideration during
the present session, were either defeat
, ed or were left on the calendar. The
bill to settle the Indebtedness of the
bond aided railways to the government,
which was a legacy from the previous
, session, suffered crushing defeat in
: January last. The substitute measure,
prepared by Mr.. Harrison of Alabama,
to adjust these claims through the me-
dunn of q cabinet commission was not
permitted by the committee on rules to
come before the house.
No effort was made at the last session
} to call up the bills admitting Arizona,
2 New Mexico and Oklahoma to state
3 hood The sound money men in the
, house were practical unit against the
l admission of any territories which are
likely to send advocates of free silver
, to the senate.
l Among the bills which passed the
l house, but have not been acted upon in
the senate, are the Morse bill to prevent
, the selling of liquors in the capitol, the
: Brosius bill permitting the establish
g ment of national banks with capital
: Of $40, 1000 in towns Of 1000 inhabit
r ants, and the Loud bill to reclassify
: second class mail matter.
r The work of the senate during the
f past session has not been heavier thar
usual The number of bills introduced
u generally runs up above 5000, and this
l session the total has reached 8, 1872
Much Of the time of the senate has beer
& consumed in the discussion of question:
y relating to our foreign relations, and
d while no positive action Of any kline
d has been taken, many columns Of Th'
v Congressional Record have been filled
with speeches on these topics. Cubal
resolutions have been introduced ant
pressed for action by the score; but, be
q yond precipitating debate, nothing ha
i been accomplished.
;. A treaty with Japan has been ratified
putting into immediate operation tn
J. clause Of the treaty of commerce ant
r navigation negotiated two years ago
h The general treaty of arbitration witt
Y Great Britain, after being fruit!essl.
l. considered for two weeks, went owe
- until the next session. The Alaskan
= boundary treaty with Great Britain ha
not even been considered in committee
e The Nicaragua canal bill, whicl
n was debated for several weeks, was OF
J. the point of final passage, with a com
\ Portable majority in front of it, whel
the protest of the minister representing
the Greater Central American Republi
le was received. New York Sun.
r.
&c The Socialist In Kansas,