The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1897-03-01

Ulll met u ueClHINt ueIehI III blAS AASS..Sl
no the SENATE found It useless to dis
Cuss that proposition.
One feature of the sessions record
worthy Of note IL the great number OF
private pension bills passed, many OF
them placing the widows OF officers on
the pension rolls at ratings ranging
from $50 to $75 month. Private
claims and war claims. on the other
hand, have been few. Several OF the
pension bills were vetoed by President
Cleveland, but Congress enacted some
OF these despite the veto, by the feces-
sary two thirds majority, Several I'M
pOrtant blllgnre In the ePresident's hands
awaiting his action, foremost amons
them the immigration bill. which estab"
fishes an educational test for iminl"
grants and bars out lnborers who main"
tain their homes in other countries
The anti.gcalplng bill may be sub
mltted to the executive for his action
within two or three days una since
Senator Chandler has given notice that
he will move that the senate accept the
house amendments 10 the bill author
iEing the President to cali an interna-
tlonal monetary conference, 1t tS likely
that President Cleveland will be given
nm opportunlty to sign his name to
thnt The bill for the reorganization
or the Atlantic and Pacific railroad
company Is also on the Presidents
desk.
One act written upon the statute
books this session Is not worthy as be-
Ing the work practically of one man.
That Is the act to reduce the cases In
which the penalty of death may be in-
hlcted, a move 20 which General Cur
tIs, of New York, has devoted the best
efforts OF his congressional career.
The abolition OF the death penalty has
been n long cherished enthusiasm with
General Curtis; now after years OF
agitation of the subject he has succeed
ed in erasing from the statute books
all United States laws Imposing the
death penalty for other crimes than
murder rape. treason or piracy ana
endowed juries with the power to stip-
ulate whether or not capital punish"
ment shall be inflicted for these crimes
An agitation by drnmatlsts, com
posprs. and theatrical managers has
rpsuitrd in securing law at this Ses-
sion fixing heavy penalties for public
performances Of copyrighted dramatic
or musical compositions and empower
ing all United States circuit courts 10
enforce the orders OF any such court
regarding these performances.
The Interstate commerce laws have
been extended to prevent traffic In OBJ
scene literature or articles designed for
immoral uses The shipping laws have
been amended TO enable yachts be-
longing to American or foreign CLUBS
TO enter or clear from the customs
houses without tonnage Hxes. also
to require naPht!Ia or electric boats OF
more tban Afteen tons burden to be
subjected TO all requirements for In"
spectIOns and for pilots and engineers.
A new law Compels the name and
drafts OF every registered vessel 70 be
marked on the stern and bow. New
regulations have been made for the
compensation OF inspectors OF steam
vessels for their travelling expenses.
All persons who make signal eXertions
in resculng 4 wrecked ship or drown
ing person are. under a law OF TINS
session eligible for the life saving med
ais which formerly were given only to
| the HE saving crew men.
ulal exposition OF 1897 have succeeded
In securing an appropriation OF 0,oOO
| for IL government building and exhibit,
while the Nebraska delegation is
working TO secure n like recognition
for tho Omaha exposition.
one OF the most important pieces OF
! public land legislation permits the
pntentlng Of lands containing petro-
ieum or other mineral oils under the
mineral land laws. Another extends to
January /, 1899, the time In which pur-
chases may be made OF the railroad
grant lands forfeited to the govern
ment under the act OF 1890, and anoth-
er confirms cash entries which have
been declared invalid because the
lands entered were never offered for
saIe. Other acts confirm the titles Of
settlers In Greer county, Oklahoma,
NIissIsslppl settlers on swamp lands IN
the grants OF the Mobile 4 Ohio rail-
road and settlers on some $4,000 acres
In Louisiana.
Among the acts OF the session relat-
ing to the courts were these; Fixing
the fees in the circuit court OF appeals;
withdrawing from the supreme court
Jurisdiction OF criminal cases not capi-
tai and giving II to the circuit court
OF appeals: directing the illng mort
cages on indian territory property IN
the judicial district in which the prop
erty Is located when the mortHaEee
il a nonresident, constituting new
division OF the eastern judicial district
of Texas; attaching Audrniu county to
the eastern judicial district OF Missouri,
An act was passed TO validate the acts
Of deputy marshnls In the Indian Ter
ritory sworn before MARCH, ], 1895, and
AurIl Is. 1895, when the law was de-
fcctive: law providing heavy penal
ties for selling IntoXiCants TO Indians;
Hn act authorizing the secretary OF the
Interior so use the abandoned Fort
BldweIl in California for an indian
training school, and one to enable the
town OF Flagstaff Arizona, TO Issue
$65,6O0 per cent bonds TO construct q
water system.
the comforting on officers OF tho regu-
lar army OF che highest breVet rank
held by them in the volunteer service; (;
10 authorize officers who served in the
regular army during the rebellion TO
benr the official title and on ceremo-
nlaI occasions wear the uniform OF
their rank. for Issuing certificates of
service Ia members OF the military
telegraph corps; for the state or Colo
RADIO to use the Fort Lyon military
reservation for a soldiers home: to
permit the appointment as medical Of
GERS OF soldiers homes OF others than
those who have been disabled in the
military service; to appoint John Mar
shall Brown. OF Maine, y member OF
the board OF managers of National
Soldiers homes. Life saving stations
have been provided for at Point Arena.
MondocIno county, California, Great
Boars Head, n. H.. and one on the
Maryland Const between Fcnwick Is
lnnd and ocean City, 4 survey has
been authorized for water route from
the mouth Of the jettles at Galveston,
Texas, throuph the ship channel and
up Buffalo Bayou to Houston.
Right OF way has been granted the
MuPkogec, Oklahoma q Western Rail-
road through the Indian territory and
Oklahoma. and the Eastern Nebraska
nnd Gulf Railway Company through
the Omaha and Winncbago indian res
orVhtions in Nebraska,
The time for completing the East
River bridge between New York City