The evening tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 189?-190?, 1897-03-04
WHAT CONGRESS DID.
FEW IMPORTANT THINGS DONE AND
MANY LEFT uNDONE.

Were introduced In the Lower House.
Some Things It Was Remarkable For.
Third $1,000, 10000 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 a record breaker. In
the house alone over 10, 400 bills and
3,1O0 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 w ere the
enactment into laws of the bills creating
the commission to determine tho true
divisional lire between Venezuela and
British Guiana, prohibiting prizefght-
Ing in tho territories, permitting ap
pointments in the army and navy OF
former United States officers who
oNiNNu al tit ItDClllOu, Hdhiuk Out
years residence in territory necessary
for divorce, incorporating the Nation
nj 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 seisate bill for custom
house in New York city. Speaker Reed,
however. in his determination to re
duce the expenditure 10 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 1000,
600, 600. III, it is claimed, these appro
priations be deducted from the sum to-
tai, the aggregate for the past two years
would be little in excess OF 81, 600, 000,.
600.
A number Of important measures
which were reported 10 the house the
previous session and were expected &c
receive favorable consideration during
the present session, were either defeat
cd or were left Oh the calendar. The
bill TO settle the Indebtedness of the
bond aided railways TO the government,
which was legacy from the previous
session, suffered a crushing defeat III
January last. The substitute measure,
prepared by Mr.. Harrison of Alabama,
to adjust these claims through the me.
dunn of cabinet commission was not
permitted by the committee on rules &c
come before the house.
No effort was made at the last session
to call up the bills admitting Arizona,
New Mexico and Oklahoma to state.
hood. The "sound money" men in the
house were practical unit against the
admission Of any territories which are
likely to send advocates of free silver
to the senate.
Among the bills which passed the
house, but have not been acted upon III
the senate, are the Morse bill to prevent
the selling of liquors in the capitol, the
Brosius bill permitting the establish.
ment of national banks with capital
Of $4,000 in towns of 1000 inhabit-
ants, and the Loud bill to .reclassify
second class mail matter.
The work Of the senate during the
past session has not been heavier than
usual The number of bills introduced
generally runs up above 5000, and this
session the total has reached 3,732.
Much of the time of the senate has been
consumed III the discussion of questions
relating to our foreign relations, and,
while no positive action Of any kind
has been taken, many columns of Th.
Congressional Record have been fillec
with speeches on these topics. Cuban
resolutions have been introduced an
pressed for action by the score; bat, be
yond precipitating debate, nothing has
been accomplished.
A treaty with Japan has been rattle,
putting into Immediate operation the
clause Of the treaty Of commerce an,
navigation negotiated two years ago,
The general treaty Of arbitration Will
Great Britain, after being fruitlessly
considered for two weeks, went oves
until the next session. The Alaskan
boundary treaty with Great Britain ha.
not even been considered in committee.
The Nicaragua canal bill, which
was debated for several weeks, was or
the point Of final passage, with com
Portable majority in front of it, when
the protest of the minister representing
the Greater Central American Republic
was received. New York Sun.
nu.~