Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1897-07-26
IRE N5a LlF CONGRESS.
The Review the Special Session,
4st Ended.

the Origin. reconsideration and
Passage, of of the Tariff Law.
The Other Matters Considered
and Acted Upon During the
Session-An Interesting Review.
washington, July 25.-The extraor-
binary session Of Congress which has
Just closed was called by President
Mckinley two days after he took the
oath Of Office. 1t met March 10th. The
Presidents special message explained
the deficiencies in the revenues, re-
viewed the bond issues of the last ad-
ministration and urged Congress
promptly to correct the then existing
condition by passing a tarin bill that
would supply ample revenues for the
support of the government and the
liquidation of the public debt. No
other subject of legislation was men
toned in the message, and the tarlH
bill has been the
ALL-ABSORBING FEATURE
of the session. The Republican mem
bers Of the Ways and Means Commit
tee of the preceding House had been
at work throughout the short session
which ended March 4th, giving near
ings and preparing the bill which was
to be submitted at the extra session.
Three DAYS after the session opened
the tariff bill was reported 10 the
House by the Ways and Means COM
mittee. and thirteen days later, Marcn
81. 1897. il passed the House. 1t went
TO the Senate, was referred TO the Com
Ynittee on Finance, and the Repuoh-
can members Of that Committee spent
a month and three days IN It's CON
sideratiOn and in preparing the amend
ments which were submitted 70 the
Senate May eth, and exactly Two
months later, July 9TH, 1t passed the
Senate with
EIGHT HUNDRED AND SEVENTY
TWO
amendments. The bill then went to
conference where, after a ten day
struggle. on July 18th. q complete
agreement was reached by when the
Senate receded from one hundred ana
eighteen amendments and the House
from five hundred and eleven. The
others two hundred and thirty-fOur
in number. were compromised. Inc
conference report was adopted Dy lhe
House July 18th, at the conclusion OF
twelve hours continuous debate, Inc
report was taken up In the senate
July goth and adopted July oath. The
tariff bill was signed by the President
the same day.
Congress did not devote its atten-
ton entirely to the tariff, though 1t did
SUBORDINATE EVERYTHING ELSE
10 this one measure. The four appro-
priatiOn bills which failed on March
4th last in themselves would have COM
PEELED President Mckinley TO call Con-
gress in extra session, even II the nee
essity for a revision Of the tarin Lad
not existed. Tho NppTopri9 ~ bills
were the sundry the q tQral,
the Indian aud er9 eiency,
These bills " e passed
bv the form in
-iIme of their
-, law at the
'ess, but they were
te important particu-
tie. and when they fin
law contained more or
gislation Of interest and
The general deficiency
provision accepting the invi-
take part in
b PARIS EXPOSITION
and appropriated $4,000 to de-
Eeliminary expenses, and appro-
"a sf5O.OCO for a new immigrant
stion at New York to replace the one
DESTROYED by fire. BY far the most i'm
portant piece of new legislation in the
bin. however, was that limiting the cost
of armor plate for the three new battle
ships to $500 per ton. In case the Sec
rotary of the Navy should lind it i'm
possible to make contracts for armor
within the price fixed he was authorized
by this provision to take steps TO estab-
lish a government armOr factory OF
sufficient capacity TO make the
armOr. In executing this au-
thority he must prepare
description and plans and specifca-
lions of the land. buildings and machin-
cry suitable for the factory, advertise
for proposals and report to Congress
at its next session.
IN THE INDIAN BILL,
cfter a severe struggle in both houses.
the question Of 'sectarian schools was
settled by the following declaration of
the government: "That the Secretary Of
the Interior may make contracts with
contract schools appOrtiOning as near
as may the amount so contracted for
among schools of various denominations
for the education of Indian pupils dur
ing the fiscal year 1898. but shall only
make such contracts at places where
non-sectarian schools cannot be pro-
vided for such Indian children, and to
an amount not exceeding 40 per centum
of the amount so used for the fiscal year
1898.
The question Of opening to entry the
rich gilsonite deposits in the UncOm-
pabgre reservation in Utah was also
COMPROMISED by opening such agricul-
tural lands as have not been allotted
10 the Uncompahgre Indians on April
I. 1898. to entry. but reserving to the
United States title in all lands con-
tanning gilsonite. asphalt or other like
substances.
IN THE SUNDRY CIVIL BILL,
the most important new provision was
that snspending the order of President
cleveland. setting aside about 100000
acres as forest reservations. The law
also includes a general scheme of leg
islation for the government and pro-