The bee. (Earlington, Ky.) 1889-19??, 1897-07-29
CONGRESS- is CLOSED.
Resume of the Legislation of tho
Extra Session
Called By Mr.. Mckinley 20 Pass TariR NH
that Would supply Ample RevenueA
for tho support of the Governments
and for Debt Liquidation.

luhL clOscu was chlicu Dy ffeblucnt
Mckinley two days after he took the
oath Of Office on the steps Of the capt.
toll. 1t met In pursuance TO his proc
lamation Mt noon, March IS, The spc-
cial message, transmitted by him 10
both houses on the opening day, was
brief. II explained the deficiencies in
the revenue, reviewed the bond issues
Of the last administration and urged
congress promptly to correct the then
existing condition by passing tariff
bill that would supply ample revenues
for the support of the government aud
the liquidation Of the public debt. No
other subject Of Legislation was men
toned In the message. and the tariff
bill has been the all-absorbing feature
of the session.
The republican members Of the ways
and means committee OF the preceding
house had been at work throughout
the short session which ended March 4.
giving hearings and preparing the bill
which was TO be submitted at the extra
session. Three days after the session
opened the tariff bill was reported to
the house by the why's and means COM
mlttee and % days later. March 81.
1897, it had passed the house.
1t went TO the senate, was referred
TO the committee on finance, anl the
republican members of that committee
spent q month and three days In It's
consideration, and in preparing the
amendments which were submitted to
the senate May and exactly two
months later, July 7, 1t passed the sem
ate with 672 amendments.
The bill then went 10 conference,
where. after q ten-days' struggle, on
July u, a complete agreement was
reached, by which the senate rcceded
from Ill amendments and the house
from 5Il. The others, 243 In number.
were compromised.
The conference report was adopted
by the house on July 10 at the conclu-
sion Of IL hours continuous debate.
The report was taken up 10 thcsenate
on July 20. and adopted July "a. Tho
tariff bill was aligned by the president
the same day.
Congress did not devote Its attention
entirely to the tariff. though It did
subordinate everything else to this one
measure. The four appropriation bills
which failed on March Z last, In them
selves would have compelled President
Mckinley to call congress- 10 extra ses-
sion even II the necessity for revision
of the tariff had not existed. Those
appropriation bills were the sundry
civil, the agricultural, the Indian and
general deficiency. Those bills were
introduced and passed by the house In
the identical form In which they
existed At the tims OF their failure OF
enactment into law Ut the preceding
congress. but they wero amended In
some'impoTtant particulars by the sem
ate and when they finally became laws
contained more or less new Legislation
Of interest and importance.
The general deficiency carried q pro-
vision accepting the Invitation 70 take
part In the Paris exposition In 1900 and
appropriated 695. 600 to defray prelim-
mary expenses. and appropriated $780,
900 for q new immigrant station Ut Now
York TO replace the one destroyed by
fire. by far the most I'm portant piece
OF new legislation In the bill. how
ever. was that limiting the cost Of
armor plate for the three bat
tleships TO $500 per ton. In case
the secretary OF the navy should find
1t impossible TO make contracts for
armor within the price 1xeds he was
authorized by this provision to take
steps TO establish a government armor
plate factory Of sufficient capacity to
make the armor In executing this
authority he must prepare O dcscrip-
ton and plans end specifications of the
land, buildings and machinery suitable
Tor the factory; advertise for proposals,
and report to congress at Its next ses-
ZION.
In the Indian bill, after severe
struggle in both houses the question
of sectarian schools was settled by the
following declaration Of the policy of
The government:
THAT the secretary Of the interior
may make contracts with contract
schools apportioning. near as may be,
he amounts contracted for among
schools OF various denominations for
the education of Indian pupils during
the fiscal year 1895; but shall only
make such contracts at places where
non-scctarian schools cannot be pro-
vided for such Indian children, and to
an amount not exceeding 40 per cent.
Of the amount 10 used for the fiscal
year 1885"
The question of opening to entry the
rich gilsonite deposits in the Uncom'
pahgrc reservation in Utah was also
compromised by opening such agricul
tural lands as have not been allotted
to the Uncompnhgre Indians on q
pledge in 1898 to entry, but reservinQ
to the United States title In oil lands
containing gilsOnite, asphalt or other
ike substances.
In the sundry civil bill the most i'm
portant provisions was that suspend
ing the order of President Cleveland
settlpg aside about 81, 900, 900 acres as
forest reservations. Tho law also In
cludes q general scheme OF Legislation
for the government and protection o.
the forest reservations of the country
The republican leaders of the hous'
decided at the opening of the session
40 pursue . policy of inaction in ordel
to throw tina responsibility for delay
ing the tariff bill upon the senate, anC
therefore the committees were not IN
nounced until the close Of the session
and only urgent matters we're consid
cred. Fifty thousand dollars were ap
propriatcd for the relief oftAnericaI
citizens In Caba at the solicitation o
the president; $500. OOO was sppropri
ated for tho relief OF the Mississippi
flood sufferers; resolution was passed
authorizing tho secretary OF the nagl
Centennial Rates.
The L. AN. has offered the followin