The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1897-03-04
WORK OF CONGRESS-.
a Resume Of the Legislation of
Il Both Houses
Appropriation VIII Amount to More
Than $1,OOO,OOO, 900 - No Meas
ures for Public Buildings-
Over 10000 Bills offered.

washington, March 1.-The Fifty
fourth congress, which will expire at
noon on Thursday. will be held remark
able, principally for what it has failed
to accomplish. In one respect-in the
number of bills and resolutions intro
duced-it was a record-hreaker. In the
house alone over 10,400 bills and 3,1OO
resolutions were introduced and re-
ferred to various committees. Only a
fraction of these passed the house and
fewer still became laws.
The principal business of the con-
gress, aside from the passage of the ap-
preparation bills. was limited to the
first session, the net results of which
were the enactment into law of the bills
creating the commission to determine
the true divisional line between Ven
ezuela and British Guiana; prohibiting
prize fighting in the territories; per-
hitting appointments in the army and
navy of former United States officers
who served in the rebellion; making
one years residence in territory neces-
sary for divorce; Incorporating the
National Society of the Daughters of
the Revolution; defining the penalty
for interference with railway trains
and persons riding thereon and sub
shutting salaries for fees to United
States marshals and district attorneys.
Aside from the foregoing measures,
the remaining bills Excepting the i'm
migration bill and the joint resolution
for an international monetary confer
ence. passed at the second SESSION. were
OF no general interest. Included in
these were 700 private pension bills
an unprecedented number.
In another respect the Fifty-fourth
congress was remarkable. This was
its failure to pass single bill providing
for public buildings. The house cal
endar contained 100 bills of this class.
including the senate bill for a custom
house in New York city. Speaker Reed,
however, in his determination to reduce
the expenditures to the lowest limit
| consistent with the necessities of the
government, set his face sternly against
all legislation of this character.
Notwithstanding this circumstances
the present congress is the third in
American history in which the appro-
priations have exceeded $1,000, 900 900.
If, it is claimed, these appropriations
be deducted from the sum total tie
aggregate for the past two years would
he little in excess of 81 600, 100000.
A number of important measures
which were reported to the house last
session and were expected to receive
favorable consideration during the pres
ent session were either defeated or were
lefton the calendar. The bill to settle the
Indebtedness of the bond-aided railways
rtc the government, which was legacy
from the last session, suffered crush
ing defeat in January last. The sub
stitute measure prepared by Mr.. Harri-
son, of Alabama, TO adjust these claims
through the medium of cabinet COM
mission was not permitted by the COM
mittee on rules to come before the
house, thus leaving it an open question
between the supporters and the oppo-
nents of the measure what it's fate would
have been.
No effort was made at the present ses-
sion to call up the bills admitting
Arizona, New Mexico and Oklahoma to
statehood. The 'sound money" men in
the house were a practical unit against
the admission of any territories W hich
are likely to send advocates of free sill
YER to the senate. Among the bills
which passed the house but have not
been acted upon in the senate are the
Morse bill to prevent the selling of
liquor in the capitol; the Brosius bill
permitting the establishment of ma
tional banks with capital of $40, 900 in
towns of 1000 inhabitants, and the
Loud bill to reclassify second-class mail
matter.
The ways and means committee gave
series of hearings during the early
weeks of the session, and remainder of
the time was occupied by the republican
members in formulating new tariff
bill. This will follow the general lines
of the Mckinley law of 1890 and will be
reported to the house at the beginning
of the extra session of the next con-
gress.
Much of the time of the senate has
been consumed in the discussion of
questions relating to our foreign rela-
tons, and while no positive action of
any kind has been taken, many columns
of the Congressional Record have been
filled with speeches on these topics.
Cuban resolutions have been introduced
and pressed for action by the score,
but, beyond precipitating debate, moth
ing has been accomplished. A treaty