Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1897-03-01
WHAT HAS Been DONE
SUMMARY OF THE WORK OF THIS
SESSION OF CONGRESS-.
ECONOMY THE WATcHWoRD,
IN SPITE OF 1T, APPROPRIATIONS
REACH A HUGE TOTAL.
Many of the Appropriations Necessi-
tnted by Former Lesisiation-
Some of the Most Important
Measures That Have
Been Passed.

Washington, Feb 2S-Speaker Reed and
the other Republican leaders Of the house
entered upon the final session of the Fifty
| fourth congress with the avowed determin-
alton that no legislation which compelled
great expenditures of public money should
be enacted during the session. They felt
compelled to adopt this policy because
of the condition Of the treasury, and they
have generally adhered to it, although the
regular appropriation bills for the support
| of the government have brought the total
| appropriations of this congress far beyond
the billion mark, breaking the record of
| former congresses. Many of the appropri-
ations, notably those for river and harbor
improvements and for public buildings. were
| necessary to continue works authorized by
other congresses. No public buildings have
been started by this session, and no new
| battieships or vessels of any description,
| although the creation of a new navy
begun several years ago. mas by no means
been abandoned. The intention of the
house leaders at the beginning of the ses-
! sion was to confine the work, so far as pos
sible, to appropriation bills, and they have
been successful in living up to their policy.
| These bills, moreover, have been numbered
| with fewer new projects and less general
legislation than usual.
The last week of the session begins with
several of the appropriation bills not yet
| passed by the senate. Much of the time
of that body has been consumed in the
| discussion of the Cuban question, which
| the house has dealt with only incidentally.
| Necessarily, the policy of the house to
| avoid new legislation which involved ex-
| penditures has been enforced upon the SEN
1 ate. The Nicaragua canal bill, which was
discussed at great length in the senate. but
| house, nor has the free homes bfl which
! the senate passed, had hearing at the
other end of the capitol. The Pacific rail-
! road funding bill met decisive defeat in
| the house, SO the senate found it useless
| to discuss that proposition.
One feature of the session worthy of note
passed, many of them placing the widows
| of officers on the pension rolls at ratings
ranging from $50 to s75 a month. Private
claims and war claims, on the other hand,
have been few. Several of the pension bills
We're vetoed by President Cleveland, but
congress enacted some of these, despite the
veto, by the necessary two-thirds majority.
Several important bills are in the pres
| idents hands awaiting his action, foremost
among them the immigration bill, which
establishes an educational test for immi-
| grants. and bars out laborers who MAIN
tain their homes in other countries.
The anti-scalping bill may be submitted
| to the executive for his action within two
| or three days. and since Senator Chandler
| has given notice that he will move that the
stHdte dCCcpl LIE UCuSe lnlenQmentS TO the
bill authorizing the president to call an
| international monetary conference, it is
likely that President Cleveland will be Civ
| en- an opportunity to sign his name to
| that. The bill for the Reorganization of
| the Atlantic &, Pacific Railroad Company
is also on the presidents desk.
| this session isi noteworthy as being the
work practically of one man. That is the
act act to Q, redI2e the cases ca in which the pen
to which General Curtis. of New York,
has devoted the best efforts CT his congress-
sionai career. The abolition of the death
iasm with General Curtis. Now, after
years Of agitation of the subject, he has
all United States laws imposing the death
penalty for other crimes than murder, rape,
treason or piracy. and endowed juries with
the power to stipulate whether or not cap
ital punishment shall be inflicted for these
| crimes.
An agitation by dramatists, composers
securing a law at this session fixing heavy
penalties for public performances Of copy
righted dramatic or or % musical compositions
| courts to enforce the orders of any such
court REGARDING these performances.
tdnd inc interstate q, t commesse @ Ia laws have been
% The 81 shppns laws hsse en aIfs n
The = friends Of the the Tennessee centennial
exposition of 1897 have succeeded in secur-
ing an appropriation of $4,000 for a gov
Nebraska delegation is working to secure
a like recognition for the Omaha EXPOSE
ton.
lic land legislation permits the patenting
or lands containing petroleum or other
mineral oils under the mineral land laws
Another extends to January 1, 1899, the
time in which purchases may be made of
the railroad grant lands forfeited to the
government under the act of 1899, and an
oh \,
| been declared invalid because the lands
entered were never offered for sale. Other
county. o. r.; Mississippi settlers on
swamp lands in the grants of the Mobile &
Ohio railroad and settlers on some $1,000
Among the acts of the session relating to
the courts were these: Fixing the fees in
the circuit court of appeals; withdrawing
from the supreme court jurisdiction of
criminal cases not capital and giving it to
the circuit court of appeals; directing the
@ f in hs udca Gn dHint nsn
the property is located when the mortgager
Is a non-resident: On constituting a. new di-
Texas; attaching Audrain county to the
Eastern judicial district of Missouri
An act was passed to validate the acts
OF deputy marshals in the Indian Territory
sworn between March l, 1895, and April
10, 1886. when the law was detective: an
act providing heavy penalties for selling
thorizing the secretary of the interior to
use the abandoned Fort Bidwell in Cali
fcrnia, for an Indian training school. and
ono to enable the town of Flagstaff. A. T.,
to issue $4,000 per cent bonds to con-
struct water system.
Risht-of-way has been granted the Mus
kogee, Oklahoma & Western railroad'
through the Indian territory and Oklaj
hcma and the Eastern Nebraska G. Gulf
Railway Company through the Omaha arF
Winnebago Indian reservations in NebraA
ka.
The time for completing the East riyf
bridge between New York city and Losr
Island has been extended to January ng
1900. II,
This session has passed sixteen brid
bills and granted American registers ge
five vessels. There have been several bito
eEacted for the government of the DIS
tricC of Columbia, few of them apply!is-
to the inaugural ceremonies. ing
But four days more remain for the fff
fourth congress to wind up its businty-l
and make way for Its successor. The CESS
of the session promises sensationaIlose
cidents, for only routine business Is ps IN
bic. AS usual, the house awaits the 1ssi.
work on the big appropriation bills ITS
which the senate is now struggling. With
the upper house. these four days will In
full of work. Indeed. 1t Is still unceri be
whether the senate will be able to distain
Of the bills by noon on -, Thursday rpose
measures to be voted on. OF these ION
naval bill. and that making appropriatithe
for the District of Columbia, may caurls
prolonged debate. The other two, fortiRe
go through without trouble. Meanwhile
the house will sit merely to receive and aS.
upon conference reports, with probable
night sessions Tuesday and Wednesday 1t
will take skillful generalship. but the sem
ate leaders believe they will have the slate
claar m Thursday