The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1897-07-26
WHAT CONGRESS DID.
Passed Several Important Bills Be-
side the Tariff,
REED PREVENTED MORE BEING DONE.
Senate Passed Cuban and Bank
ruptcy Bills.
SECTARAN SCHOOLS QUESTION
Disposed OF In the Indian BuI-scv-
cral Minor Resolutions Went
Through.
oECTARAN SCHOOLS QUESTION

Washington, July 25. The extraordinary
session OF congrers which has Just closed
was called by President Mckinley twol
days after he took the oath OF office and
It met at noon, March 10. The special
message transmitted by him to both houses
on the opening day was brief. II ex-
planned the Deficiencies in the revenues.
reviewed the bond issues Of the last ad-
mlnietration 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 and the liquidation OF the
public debt No other subject q l,gisla-
tion was mentioned In the message ANA
the tariff bill has been the al-aDsorhing
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 1, giving
hearings and preparing the bill which was
to be submitted at the extra stssion.
Three days after the session opened the
tariff bill was reported to the house by
the ways and means committee ana thir-
teen days later. March 81, 1891, II passed
the hauso
1t went to the senate. was referred TO
the committee on finance and the repub-
lican members OF the committee eprni
month ana three days in it's cousldera-
lion and in preparing amendments wnleG
were submitted to the senate May : aud
exactly two months later July Z. u passed
he senate With S2j amendments. me
bill then went to conference where. after
ten days struggle. On luly II complete
agreement was reached. by which ne sen
ate recoded from IFS amcndment~ and the
house from I'll The others. 2i3 III num-
Der, were compromised. The conference
report was adopted by the house July ~
at the conclusion of twelye hours continn-
Gus debate The report was taken mp in
the senate July 20 and adopted July ~
The tariff bill was signed by the president
the same day
Congress did not devote its attention
entirely to the tariff. though 1t did subor-
dinate everything else TO this one measure.
The four appropriation bills which iailed
ON March last in themselves would have
compelled President Mckinley 10 call con-
gress in extra session, even II the neces-
sity for 4 rcyielon OF tie iarln had BOT
existed Those appropriation hllls were the
sundry civil, The agricultural the IN
dian and the general deficiency. These
ills ware introduced and passed by the
house in the Identical form in which they
existed a mo time OF their failure of en-
actment into Law at the preceding con
gress, but they Wore Amended in some
Important particulars by the senate ana
when the finally became laws. contained
more or less new legislation OF Interest
and importance.
The general deficiency carried pro-
vision accepting the invitation to take part
in the Paris exposition IN 1900 ana APP
propriated $4,000 to dcfray preliminary
expenses, and Sljo.0o1 for a new Immigrant
station at New YORK TO replace the obe
destroyed by fire.
BY far the most important piece OF new
legislation In the bill. however. was That
limiting the cost Ot nrmor plate Tor 'he
three new battloships to 5000 per ton. IA
case the secretary Of the navy shouln
find II impossible 10 make contracts Tor
armor Dlate within the price tiXed, he WIS
authorized by this provision 10 take steps
to establish a government armor faeirfy
of sufficient capacity 20 make the ormo?
In executing this authority he must re
pare description and plans ana specil-
cations OF the land, buildings ana mas mn
cry suitable for the factory; advertise LOT
proposals and report TO congress at ia
next session
In the Indian bill. after a severe slitg-
gle In both houses, the question oil SEC
tartan schools was settled by the follow
ing declaration of the policy OF the goN'ih-
ment.
That the secretary OF the micro
! NAV make contracts with schools APP
propriating as near as may Ne the
amount so contracted among SCHOOLS
4 OF various Denominations FOR he edo
cation OF Indian pupils durlhS
fiscal year 1875, but shall only haAe
such contracts al places whels roIF,
sectarian schools can not be prpNHtd
! for such Indian children ana 10 an
amount not exceeding 30 per eentum OF
Inc amount so used for the fiscal year
1895.
The question Of opening 10 entry the
rich eiIsonite deposits in the Cneompaghfe
reservation in Utah was also coinproi,lseu
! nv opening such agricultural lands as nave
not hecn allotted TO the uncompaghre IN
dams. on April |, 1898, TO entry, but re-
serving TO the United States title ID all
lands containing gilsonite, asphalt or other
| like substances a., 49,, ,,,,,or-
tant new provision was that suspending me
| order of President Cleveland seiuhg asiue
/ about III 900 800 acres as Forest Teh'INa
| ton. The law also includes General
! scheme OF legislation for the sovetnlnel.
| and the protection OF forest fesefNuf'hh "
| the country. ~. .,,.at a.
| .tdad M the opening OF the session 10 .pur-
sue a policy OF inacton In order TO throw
| the responsibility for delaying tne urn
| hill upon the senate. and thsreloIe ~
Quantities were not announced until the
close Of the session and only urgent mat
| ters were considered. nr,.
Fifty thousand dollars were appropri.
4 ated for the relief OF American cluxsns -
| Cuba 1t the solicitation Of the pies,nsns :;
| s90O, 900 was appropriated for tne 'es'e. ~. -
| .the .Mssissippi flood sueereTs; : xssS,s !.
~ ~ 2sce a.'|2 esas'2