The record-union., 1897-03-01
Will be Far Beyond the Billion-Dollar
Mark.
Review of the Legislation Enacted by
the Last Session of the Fifty
Fourth Congress, Which Goes Out
of Existence at IL O'clock on
Thursday Next.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 2S.-Speaker
Reed and the other representative lead
ers of the House entered upon the final
session of the fifty-fourth Congress with
the avowed determination that no leg
islation which compelled expenditures Of
public money should be enacted during
the session. They felt compelled to
adopt this policy because of the condi-
tion of the treasury, and they nave
generally adhered to it, although the
appropriation bills for the support or
the Government have brought the total
appropriations of this Congress far be-
yond the billion mark, breaking the rec
ord of former Congresses.
Many of the appropriations, notably
those for river and harbor improve
ments and for public buildings, were
necessary to continue works authorized
by other Congresses. No public build
ings have been started by this session,
and no new battlesrips or YES
sells of any description, although the
creation of a new navy, begun several
years ago, has been by no means aban-
doned.
The intention of the House leaders at
the beginning of the session was to con-
fine the work so far as possible to ap-
preparation bills, and they have been
successful in living up to their policy.
These bills, moreover have been en-
numbered with fewer new projects and
general legislation than usual.
The last week of the session begins
with several of the appropriation bills
not yet passed by the Senate. Most
of the time of that body has been con-
sumed 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 expenditures,
has been enforced upon the Senate. The
Nicaragua canal bill, which was dis
cussed at great length in the Senate,
but not acted on, was not taken up in
the House, nor has the free home bill,
which the Senate passed, had hearing
at the other end of the capitol. The
Pacific Railroad funding bill met de-
cisive defeat in the House, so the Sem
ate found it unnecessary to discuss that
proposition
One feature of the session worthy of
note is the great number of private PEN
sion bills passed, many of them placing
the widows of officers on pension rolls
at ratings ranging from $50 to $40 a
month Private claims and war claims.
on the other hand, have been few. Sew
eral of the pension bills We're vetoed by
President Cleveland, but Congress en-
acted some of these, despite the veto,
by the necessary two-thirds majority.
Several important bills are in the
Presidents hands awaiting his action,
foremost among them the immigration
bill, which establishes an educational
test for immigrants, and bars out Ia
borers who maintain 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 viii move that the Sen
ate accept the House amendments to
the bill authorizing the President to
call an international monetary confer
ence, it is likely that President Cleve-
land will be given an opportunity to
sign his name to that. The bill for the
reorganization Of the Atlantic and Pa
cific Railroad Company is also on the
Presidents desk.
One Act written upon the statute
books this session is noteworthy as be-
ing the work practically of one man.
This is the Act to reduce the cases in
which the penalty of death may be in
ficted, a movement to which General
Curtis of New York has devoted the
best efforts of his Congressional career.
After years Of agitation of the subject,