The Mt. Sterling advocate. (Mt. Sterling, Ky.) 1890-current, 1897-03-16
WHAT CONGRESS- DID.
FEW IMPORTANT THINGS DONE AND
MANY LEFT UNDoNE.

/
Third $1,000, OO0.o oc Congress.
The Fifty fourth congress will be held
remarkable principally for what it fail
ed to accomplish. In one respect--in
the number of bills and resolutions in
| troduced--it was a record breaker In
| the house alone over 10,400 bills and
3, 100 resolutions were introduced and
referred to the various committees. On
ly fraction of these passed the house,
and fewer still became laws.
The principal business of the congress,
aside from the passage of the appropria-
tion bills, was limited to the first ses-
sion, the net results of which W ere the
enactment into laws of the bills creating
the commission TO determine the true
| divisional line between Venezuela and
British Guiana, prohibiting prizefght-
| ing in the territories, permitting ap-
pointments in the army and navy of
former United States officers who
| served in the rebellion, making one
years residence in territory necessary
|
al Society of the Daughters of the Revo-
luton, defining the penalty for inter
! ference with railway trains and persons
riding thereon, and substituting sala-
ries for fees to United States marshaIs
and district attorneys. Aside from the
! foregoing measures, the remaining bills,
excepting the immigration bill and tkc
joint resolution for an international
monetary conference passed at the sec
, ond session, We're Of no general interest.
Included in these were roo private pen
| sion 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, oalen-
dar contained 100 bills of this class, in
Guiding the senate bill for a custom
house in New York city. Speaker Reed,
however, in his determination to re-
duce the expenditure to the lowest pos
sible limit consistent with the necessi-
| ties of the government, set his face
sternly against all legislation of this
character. Notwithstanding this cir.
cumstance, the present congress is the
third in American history in which the
appropriations have exceeded $1,000
600, 000. II, it is claimed, these appro-
priations be deducted from the sum to-
tai, the aggregate for the past two years
would be little in excess of 81, 900, 900,
900.
A number of important measures,
which were reported to the house the
previous session and were expected to
receive favorable consideration during
the present session, were either defeat
ed or were left ON the calendar. The
bill to settle -the Indebtedness of the
bond aided railways to the government,
which was a legacy from the previous
session, suffered q crushing defeat in
January last. The substitute measure,
prepared by Mr.. Harrison of Alabama,
to adjust these claims through the me-
dunn of a cabinet commission was not
permitted by the committee on rules to,
come before the house
No effort was made at the last sessio-
to call up the bills admitting Arizona,
New Mexico and Oklahoma to state.
hood. The sound money" men IN the
house were practical unit against the
admission of any territories which are
likely to send advocates of free silver
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 liquors in the capitol, the
Brosius bill permitting the establish
ment of national banks with a capital
of $40, 0CO in towns of 4, 900 inhabit.
ants, and the Loud bill to reclassify
second class mail matter.
The work of the senate during the
past session has not been heavier than
usual. The number of bills introduced
generally runs up above 5000 and this
session the total has reached 3,732.
Much of the time of the senate has been
consumed in the discussion of questions
relating to our foreign relations, and,
while no positive action of any kind
has been taken, many columns Of The
Congressional Record have been filed
with speeches on these topics. Cuban
resolutions have been introduced and
pressed for action by the score; but, be-
yOllu plA0bll4o bNDttANb AION1ilLAS lis1o
been accomplished.
A treaty with Japan has been ratified
putting into immediate operation the
clause of the treaty of commerce and
navigation negotiated two years ago
The general treaty of arbitration with
Great Britain, after being fruitlessly
considered for two weeks, went over
until the next session. The Alaskan
boundary treaty with Great Britain has
not even been considered in committee.
The Nicaragua canal BILL which
was debated for several weeks, was on
the point of final passage, with a COM
Portable majority in front of it, when
the protest of the minister representing
the Greater Central American. Republic
was received. New York Sun.
The Socialist In Kansas.
Nowhere else is the American social |
list so earnest, SO outspolSen and so UNI