The evening tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 189?-190?, 1897-03-01
ENACTED BY CONGRESS
Total Of Appropriation Bills Over
One Billion Dollars.
Only Necessary Expenditures
Were Passed.
Senate Mas Only Thrce Days 10 Complete
important Legislation

washington, march I,-lout tiiTee udys
more remain for the Fifty-fourth con-
gIess to wind up Its business and make
way for it's successor. The close OF the
session promises no sensational incident,
for only routine business In possible. AS
usual, the house awaits the end with q
clean slate. 1t has finished Its work on
the big appropriation bills. with which
the senate Is now struggling. In the
upper house the remaining days VIII DC
full OF work. Indeed. II IL still uncer-
tain whether the senate Will be able 10
dispose of the bills by noon on Thursday
next. There are four OF the big appro-
priation measures to be voted on. Of
these, the naval bill land that making ap-
preparations for the District OF Column
bia may cause prolonged debate. The
other two. Notifications and general de-
fciency bills, will go through without
trouble. Meanwhile the house Will sit
merely to receive and act upon confer
ence reports. with probably night ses-
sions Tuesday and Wednesday. 1t viii
take skillful generalship but the senate
leaders believe they will have the slate
clear on Thursday.
Speaker Reed and the Republican
o.
final session OF congress with the
avowed determination that no legisla-
ton which compelled great expenditures
of public money should be enacted dur
ing the session. They felt compelled to
adopt this policy because OF the condi-
tion of the treasury. and they have gen.
orally adhered TO 1t, although the regu-
lar appropriation bills for the support of
.txt ,taI
appropriations OF this congress far be-
yond the billion mark. breaking the rec
cr6 OF former congresses. Many Of the
appropriations, notably those for river
and harbor improvements. and for pub
lie buildings. were necessary to con-
tinue works authorized by other con-
crosses. No public buildings have been
started by this session, and no new bat
tleships or vessels of any description. al
though the creation of a new navy" be-
gun several years ago. has by no means
been abandoned. The intention of the
house leaders at the beginning of the
session was TO confi1e the work. so far
as possible, to the appropriation bills,
and they have been successful in living
up to their policy. These bills, more
over, have been numbered with fewer
new pTOJeCtS dhu iSss SShSi ai iSGisid
ton 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 Ques-
ton, which the house has dealt with only
incidentally. Necessarily. the policy of
the house to avoid new legislation which
tvSx ho haan or
upon the senate. The Nicaragua canal
bill. which was discussed at great length
In the senate, but not voted on. was not
taken up in the house. nor has the free
home bill. which the senate passed, had
a hearing at the other end Of the Capitol.
The Pacific railroad funding bill met q
decisive defeat in the house. so the SEN
ate found 1t useless to discuss that prop.
osition. One feature of the sessions rec
ord worthy Of note is the great num-
ber OF private pension bills passed, many
oil them placing 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 were
vetoed by President Cleveland. but con-
gress enacted some OF these despite the
jority. Several important bills are in
the presidents hands awaiting his ac-
ton. foremost among them the immigra-
ton bill, which establishes an educa-
tional test for immigrants and bars out
laborers 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 will move that the senate ac-
cept the house amendments TO the bill
authorizing the president to call an in
ternational monetary conference. il is
likely that President Cleveland will he
given an opportunity to sign his name
to that. The bill for the reorganization
OF the Atlantic and Pacific company Is
also on the presidents desk
One act written upon the statute books
this session is noteworthy as being the
work practically Of one man. That is
the act to reduce the cases in which the
penalty OF death may he inflicted
movement to which General Curtis of
New York has devoted the best efforts
Of his congressional career. The aboli-
tion OF the death penalty has been long
cherished enthusiasm with General Cur
tis. Now. after years of agitation OF the
subject he has succeeded i'm erasing from
the statute books all United States laws
imposing the death penalty for other
crimes than murder rape, treason or
piracy, and endowed juries with the
power to supulate whether or not capital
punishment shall he inflicted for these
crimes.
An agitation by dramatists. compos-
crs and thea trical mar nayers has result
ed in securing a law at this session FIX
ing heavy penalties for public perform
aDccs of copyrighted dramatic or must
cal compositions and empowering all
United states circuit coruts To enforce
the orders Of any such court regarding
these performances.
The interstate commerce laws have
been extended To prevent traffic in OBJ
scene literature on articles designed for
Immoral uses The shipping laws have
been amended to enable yachts belong
ing to American or foreign clubs To en-
Ter or clear from the Gust oms houses