St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1897-08-06

THE ST. JOH]
after the session opened the tariff bill
was reported to the House by the ways
and means committee, and 10 days later,
March 81, it passed the House 1t went
to the Senate, was referred to the com
mittee on finance, and the republican
members OF that committee spent a
month and three days in its considera.
ton and in preparing the amendments
which were submitted to the Senate
May 4.
Its consideration was begun in the
senate May 7, and exactly two months
later, July 7, it passed the Senate with
S72 amendments. The bill then went to
conference, where, alter ten days
struggle, on July II, a complete agree
ment was reached, by which the Senate
receded from 11S amendments and the
House from Sill. The Others, 243 IN
number, were compromised. The confer
ence report was adopted by the House
July 10 a the conclusion Of two hours
continuous debate. The report was
taken up in the Senate July 20 and
adopted Saturday, July "a. The tariff
bill was signed by the President the same
day.
FOUR APPROPRIATION BILLS.
Congress did not devote its attention
entirely to the tariff, though it did sub
ordinate everything else to this one
measure. The four appropriation bills
which failed on March A last in them
selves would have compelled President
Mckinley to call Congress in extra
session even il the necessity for revision
of the tariff had not existed Those
appropriation bills were the sundry civil
the agricultural, the Indian and the
SSHcIdl uSHClSuCy.
These bills were introduced and passed
by the House in the identical form il
which they existed at the time of theil
failure of enactment into law at the pre-
ceding Congress, but they were amended
in some important particulars by the
Senate, and when they finally became
laws contained more or less new legisla
ton OF interest and Importance. The
general deficiency carried provision
accepting the invitation to take part in
the Paris exposition in 1900, and appro
priated $4,000 to defray preliminary
expenses, and appropriated $4,000 for
a new immigrant station at New York
to replace the one destroyed by fire.
THE COST OF ARMoR PLATE.
BY far the most important piece o.
new legislation in the bill, however, was
that limiting the cost of amor plate for
the three new battle ships to $500 pei
ton. In case the secretary of the navy
should find it impossible to make con
tracts for amor within the price fixeG
he was authorized by this provision tc
take steps to establish a government
armor factory of sufficient capacity t.
make the armor. In executing thi
authority he must prepare description
and plans and specifications of the land
buildings and machinery suit table for tn
factory, advertise for proposals ant
report to Congress at its next session
In the sundry civil bill the most impor
tant new provision was that suspendin
the order of President Cleveland settin;
aside about 21,OOO,OOO acres as fores
reservations. The law also includes
general scheme of legislation for tn
government and protection of the tores
reservations of the country.
POLICY OF INACTIoN IN THE HOUSE.
The republican leaders in the Hous
decided at the opening of the session t
pursue policy OF inaction in order t
throw the responsibility for the delay i
the tariff bill upon the Senate, and, Their,
fore, the committees were not announce
until the close of the session, and onl
urgent matters were considered. Fit
thousand dollars were appropriated fo
the relief oil American citizens in Cuba a
the solicitation OF the President; 5000
600 was appropriated for the relief {
the Mississippi food sufferers; resol,
ton was passed authorizing the seer
tary of the navy to transport supple
contributed for the relief of the poor an
furnishing in India, and $4,000 we
appropriated for the entertainment an
expenses OF the delegates to the Univers
Postal convention. The only extensi,
pieces of general legislation enacted t
this Congress, except the tariff bill, we
the laws to prevent collisions at sea, ar
to place in force regulations to prevel
collisions upon certain harbors, rive
and inland waters of the United State
and the bill authorizing the President
suspend discriminating duties on foreie
vessels and commerce.
REJECTION OF THE ARBITRATION TREAT
The Senate, not being confined as
the scope its legislation, dealt with
number of important subjects both