Daily Kennebec journal., 1897-03-02
ENACTED sy CONGRESS.
Only Necessary asasurss Passed, Yet Appro.
priatIons Are Over One Billion.

usual, the mouse awaits the e1u Win
clean slate. 1t has finished Its work OF
the big appropriation bills. with which
the senate is now struggling. In TN
upper house the remaining days VIII p'
full of work Indeed, it is still uncer'
tain whether the senate will be able Il
dispose of the bills by noon on Thursda,
next. There are four of the big appro
priation measures to be voted on. O
these, the naval bill land that making ap
preparations for the District OF Column
bia may cause prolonged debate. Th'
other two. Notifications and general de
ilciency bills. will go through without
trouble. Meanwhile the house Will si'
merely to receive and act upon confer
ence reports, with probably night ses
sions Tuesday and Wednesday. 1t vii
take skillful generc.ship. but the senate
leaders believe they will have the slat'
clear on Thursday.
Speaker Reed and the Republican
leaders of the house entered upon the
final session of congress with thu
avowed determination that no legisla'
ton which compelled great expenditure.
of public money should he enacted dur
ing the session. They felt compelled t.
adopt this policy because of the condi'
ton of the treasury. and they have gen.
orally adhered to ii. although the regu.
lar appropriation bills for the support OF
the government have brought the tota
appropriations of this congress far be-
yond the billion mark breaking the rec.
ord of former congresses. Many of thu
appropriations. notably those for river
ard harbor improvements and for pub.
liz. buildings, were necessary to con.
tinue works authorized by other CON
crosses. No public buildings have beer
started by this session, and no new bat.
tleships or vessels Of any description. al.
though the creation OF 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 10 cOnfine 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 fewel
new projects and less general leslsia
ton than usual.
The last week of the session begins
with several of the Appropriation bill,
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 oil
the house to avoid new legislation which
involved 'cxpeditures has been enforced
upon the senate. The Nicaragua canal
lii. which was discussed at great length
In the senate. but not voted on, was moi
taken up in the house. nor has the free
home bill, which the senate passed. had
Il hearing at the other end of the Capitol
The Pacific railroad funding bill met a
decisive defeat in the house. so the sen.
ate found it useless to discuss that prop
csition. one feature of the session g rec
ord worthy of note is the great num-
Der of private pension bills passed. many
OF them placing widows of officers on the
pension rolls at ratings ranging from s3t
to S15 a month. Private claims and wa,
claims, on the other hand, have beer
few. Several of the pension bills were
vetoed by President Cleveland, but con.
gTesS enacted some of these despite the
veto by the necessary two thirds ma
jor,ty. 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
iahorers who maintain their homes in
other countries. The anti-scalping bill
may be submitted to the executive fol-
bis 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;
IifhnriyinSy 10
ternational monetary conference, it is
likely that President Cleveland will be
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 be inflicted al
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.
It's Now, after years of agitation of the
subject, he has succeeded in erasing from
the statute books all United States law,
irlposing tho death penalty for other
crimes than murder. rape. treason or
piracy, and endowed juries with the
power to stipulate whether or not ca pital|
punishment shall be inflicted for these
crimes.
An agitation by dramatists, compos.
ers and theatrical managers has result.
ed in securing law at this session fix
ing heavy penalties for public perform
ances of copyrighted dramatic or must.
cal compositions and empowering all
United States circuit coruts to enforcel
the orders of any such court regardineI
these performances.
The interstate commerce laws haveI
been extended to prevent traffic in OBJ
scene literature or articles designed forl
inamoral uses. The shipping laws hayeI
heen amended to enable yachts belong.l
ing to American or foreign clubs to en-
ter or clear from the customs houses|
without, tonnage taxes. also to REQUIRE
naphtha or electric boats of more thanl
IL tons burden to be subjected to all re-
quirements for inspection and for pilots
and engineers A new law compels the
name and draft OF every registered ves-I
sci to be marked on the stern and bow.
New regulations have been made for the
compensation of inspectors of steam yes-I