The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1898-07-09
WORK OF CONGRESS.
Review of the Salient Features OF
the Last Session.
oUTRANKs ALMOST ANY OTEER.

Close OF tl., First War Congress In "a Quar-
ter of ~ .entury-Notable Speeches and
Dramaiis Scenes Were Frequent-Totai
Appropriations Foot Up $9OO,0O0.OOO-
Other Important Legislation Aside from
War Measures.
Washington, July 9.-The passing of
the second session of the Fifty-hfth
congress marks the close of the hrst
war congress in a quarter OF century.
Associated with the first hostile con-
fiict with nation of another continent
since 1872 the annexation of Hawaii
and contemporaneous with further
movement for territorial expansion,
though with few important changes In
the domestic scheme, the present con-
gress outranks almost any other that
has ever assembled. 1t began with
widespread clamor for sympathetic ac-
ton for suffering Cuba, but there was
apparently then no expectation OF
an armed conflict. But when the trend
of events eliminated the emergency
was quickly met and necessary legis-
lation enacted.
First Significant War Measures.
The first few, but significant war
| measures, suddenly needed were framed
and made law, but with the issue mace
| clear there was a flood of bills and res
olutions that fairly submerged the two
| branches of congress
Hawaiian annexation, Spain and Gu
ba, war appropriations and war rev.
| enue legislation, organization or the
| vast volunteer army and expansion OF
! the navy a new bankruptcy laval
| these were features of the session.
| Notable speeches and dramatic scenes
| over foreign issues were comparatively
frequent in both legislative chambers.
Urgent deficiency bills, carrying MILL
ions of dollars, were rushed through
with far less delay than marked the
course of an ordinary measure or little
! importance.
| What the Appropriations Foot Up.
The total appropriations footed al
most 5000. 600 900 and upwards OF $780,
OOO. 900 of this was for purely war pur-
| poses. II was the largest aggregate py
any session since the civil war and the
general deficiency was the largest sep
arate measure since the $750,00OOOO sim
gle appropriation in 1868. The naVa
appropriation bill provided for three
new battleships. four monitors, sixteer
torpedo boat destroyers, twelve torpeoe
boats and one gunboat. The urgen'
( deficiency bills all carried provisions
for aggressive work In the prosecutor
! of the war. The general dehclency
enacted in the last days, carried pro
vision for refunding the Indebtedness
Of the Central and Western Pacln'
railroads to the government.
Cuba and Hawaii.
Cuba and Hawaii were the importan
matters of debate and provoked th'
most widespread interest. Hawaiian
, annexation. finally passed at the close
was agaitated throughout the session
first in treaty form, in executive ses
sion. last in open session by resolu
tions accepting the Hawaiian govern
ment's cession of the islands. Their
were a number of messages from Presi
| dent Mckinley bearing on the Cubal
| situation. ranging from the submission
of a report upon the Maine disaste
| and the consular reports to the call 10
a declaration of war
War Legislation.
The frrt real war legislation wa
when oon-l ess paced without limita
tions. $5Oo00,C coo in the president
! hands as an emergency fund for ma
tional defense. The declaration of wa
! was passed 10y congress and approve
| on April 25 Three days before IN
declaration of war President Mckinle
: had approved the volunteer act. Tn
der IT all the soldiers massed agains
n Spain mustered in the entire voluntee
, army have been raised. embracing l25,
!, 600 men under the first and 10000 un
y der the second call
Other Important Legislation.
y One feature of the session was tn
enactment of the war revenue law. Ii
trainers expected it to produce Sl5O,OO
other important legislation. aside fror
war. included: Prohibiting the KILN
of fur seals in the north Paclhc an
imnortation OF seal skins into thi
. country; creating a non-partisan INDUS
trial commission to investigate imm
!, grafton. labor, manufacture and bus
- ness: removing the disability impose
W bv section of the 14th amendment
m the constitution heretofore incurred.
es Late in the session a general banl
ell runtcy law was enacted providing 4.
" voluntary and invo untary bankruptc,
"a The anti-scalping bill prohibiting ticl
et brokerage. reported in both house
went over TO the next session. tt
\ free homes amendment to the India
~ appropriation bill giving over 100000
le acres of public lands as free homes f.
at settlers. was finally compromised on
ve two years extension of payment f
I'd such lands.
| N CNN