The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-07-09

Review of the Bills Passed by Con-
Gress-SOme That Failed.

WASHINGTON, July S.--The passing of
the second session of the Fifty-fifth Con-
gress marks the close of the first war Con-
gress in quarter of a century Asso-
ciated with the first hostile conflict with
nation of another continent since 1872, the
annexation of Hawaii and contemporary
eous with further movement for terri
torial expansion though with few impor-
tant changes in the domestic scheme, the
present Congress outranks almost any
other that has ever assembled 1t began
with a Widespread clamor for sympathetic
action for suffering cuba, but there was
apparently then no expectation of an armed
conflict. But when the trend of events Gull
minated the emergency was quickly met
and necessary legislation enacted. The first
few but significant war measures, suddenly
needed were framed and made law but
with the issue made clear, there was
flood of bills and resolutions that fairly sub
merged the two branches of Congress.
Hawaiian annexation, Spain and Cuba,
war appropriations and war revenue legis
laton, organization of 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 compare
lively frequent in both legislative cham
bers. Urgent deficiency bills, carrying mill
lions of dollars, were rushed through with
far less delay than mari ed the course of an
ordinary measure of little Importance.
The total appropriations footed almost
$500 100000 and upwards of $3.50. OO0 600 of this
was for purely war purposes. 1t was the
largest aggregate by any session since the
ciU
the largest separate measure since the
$75O, 100000 single appropriation in 1863 The
naval appropriation bill provided for three
new battle ships, four monitors, sixteen
torpedo boat destroyers. twelve torpedo
boats and one gunboat. The urgent de-
ficiency bills all carried provisions for ag-
gressive work in the prosecution OF the
war. The general deficiency, enacted in the
last days, carried provision for refunding
the indebtedness of the Central and West
ern Pacific Railroads to the government.
Cuba and Hawaii were the important mat
tiers of debate and provoked the most wide
spread interest Hawaiian annexation final
ly passed at the close, was agitated
throughout the session, first in executive
session and last i'm open sessions by reso-
lutions accepting the Hawaiian govern
ment's cession of the islands. There were
a number of messages from President Nc
Kinley bearing on the Cuban situation
ranging from the submission of a report
upon the Maine disaster and the consular
reports to the call for declaration of war
FIRST WAR LEGISLATION.
The first real war legislation was when
Congress placed without limitations, fifty
million dollars in the Presidents hands as
an emergency fund for national defense
Party lines were swept away and both
houses unanimously voted its confidence in
the administration. Soon afterward a bill
reimbursiEg the survivors of the Maine dis
aster for their losses not to exceed years
pay with similar amount to those who
persisted, became a law
On April IL the President. in a message,
left the Cuban issue in the hands of Con-
gress. Resolutions were soon enacted and
became a law April 10. declaring that the
people of Cuba ought to be and are free
and independent and demanding that Spain
relinquish its authority and withdraw its
land and naval forces from Cuba and Cuban
waters and directing the use of our land
and naval forces to enforce the resolutions.
The declaration of war was passed by
Congress and approved on April p. Subse-