Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1898-07-20
THE END \: o.. THE SESSION.
The Fifty-Fifth Congress Adjourns
Sine Die Afrer an Event
full Meeting.
RESUME OF The WORK ACCOMPLISHED:

The Features Were Hawaiian Annex
alton, War Appropriations and
War Revenue Lesislation-Other
Important Measures That Became
Laws and Some That Failed.
Washington, July 9.-Congress adj
journed sine die yesterday.
In the senate resolutions were
adopted thanking Vice President Ho-
bart and Senator Frye, president pro
tempore, for the able and courteous
manner in which they had presided
over the deliberations of the senate
and then final adjournment was an
nounced With waving flags and sing
ing by members and spectators of pa
triotic songs the house adjourned sine
die after adopting a resolution thank
ing Speaker Reed for his services. The
following is resume of the work don't
during the session.:
Noteworthy Features.
Hawaiian annexation. Spain and Cuba.
war appropriations and war revenue legfs-
lation. organization Of the vast volunteer
army and expansion of the navy: new
of the session. Notable speeches and dra-
matte scenes over foreign issues were
comparatively frequent in both legislative
chambers. Urgent deficiency bills, car
rying millions of dollars. we're rushed
through with far less delay than marked
the course of an ordinary measure of little
Importance. The total appropria tons
footed almost $500, 100000 and upwards of
$3.50, 100000 Of this was for purely war pur-
poses It was the largest aggregate by
any session since t. civil war and the
general deficiency was the largest separate
measure since the $3.50 600, 900 single appro-
priation in 1853. The naval appropriation
bill provided for three new battleships
four monitors, 16 torpe edo boat destroyers
IL torpedo boats and one gunboat. The
urgent deficiency bills all carried pro-
visions for aggressive work in the prose-
cution of the war; The general deficiency.
enacted in the last days. carried a pro-
vision for refunding the Indebtedness Of
the Central and Western Pacific railroads
to the government.
Cuba and Hawaii.
Cuba and Hawaii were the important
matters of debate and provoked the most
widespread interest Hawaiian annexation
finally passed at the close. was agitated
throughout the session. first in treaty FORM
in executive session. last in open session
by resolutions, accepting the Hawaiian
governments cession of the islands.
War Legislation.
The first real war legislation was when
congress placed. without limitations. $780,
100000 in the presidents hands as an emer-
gency fund for national defense. Party
lines were swept away. and both houses
unanimously voted their confidence In the
administration. Soon afterWard a bill re-
imbursing the survivors Of the Maine dis
aster for their losses not to exceed years
pay. with similar amount to those who
persisted. became law. On 40 Ri II the pres
ident in a message left the Cuban issue in
the hands of congress. 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 au-
thority 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.
Declaration of War.
The declaration Of war was passed by
congress and approved on April g. Sub
sequent legislation gave free admission to
all military and naval supplies purchased
abroad by this government: allowed tenn
porary Notifications to be constructed on
written consent Of the owners Of land so
taken and prohibited under executive dis
erection the export Of coal or other war ma
terial. and three days before the declara-
ton Of var President Mckinley had ap-
proved the volunteer act. Under it all
the soldiers massed against Spain mus
tered in the entire volunteer army have
been raised. embracing 125.0O0 men under
the first and $4,000 under the second CALL
One feature of the session was the enact
ment Of the war revenue law. It's trainers
expected 1t to produce $3.50. 100000,
Ir this connection congress also author
lied bond issue of $500 100000. known as
the war loan.
Other Business.
Other important legislation. aside from
war. included:
Prohibiting the killing Of fur seal an
imals in the North Pacific and importation
Of seal skins into this country; prohibit
ing foreign vessels from carrying mer-
chandise directly or indirectly between
United States ports: an Alaskan homestead
and right Of way act. encouraging railway
co os approprtating $2oo: 600 for, the
relief Of the Yukon miners, suffering from
the fierce winter there: creating a non
partisan industrial commission to fnvestf-
gate immigration. labor. manufacture and
business: appropriating $473,131 to pay the
Behring sea awards: creating commits
sion to allot lands on the Uintah Indian
reservation in Utah: adjusting the old
land dispute between the United States and
the state Of Arkansas. the compromise
calling for payment from the latter of
$160,572: dispensing with proof Of loyalty
during the war as a prerequisite in bounty
land application where proof otherwise
shows title: abolishing the distinction be-
tween offered and unoffered lands: the
Redistribution of the patent system: Gre
dtlI1g commission 10 revise the statutes
relating to patents and trade marks: re-
moving the disability imposed by section
Of the Fourteenth amendment to the
constitution heretofore Incurred,
Late in the session general bankruptcy
law was enacted providing for voluntary
and involuntary bankruptcy.
Failed to Become Laws.
The Teller resolution declaring for nav.
ment OF the national bonds in silver as
well as gold was passed by the senate. bv
a vote Of A to 80. but was defeated in the
house. Statehood bills for New Mexico.
Arizona and Oklahoma were killed in COM
nfttee. An immigration bill requiring abil-
ity to read and write on the part Of those
Is years old passed the senate. but did not
reach vote in the house. The antt-scalp-
ing bill. prohibiting ticket brokerage, re-
ported in both houses. went over to the
next session. The free homes amendment
to the Indian appropriation bill giving over
20. 100000 acres Of public lands as free
homes for settlers. was finally compro-
missed on a two-years' extension Of pay.
ment for such lands. ~.~~ -~.>,.