The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1898-07-14
THE F1FTY-F1FTH CONGRESS-
A Resume of the Work Done by, the
Dody Which Has Just Adjons ned
Sine Die. sfsg. 4.

=, 0OOy w A1cA H"0 O""S sAASOk6 n4O
|. Sine Die. fsS.
Washington. July 9-The house adjourned
sine die precisely at two Friday, Immense
cheers were followed by singing Of patriotic
songs. Representative Bromwell, OF Ohio.
proposed three cheers for President Nc.
Kinley, which were given twice over bv
the republicans. Then followed cheers
joined in. by the entire house for Admiral
Dewey and Gen. Joe Wheeler.
The whole house was one vast demonstra-
ton and flags were passed about to every
member and were enthusiastically waved
while the members sang at the close OF the
Fifty-tifth congress. T.
Washington, July 9.-The senate ad.
journed sine die at 2:06 p. m. Before ad-
journment the senate in executive session
the president.
Washington. July 9.-The passing of the
second session Of the Fifty-f1fth Congress-
marks the close Of the first war Congress-
TN a quarter of a century.
Hawaiian annexation. Spain and Cuh.
war appropriations and war revenue legis-
latton. organization of the vast volunteer
army and expansion OF the navy, a new
bankruptcy laval these were features
Of the session. Notable speeches and dra
matte scenes over foreign issues were
comparatively frequent in both leeisla tive
r.
rying millions of dollars, were rushed
through with far less delay than ma rked
the course of an ordinary measure of little
Importance. The total appropriat tons
footed almost $90O,000.00O and upwards of
$3.50, 600 900 OF this was for purely war pur-
poses 1t was the largest aggregate nv
any session since t. } civil war and the
general deficiency was the largest separate
measure since the $3.50, DOC, 900 single appro-
priation in 1863. The naval appropriation
bill provided for three new battleships
four monitors, l6 tOrp edo boat destroyers
II 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 railroad DIS
to the government.
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.
There were number of messages from
President Mckinley bearing on the Cuban
situation, ranging from the submission Of
a report upon the Maine disaster and the
consular reports to the call for declara-
ZION O1 war.
The first real war legislation was when
congress placed. without limitations. $5O.-
600 900 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 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 April II the pres
ident in a message left the Cuban issue in
the hands OF congress. Resolutions were
soon enacted and became law April 49,,
declaring that the people of Cuba ought to
be and are free and independent, and
demanding that Spain relinquish it's 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.
The declaration of war was passed by
congress and approved on April 25. 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 APP
proved the volunteer act. Under it all
the soldiers massed against Spain mus
tered in the entire volunteer army have
been raised, embracing $4,000 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. Its trainers
expected it to produce S150.0O0 900.
In hhis connection congress also author
lied bond issue of $200.000.c00. known as
the war loan.
Other revenue legislation included bill
charging in favor of importers the pro-
visions as to disposition of abandoned i'm
ported merchandise; and extending the
outage allowance on distilled spirits in
bonds from four to six years.
Other important legislation. aside from
war, included:
Prohibiting the killing of fur seal an
imals in the North Pacific and importatio
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
construction; appropriating $500, 600 for the
relief OF the Yukon miners, suffering from
the fierce winter there; creating non
partisan industrial commission to investi-
gate immigration, labor, manufacture and
business; appropriating $473,1S1 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 a payment from the latter Of
Sl6O,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
ating commission to revise the statutes
relating to patents and trade marks; re-
moving the. disability imposed by section
3 of the Fourteenth amendment to the
hoy Inn, cd oil y}v,ev
s2SS.0O0 for the relief of the book agents Of
the Methodist Episcopal church south, for
damages during the war; $3.50, Isl for the
heirs of John Roach, the Philadelphia ship
builder. for work on the cruisers Chicag go,
Boston and Atlanta; $2S,l6O likewise for
Richmond locomotive and ma chine works
for damage and losses in the construction
of the battleship Texas.
Late in the session a general bankruptcy
law was enacted providing for voluntary
and involuntary bankruptcy.
The Teller resolution declaring for pay
ment OF the national bonds in silver as
we'll as gold was passed by the senate, by
vote of Al to 50. but was defeated in the
house. Statehood bills for New Mexico,
Arizona and Oklahoma were killed in COM
mittee. An immigration bill requiring abil-
ity to read and write on the part Of those
16 years old passed the senate. but did not
reach vote in the house. The anti-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
2ooN, 600 acres of public lands as free
homes Tor settlers, was finally compro-
missed on a two-years' extension of pay
ment for such lands
President Gets His Diploma.
Washington, July 9. President Nc
Kinley, upon whom Yale university re-
Gently conferred the degree of doctor