The Washington weekly post. (Washington, D.C.) 1878-1916, 1899-02-28
Eventful Period Covered by
the Present Congress.
LEGISLATION CAUSED By THE WAR
The Extraordinary Session Was Filled
with Stirring Events. Including the En-
aciment of Tsriff Laws, While the Sen
ate Considered the Arbitration Treaty
Acts Of the Second Session Which Occur
red During Hostilities with Spain.

An eVentful period In the country's his
tory is covered by the work of the Fifty
fifth Congress. which is drawing TO a
close. II has been period of stirring and
dramatic action, with questions Of vast
magnitude constantly engaging attention,
forming an epoch alongside those other
American epochs. the Revolution and the
civil war. This Congress has declared
wer against foreign foe and the treaty.
mailing branch has participated In ratity-
ing the treaty by which that war vas
terminated. 1t has provided a great vol
untcer army has enlarged the regular
erray, and has expanded the navy to meet
war emergencies and new conditions. The
tariff has been revised, first by the Ding
ley law, and then by the war revenue act;
a bond issue, known as the war loan, has
been provided.
But far-reaching as these war measures
are, the Congress has had time also 10
enact other legislation which under or
dinary circumstances would make its ses-
sion memorable. This includes the annex
alton of Hawaii, the rejection by the Sen
ate of the general treaty of arbitration
with Great Britain. the enactment Of a
national bankruptcy law. provision for
taking the twelfth census. reorganization
of the personnel of the navy. To this
list may yet be added other important
subjects still pending, including the Nica-
ragua canal, the increase Of the regular
army. the anti-Scalping measure, the Ha-
waiian bill, and the proposed encourage
ment of American shipping Some Of the
most important general measures are in
the final legislative stages, and it will not
be until the last hours arrive that the
success or failure of these measures will
be determined definitely.
The Call for an Extra Session.
the present Congress began it's work al
most simultaneously with the opening of
President McKiniey's administration. Two
days after his Inauguration he issued the
call for an extra session. and in pursu-
ence TO this call Congress assembled on
March 10, 1897 The special message to
Congress was directed to the need of
tariff law that would provide ample reve-
nues for the support of the government.
No other subject of legislation was men,
toned, and the tariff bill at once became
the all-absorbing feature of the session.
Chairman Dingley, of the Ways and
Means Committee. and his Republican as
sociates had already done much work on
the oil, and three days after the extra
session began the Dingley tariff bill was
reported. 1t passed the House within TWO
weeks of the opening of the session;
passed the Senate May Z; became a law
July "a
Hardly less important was the consider
alton in the Senate of the general treaty
OF arbitration negotiated by President
Cleveland with Great Britain. The pro-
gress of the treaty, In the executive ses-
sions of the Senate, attracted worldwide
attention, finally resulting in the defeat
of the instrument. The extra session also
brought forth four appropriation bills.
but they were those which failed of pas-
sage in the preceding Congress, and were
not considered as properly chargeable TO
this Congress. Some general legislation
was enacted, including the suspension Of
President CleYelands order setting aside
100000 acres of forest reserves; provid-
ing for a gradual abandonment of secta-
rian Indian schools; extending relief 10
Mississippi flood sufferers and 10 the des-
titute in Cuba and in India. The Cuban
problem began TO present an acute phase
at this early session, and the Senate
passed a resolution recognizing the Gu
bans as belligerents, which, however, did
not pass the House.
Culmination of sympathy for Cuba.
The second session of the present Con-
greSS is remembered as the great war
session. 1t saw the elimination of the
pent-up sympathy for suffering Cuba; the
declaration that the people of Cuba ought
TO be and are free and independent; the
declaration of war against Spain, and the
enactment Of those vast emergency meas
ures for prosecuting the war There were
many messages from the President as
the war-clouds darkened, ranging from
the submission of the report on the Maine
disaster to the call for d declaration Of
war. The first real war legislation was
when Congress placed at the disposal of
the President, without limitation, $4,000
600 as an emergency fund for national de-
fense. On April II the President commit
gress, and just one week later the Con-
gressional resolution became a law de-
claring Cuba free and independent; de-
manding that Spain withdraw its land
and naval forces from Cuba and Cuban
waters, and directing the use of our land
and naval forces TO enforce the resolu-
tions. Within another week, viz, April a.
the declaration of war was passed by
Congress and approved. Then came the
rush of war legislation on a StUpendOus
scale, the work proceeding while actual
hOstilities were under way, and the
Dewey victory was achieved.
The act creating the volunteer army had
been approved three days before the dec
laration of war, and under it the Presi-
dent was enabled TO call into service the
20 600 men aUgmenting the regular forces
The latter. also had been expanded and