The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-02-27

II WASHINGTON. Feb. 2s.-An event
full period in the country's history Is
y covered bp the work of the Fifty.hfth
Congress, which Is drawing to a close.
11t has been u period OF stirring and dra-
matte action. with questions OF vast
magnitude constantly engaging atten-
s ton, forming an epoch alongside those
$of other American epochs.the revolution
and the civil war. This Congress has
declared war against a foreign Zoe, and
the. treaty-making branch has particle
pated In rntifying the treaty by which
that var was terminated It has pro-
9 vided great volunteer army. has en-
larged the regular army and has ex-
4 panded the navy to meet war emergen-
cles and new conditions! The tariff
& his. been revised, first by the DlngIey
law and then by the war revenue act;
"a bond Issue, known rs the war loan.
has been provided. But far-reaching
as these war measures are, the Con-
Gress has had also time to enact other
legislation which under ordinary cir
cumstances would make It's session
memorable. This includes the annex
alton of Hawaii: the rejection by the
senate OF the general treaty OF arbItra-
ton with Great Britain; the enact-
ment OF national bankruptcy law;
provision for taking the twelfth Gen.
sns; reorganization oftthe personnel OF
the navy. To this list may yet be
added other Important subjects still
pending. including the Nicaragua canal
q the Increase OF the regular army. the
ani-scafpfng measure, the Hawaiian
bill and the proposed encouragement
OF American shipping. Some II the most
important general measures are in the
final legislative stages. and 1t win not
be until the last hours arrive that the
success or failure OF these measures Will
be determined finally.
The present Congress, began It's wor,
almost simultaneous with the opening
OF President Mckinley's administration.
Two days after his Inauguration he
issued the call for an extra session, and
In pursuance TO this call Congress as
sembled on March 10. 1887. The special
message TO Congress was directed to
the need OF tariff law that would pro-
vide ample revenue for the support OF
the government. No other subject OF
legislation was mentioned. and the tar
III Dill at once became the absorb
ing feature of the session. Chairman
Dingley, of the ways and means COM
mittee. and his Republican associates
mad already done much work on the
Dill. and three days after the extra ses-
sion began the Dinghy tart bill was
reported. II passed the house within
two weeks OF the opening OF the ses-
sion; passed the senate May Z: became
o law July "a. Hardly less important
was the consideration in the senate or
the general treaty OF arbitration nego-
tlated by President Cleveland with
( Great Britain: The progress of the
treaty. In the executive sessions OF the
senate, attracted worldwide attention,
finally resulting in the defeat OF the in
strument. The extra session also
: brought forth four appropriation bills,
but they were those which failed of
passage in the preceding Congress and
we're not considered as properly charge
able to this Congress. Some general
legislation was enacted. including th,.
suspension OF President Clevclands or
der setting aside $1,000. 900 acres OF for
est reserves: providing for gradual
abandonment OF Sectarian Indian
schools: extending relief to Mississippi
flood sufferers. and TO the destitute in
Cuba and in India. The Cuban prob
lem began to present an acute phase at
this early session. and the senate passed
Il resolution recognizing the Cubans as
belligerents. which. however, did not
pass the house.
The second session OF the present Con-
Sress 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 independ-
emit; the declaration Of war against
: Spain. and the enactment OF those vast
emergency measures for prosecuting
the war. There We're 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 n declaration OF war. The
first real war legislation was when Con-
Gress placed at the disposal of the Presl-
dent. without limitation. S50,00000O as
an emergency fund for national de-
Tense. On April II the President com
mittcd the entire Cuban question to
5 Congress and just one week later the
Z congressional resolution became law
declaring Cuba free and independent:
demanding 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 resolutions. Within another week,
viz. April "a, the declaration Of war
was passed by Congress and approved
Then came the rush of war legislation