The Lamar register., 1900-06-13
WHAT coScs s. HAS DONE.

session, and Its work Is before the
people. A brief summary of the more
important legislation that it has en-
acted seems in place at this time.
Few congresses have assembled with
larger task confronting them than
the one whose session has just closed.
The regular appropriation bills. In a
country which is growing as fast as
ours, demand an increasingly large
amount of attention The demands OF
the public service are increasing, and
the Congress must provide for efficient
service. seeing that no great interest is
neglected, while at the same time 1t
must take care that the aggregate
amount of the appropriations falls
within the annual revenue, and that
none Of the peoples money is spent
wastefully or improperly.
In addition to the regular appropria-
ton bills, this Congress had before 1t
two tasks of great magnitude and DIFF
ticulty: the enactment of a financial
bill, and the enactment of laws for the
government Of some Of our new pos
sessions The government OF Alaska.
where the conditions have changed
tremendously since the discovery of
gold and the great Influx OF gold-seek-
ers, had to be revised TO meet the new
conditions: system of government
for the Hawaiian Islands had to be
provided. and also system Of gov
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conditions Were entirely different from
those in Hawaii
All OF these were matters OF great
moment requiring no, only knowledge
Of details and OF local conditions. but
also a broad comprehension Of cousti-
tutional principles, and the application
OF these to conditions entirely new,
and not contemplated by the original
trainers of our government
All Of these matters have been dis
posed of In the session just closed.
The disposal OF them has Involved de
bate on the fundamental principles
and on the proper Interpretation of our
constitution; IL has involved a eousid-
Grafton OF local conditions which are
strange to an American Congress: and
1t has involved an adaptation of means
to the ends TO BE- secured which needed
the largest wisdom
The provisions Of the financial bill
are 50 well known that II IS unneces-
sary to state them further in detail
The bill provides for the absolute
parity of our financial obligations, In
creases the banking facilities OF the
country. provides for a larger use OF
silver and silver certificates. puts an
end to the endless chain which
troubled Secretary Carlisle so griev-
ously. and reduces the rate OF interest
on the public debt 1t has already
been in operation for several months.
and the results in the business world
seem TO have been altogether good up
TO the present time.
The Alaskan code provides a com
pIete system of civil laws for the gov
ernment of that territory. creates
new judicial district there. and in gen
eral meets the new conditions which
have arisen since the great gold dis
coveries on the Kiondike.
The act for the government Of Ha-
wall provides for a system OF govern
ment very like that Of our other terri
tories, with a governor appointed by
the President, and Legislature elect
ed BY the people. Voters are obliged
to know how to write and read either
the English or the Hawaiian language.
This act aroused very little partisan
debate
The act which caused the greatest
dissension- and gave rise to the most
bitter partisan opposition. was that
for the government OF Puerto Rico. II
provides a complete system OF civil
government for the island. including
as great measure OF self-goyernment
as the inhabitants are prepared to ex-
ercise; and provides also temporary
revenue, until the island Legislature
can provide for revenue of its own, by
means of small duty of from five to
seven per cent on about half the ar
ticles of import and export from and
to the United States.
In addition TO these necessary meas
ures both House and Senate fnuud