The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-06-04
WHAT CONGRESS HAS DONE.
IMPORTANT LEGISLATION OF THE
PRESENT SESSION.


Matters Attracted the Greatest At
tention-COntest Cases Furnished
the Excitement.
| Washington, June S.-The record of the
first session of the Fifty-sixth Congress
is now practically closed, and it is pos
sible to survey the important work II has
accomplished during the last six months.
In some respects the work has been less
exciting than that of the preceding Con-
gress. which covered the dramatic period,
when war was declared against Spain,
and also the period of reconstruction and
treaty making with Spain, following the
successful close of the war. But in work
actually accomplished, and started toward
accomplishment the record of the present
session stands we'll in comparison with
the most energetic Congresses.
Our new territorial possessions have
received much attention, and while there
has been no definite action as to the Phil
ippines or Cuba, form of government
and a means of raising revenue, has been
provided for Porto Rico. and compre>
hcnsive territorial form of government
has been given to Hawaii.
The financial acts have made important
changes in the laws relating to the parity
of the metals, the bonded indeb tedness,
national banks and the security of the
treasury by a gold reserve. et
The Nicaragua Canal bill has passed the
House and is on the calendar of the Sen
ate ready for attention when Congress
convenes.
The antitrust bill is similarly advanced.
The antitrust constitutional amendment
l.EA LAl a.
The Porto Rican cable measure has pass
ed the Senate and is awaiting final action
in the House.
The Personal Contests.
The exclusion of brigham H. Roberts
from a seat in the House because of his
polygamous status, the refusal of the
Senate to admit Mr.. Quay on the appoint
ment of the Governor of Pennsylvania, and
the sensational charges, investigation and
developments of the Senate In the case
of Mr.. Clark Of Montana, have added some
exciting personal phases of the session.
Investigations have been prolific, includ-
ing the inquiry into the Couer d'Alene
mining riots in Idaho, the various in
quisies on polygamy growing out of the
Roberts case, and more recently, the Sem
ate investigation of the postal and other
Irregularities in Cuba.
The total of appropriations cannot yet
be stated with exactness, as five bills are
pending, but it is approximately $700,00o0 900
Tor the session.
The Senate in executive session has
been occupied to a considerable extent
with important treaties. OF these the
treaties with Great Britain and Germany
closing the trlpartite government in
Samoa and awarding to the United States
the Island of Tutuila with its valuable
harbor of Pago-Pago, has been ratified,
while the commercial reciprocity treaties
1. 81. Dat efX It'd Ito,
Islands, and the Hay-Pauncefote treaty
concerning the inter-oceanic canal, go
over without action.
The Financial Bill.
OF the legislation actually accomplished
| and now on the statute books, the finan-
| cial act is regarded as the chief achieve
ment of the year. The noteworthy feat
ure of the debate on this measure in the
House was that party lines were broken
| to some extent, number of Democratic
members from the Eastern and New Eng
| land states joining with the majority in
| passing it, In the Senate also party lines
| were not entirely regarded, Senators Lind
say and Caffery voting for the measure
and Mr.. Chandler against it.
! AS IL became a law by the Presidents
| signature, Mach A. the financial act makes
! specific the declaration of the gold stand
| ard, provides a treasury reserve of $780,
| e00,0C0, establishes a division of issue and
redemption of the treasury. provides for
| the redemption and reissue of interest
| bearing bonds of the United States, and
makes new regulations as to national
banks, their circulation, establishment in
/ small communities and the tax they pay
The act also contains specific declaration
that its provisions ''are not intended to
preclude the accomplishment of interna-
tional bimetallism."
"COlonial, Legislation.
Porto Rican legislation has been the
most fruitful theme of the controversy in
and out of Congress during the session.
The discussion first turned on the reve-
nue. bill. levying duty of Is per cent.
OF the Dingley rates on Porto Rico goods.
The debate in the House was signalized
by the division of the majority, for which
q time made the result doubtful, but the
bill ultimately passed. The Senate chang
ed the entire scope of the measure by
adding a complete form of civil govern
ment In this form, raising revenue and
establishing an island government, the
measure became a law. Subsequently it
was amended so as to limit corporate
franchises, and later $2O95.455 was appro-
priated, to be collected from island sources
since it's acquisition.
The act to provide a government for
Hawaii aroused little division in it's dis
cussion The act provides a system of
government much like that of territories.
The Philippines and Cuba have occu-
pied much attention. The Spooner bill,
providing that when all insurrection IS at
an end, then all military, civil and judi
cial powers, unless otherwise provided by
Congress, shall be carried on under the
direction of the President, formed the ba-
sis of the senatorial debate on the. Philip
pines but was fruitless of action.
The only Cuban legislation related to
Cuban shipping. ~
The extraditon bill, applying to all
insular possessions and dependencies, has
passed both houses and doubtless will be-
come a law. 1t is designed mainly to
reach cases like that Of Charles +. w.
Nicely.
Bills That VIII Go Over.
The Nicaraguan. canal bill has passed
the House, and has been made the spe-
cial order in the Senate. beginning Dec.
10, next. The shipping subsidy bill 10
on the calendar of each House, with fav-
orable recommended ton, from a majority
membership of the Senate and House
Committees.