Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1900-06-14
Washington correspondence
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Washington correspondence:
- HE record of the first session VI
the Fifty-sixth Congress IS no"
q closed and it is possible to survey
tho imnortant work it has accomplished
during the last six months. 1t mas Deen
. busv Congress. the busiest, according
to veteran officials, in many years. III
some respects the work has been less eA-
citing than that of the preceding Con-
gress. which covered the dramatic perlod
when war was declared against SPAN,
and also the period Of reconstruction ana
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 Win
the most energetic Congresses.
Our new territorial possessions nave
received much attention, and while there
has been no definite action rs to the Phii-
ippines or Cuba, form Of government
and means of raising revenue nave
been provided for Porto Rico and COM
prehensiye territorial form Of govern
ment has been given to Hawaii. The
financial act has made important changes
in the laws relating to the parity OF
metals, the bonded Indebtedness, nation
al banks and the security Of the treas
ury by gold reserve. The Ncaraguan
canal bill has passed the House and is
on the calendar of the Senate ready Tor
attention when Congress reconvenes. The
antitrust bill is similarly advanced, the
antitrust constitutional amendment has
a defeat recorded against it. The IA
ci6c cable measure has passed the SEN
atc.'
The Roberts and Clark Cases.
The exclusion of Brigham HI. Roberts
from 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 in the Senate In the
case of Mr.. Clark Of Montana have add
ed some exciting personal phases to the
session.
Investigations have been prolific, in
Guiding the inquiry into the Occur
D'Alene mining riots in Idaho, the vari-
Gus inquiries on polygamy growing out
of the Roberts case and more recently
the Senate investigation of the postal and
other Irregularities in Cuba.
The total Of appropriations is approx
imately 100000 for 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 Ger
many, closing the tripartite government
of Samoa and awarding to the United
States the Island Of Tuluila, with it's val
liable harbor Of Pago Page, has been
ratified, while the commercial reciprocity
treaties with France and the British
West Indian Islands and the Hay-Paun-
cefote treaty concerning the interoceanic
canal, go over without action.
The New Financial Law.
or the legislation actually accomplish
ed and now on the statute books the
financial act is regarded as the most i'm
portant Of the year. The noteworthy
feature of the debate on this measure in
the House was that party lines were
broken to some extent, number of Dem
ocratic members from the Eastern and
New England States joining with the
majority in passing it. In the Senate
also party lines were not entirely re-
garded, Senators Lindsay and Caffrey
voting for the measure and Mr.. Chandler
against it. AS it became a law by the
Presidents signature on March IA, it
makes specific the declaration Of the gold
standard, provides treasury reserve Of
30,OO0,00O establishes division OF
issues and redemption Of the treasury,
provides for the redemption and reissue
of interest-bearing bonds OF the United
States, and makes new regulation as to
national banks, their circulation, estab-
lishment in small communities and the
tax they pay. The act also contains
declaration that it's provisions "are not
intended to preclude the accomplishment
of international bimetalism."
Porto Rico legislation has been the
most fruitful theme Of controversy in and
out of Congress during the session. The
discussion first turned ON the revenue bill,
levying duty of 10 per cent of the Ding
ley rates on Porto Rico goods. The ma
jority OF the ways and means committee
urged the constitutionality and necessity
Of this course while the minority, re-
enforced by Mr.. Mccall of Massachu-
sets, member of the majority, main
tanned that the constitution of the United
States extended to Porto Rico and that
Congress was inaugurating a new and
dangerous precedent by giving the island
any other law than that of the rest of
the country. Excitement ran high under
the spur of widespread public attention.
The debate in the House was signalized
by the division of the majority, which for
time made the result doubtful, but the
bill ultimately passed. The contest in
the Senate was animated, but less acute.
the Senate changing the entire scope of
the measure by adding a complete form
of civil government. In this form rails
ing revenue and establishing an island
government the measure became n law.
Subsequently it was amended SO as to
limit corporate franchises and on the
Presidents recommendation an act was
passed appropriating for the use of Porto
Rico the $2,095, 445 collected from island
sources since it's acquisition.
Hawaii and the Philippines.
Next in Importance in the accomplish |
ed work OF the session is the act 4to