Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1900-06-09
WORK DONE
BY CONGRESS
Many Laws Passed or Started on
Their Way.

Washington Correspondent Chicago
Tribune: The record of the first session
of the Fifty-sixth Congress is now practi-
cally closed, and in work actually accom-
.plished and started oward accomplish
ment the record of the session compares
well with previous congresses.
The new territorial possessions have re-
ceived much attention, and while there
has been no efin action as to the Phil
ippines or Cuba, a form of government
and "a means of raising revenue have
been provided for Porto Rico, n a Ter
ritorial form of government has been Civ
EN- to Hawaii.
The financial act has made important
changes in the laws relating to the parity
of metals, the bonded Indebtedness, ma
tiomal banks, and THE security of the
treasury by a gold reserve.
The Nicaraguan canal bill has passed
the house and is on the calendar of the
senate ready for attention when congress
~reconvenes.
The antitrust bill is similarly advanced.
while the antitrust constitutional
amendment has a defeat recorded against
it.
The Pacific cable measure has passed
the senate and is awaiting final action in
the house.
The exclusion of Brigham H. Robert
from a seat in the house because of his
polygamous status, the refusal of the sem
ate to admit Mr.. Quay on the appoint
ment of the governor of Pennsylvania,
and the sensational charges, investiga-
tion, and developments in the SENATE in
h case of Mr.. Clark of Montana have
added some exciting personal phases to
the session.
SERIES OF INVESTIGATIONS.
Investigations have been prolific, includ-
ing the inquiry into the Occur d'Alene
mining riots of Idaho, the various in
qufries on polygamy growing out of the
Roberts case, and more recently the SEN
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 $500, 0OO,-
900 for the session.
"a The senate in executive session has
been ~ccupie ITO a considerable extent
with important treaties. OF these the
treaties with Great Britain and Germany
closing the tripartite government in Sa-
moa and awarding to the United States
the Island of Tutuila with it's valuable
harbor of Pango-Pango have been rati-
fed, while the commercial reciprocity
treaties with Franco and the British
West Indian stands and the Hay-Paun-
cefote treaty concerning the interoceanic
canal go over without action.
PARTY BREAKS ON FINANCIAL
/ ACT.
OF the legislation actually accomplish
. ed and now on the statute books the fl
I nancial act is regarded as the chief
achievement of the year. The note
| worthy feature of the debate on this
measure in THE house was that party lines
! were broken to some extent, a number of
democratic members from the eastern
| and New England states joining with the
!, majority in passing it. In the senate also
PARTY Tires were not entirely regarded
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 spe-
oific the declaration of the gold standard,
provides a treasury reserve of $l5O, OO0,-
600, establishes q 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, n the tax they
pay.
/ The act also contains a specific dec
l~aration that it's provisions "are not in
tended to preclude the accomplishment
of international bimetallism."
LEGISLATION Fol, PORTO RICO.
The Porto Rico discussion first turned
on the reenue bill, levying a duty of Ii
per cent of the Dingley rates on Porto
Rico goods. The majority of the ways
and means committee urged the cOnsti-
t~utionality and necessity of this course,
while the minority, reinforced by Mr..
Mccall of Massachusetts, a member of
the majority, maintained that the con-
,%stitution of the United States extended
to Porto Rico, and that congress was in
augurating a new and dangerous prece-
dem by giving the island any other law
than that of the rest of the country. Elk
citement ran high under the spur of
widespread public attention. The debate
in the house was signalized by the divi-
sion of the majority, which for a time
made the result doubtful, but the bill
/ ultimately raised.
! The contest in the senate was ami
mated but less acute, the senate chang-
ing the entire scope of the measure by
adding a complete form of civil govern
E ment. In this form, raising revenue
and establishing an inland government
2 the measure became a law.
Subsequently 1t was amended so as to
limit corporate franchises, and on the
I presidents recommendation an act was
passed appropriating for the use OF
Porto Rico the 81, 095, ass collected from
island sources since it's acquisition.
TERRITORY OF HAWAII.
a
Next in importance in the accom-
- plished work of the session is the acI
, 'to probe a government for the terri.
tory of Hawaii The debates on it in
/, the senate and house aroused little di-
i vision save on matters of detail.
= The act provides a system of govern
ment much like that of territories, with
a governor appointed by the president. 8
legislature of two houses, franchise
rights practically the same as those OF
voters in the United States, with the
additional qualification that a voter shall
"be able to speak, read and write the
English or the Hawaiian language"