The Elk Mountain pilot., 1900-06-19
WHAT CONGRESS HAS DONE.

people. a DrleT 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 it
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 it
two tasks of great magnitude and diff
ficulty: the enactment of u 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
trcnl cndOusly 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 a system of gov
ernment for Puerto Rico, where the
conditions were entirely different from
those in Hawaii.
All of these were matters of great
moment, requiring not only knowledge
of details and of local conditions, but
also broad comprehension of const-
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; it has involved n consid
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 so well known that it 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 n 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
to the present time.
The Alaskan code provides COM
plete 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 Klondike.
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. 1t
provides a complete system of civil
government for the island, including
as great measure of self government
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 a small duty of from five to
ticles of import and export from and
to the United States.
In addition to these necessary meas
ures, both House and Senate found
time for legislation on other highly i'm
portant matters. The House passed a
bill providing for the construction of
the Nicaragua canal by our govern
ment. and this is a special order for
consideration by the Senate early in
December. The Senate passed bill
for the construction of n cable to Ha-
waii and beyond, which will be taken
up by the House at the next session.
Both houses passed bill providing
for the extradition of offenders from
our new noSSeSsionS-a bill which COY