The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-06-04


inquiry. The Spooner bill, providing
that when all instruction against the
authority of the United States shall be
at an end, then the military and all
judicial powers shall, unless otherwise
provided by congress. be carried on
under the direction Of the president,
formed the basis of the senatorial de-
bate on the Philippines. but was fruit
less Of action. The only legislation as
70 Cuba is Of a comparatively minor
character relating to Cuban shipping.
The extraditiOn bill. applying to all
lnsulaE possessions and dependencies,
has passed both houses and doubtless
viii become a law. It is designed main
~ to reach cases like that IF Charles
T. ". Nicely.
Nicaragua Bjll Goes Over.
The Nicaraguan canal bill and the
shipping subsidy bin are instances Of
legislation partly advanced during the
present session. bat not enacted into
law. The canal bill has passed the
house and has been made the special
order in the senate beginning Dec. 10
next. The shipping bin Is on the cal
endar of each house with favorable
recommendation from majority MEM
I bership of the house committee.
Antitrust legislation has come prom
inently into attention of the house at
the close of the session the house hav-
ing passed d new antitrust bin and
defeated . constitutional amendment.
The senate has passed a bin for a
cable TO the Philippines and bevond
to be constructed and maintained I'M
der government aid, but 10 action has
been taken on il in the house.
The restriction of oieOHnargarine has
been productive of considerable agita-
ton, mainly in committees. and a rad
ical restrictive bill has been reported
20 the house.
The general pension laws have been
materially changed by the present con-
! gress, largely as a result of the efforts
of the Grand Army of the Republic
which secured the passage of a bill
amending the law of June y, 1880, so as
to permit the "aggregating' of disabil-
! tiles and changing the provision as to
willows So that a widow may receive
a pension when she is without means
of support other than her daily labor
and has an actual net income not ex-
ceeding $3.50, etc.
Opening Indian Lands
The free h~mes'' act has at last be-
come a law. It provides for the patent
/ ing Of hOmesteads on the public lands
acquired from the Indians on the pay
ment of the usual fees and no other or
! further charges. This opens to free
homestead entry many millions of acres
of public lands in the west heretofore
sold at stated figures per acre.
Another measure passed, of some
| general interest, permits the secretary
| of agriculture to restore game birds
which are becoming extinct, and pro-
VideS for the restriction of traffic on
dead animals. birds, etc, from state to
state, the latter provision being in part
designed to limit the destruction Of
song birds for the sale of their plum
! age.
Among other miscellaneous acts Of
/ the session are those for the preserva-
/ ton of the historic frigate Constitution
and for extending the work of the
| twelfth census.
Considerable general legislation is
/ carried on appropriations. These pro
visions include the amendments to the
military academy bill, making the COM
handing general of the army a lieu
/ tenant general, and adjutant general of
| the army a major general; also the
amendment to the sundry civil bill, ap-
/ propriating s5,000,090 for the St Louis
! exposition. Both of these bills are still
pending. The naval appropriation bill
! adds two battleships, three armored
! cruisers and FIVE submarine boats to
/ the naval strength and may include
| special legislation as to armOr plate
! and government plant. The other APP
preparation bills, in the main, carry the
! usual government supplies
The Alaska code bill. giving COM
/ plete civil system of laws TO the terri
/ tory, has passed both houses and IN
| dOubtedly viii become a law. Other
/ measures which have passed one house
/ or the other, but are still pending in
clude those for the election of senators
! by the people; authorizing the presi-
/ dent to appoint a commission to study
/ commercial conditions III China and
/ Japan; for increasing the efficiency of
/ the army by making service in the
staff corps temporary; extending the
/ eight-hOUr law; increasing the annual
! allowance to the militia of the country
/ from S400, 900 to 81 COO coo.