The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1900-06-04
D \ OF CONGRESS
Work Of a Busy Session Care.
x fully Reviewed.
MANY IMPORTANT MEASURES PASSED
Financial Act REGARDED As the Chief
Achievemsnt-Acti ON Important
Treaties POstpon ed-TerritOria
Legislation Consumed Time.

WASHINGTON, June 4.-,rhe record
Of the first session Of the Fifty-sixth con.
gress is now practically closed, and it is
possible to survey the important work II
has accomplished during the last six
months. 1t has been busy congress-
the busiest, according to veteran officials,
In many years.
Our new territorial possessions have
received much attention, and, while there
has been no definite action as to the Phil.
tppines or Cuba, form of government
and a means of raising revenue have been
provided for Porto Rico and compre.
hensive territorial form of government
has been given to Hawaii. The finan.
cial act has made important changes in
the laws relating to the parity of the
metals, the bonded Indebtedness, nation.
al banks and the security Of the treasury
by gold reserve. The Nicaraguan ca.
nal bill has passed the house and Is on
the calendar Of the senate ready for at.
tention when congress reconvenes. The
antitrust bill is similarly advanced. The
antitrust constitutional amendment has q
defeat recorded against it.
The Pacific cable measure has passed
the senate and is awaiting final action in
the house. The exclusion of Brigham A.
Roberts from seat in the house because
Of his polygamous status, the refusal OF
the senate to admit Mr.. Quay on the ap.
polntment Of the governor of Pennsyl
vania and the sensational charges, in.
vestigation and developments in the sen
ate in the case Of Mr. Clark of Montana
have added some exciting personal phases
to the session.
The total of appropriations cannot yet
be stated with exactness, as five bills are
pending, but it is approximately $780,.
100000 for the session.
The senate in executive session has
been occupied to considerable extent
with important treaties. Or these the
treaties with Great Britain and Ger.
many closing the tripartite government
in Samoa and awarding to the United
States the island of Tutuila, with its
valuable harbor of Pango- pango, has been
ratified, while the commercial reciprocity
treaties with France and the British
West Indian islands and the Hay-Paunce.
fote treaty concerning the interoceanic
OF the legislation actually accomplish,
ed and now on the statute books the
financial 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 lines were not
entirely regarded, Senators Lindsay and
Caffery voting for the measure and Mr.
Chandler against ii. As it became
law by the presidents signature ON
March IA it makes specific the declare
ton of the gold standard, provides q
treasury reserve of S150000.OO0 estab.
fishes division Of issue and redemption
of the treasury, provides for the redemp.
ton and reissue Of interest bearing
bonds Of the United States and makes
new regulations as to national banks.
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 reve.
nue. bill levying duty of Ii per cent
OF the Dingley rates on Porto Rico
goods. The majority Of the ways and
means committee urged the constitution.
atty and necessity Of this course, while
the minority, REINFORCED by Mr. Nc.
Call of Massachusetts, a member of the
majority, maintained that the constitu.
ton of the United States extended to
Porto Rico and that congress was in.
nugurating a new and dangerous prece.
dent by giving the island another law
than that of the rest Of the country. Ex-
element ran high under the spur If
widespread public attention. The de.
bate in the house was signalized by the
division Of the majority, which for a
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 matter by adding complete form OF
civil government. In this form raising
revenue and establishing an island gov
ernment the measure became 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 $2.095,45 collected from island
sources since It's acquisition.
Next in importance In the accomplish
ed work of the session is the act "to pro-
vide government for the territory Of
Hawaii" The debate on it in the senate
and house aroused little division save OH
matters Of detail. The act provides
system Of government much like that of
territories, with governor appointed by
the president, legislature of two houses,
franchise rights practically the same as
those Of voters in the United States,
with the additional qualification that
voter shall be liable to speak, read and
write the English or Hawaiian lam
guage." Administrative and judicial Of.
fcers are provided. and the island is Civ
en- delegate to the house of representa-
tives of the United States, chosen by the
people, with a right to debate in the
house, but not right to vote.
The general pension laws have been
materially changed by the present con-
gress, largely as n result Of the efforts OF
the Grand Army of the Republic, which
secured the passage Of bill amending
the law Of June II, 1890, so as to permit
the "aggregating" of disabilities and
changing the provision as to widows so
that a widow may receive pension when
she Is "without means Of support other
than her daily labor and has an actual
net income not exceeding $3.50 etc.
The free homes act has at last be-
come law.
Considerable general legislation is car
ried on appropriation bills. These provi-
sons include the amendment to the Mill
tary academy bill, making the command
Ing general of the army a lieutenant gen.
eral and the adjutant general Of the army
q major general; ALSO the amendment to
the sundry civil bill aprropratng &c.
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