The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-02-25
The 18TH CONGRESS-
IT'S RECORD A REMARKABLE ONE
IN MANY RESPECTS.
NOW DRAWING TO A CLOSE.
HAS STRUGGLED WITH soME I'M
PoRTANT QUESTIONS.

AOr Much OlHcussAOu-A OOId He-
serve of $I5O,0OO 900 Established,
and the Army ReOrganized ON n
Basis of 100000 NAen--lt Has Not
Passed the Nicaraguan Canal Bin
and the Ship-Subsidy Bill Is stiII
Pending-ApprOprIa Amount
TO 81 ,457 ,2taI,457.
Washington. Feb 24--The record of the
Fifty-sixth Congress Is now practically
completed, and, although few important
measures are sull In the balance, 1t is
possible to take survey of the wide
range of legislation considered and enact
ed within the two sessions comprising the
Congress now drawing to a close, 1t has
been an eventful Congress in many re-
spects. and, although lacking the thril
and excitement inc dent to the period of
the war with Spain, vet it inherited much
of the work of reconstruction and ex-
pense made necessa y by the events of
that war. Chief among these questions
growing out of the war has been the at
titude of the government toward our new
insular possessions. While this question
is still open to sumo extent yet the pres
ent Congress has passed upon one of its
most important phases by enacting a
law for complete form of government
for Porto Rico, legislative, executive and
judicial together with a comprehensive
plan of raising revenues for the island.
The status of the Phiiipp mes has been
an unfai;iug source of debate in both
branches of Congress, particularly in the
Senate. Resolutions of criticism and in
quiry have been much scussed at much
length, but with little tangible
result. At the first session Senator
Spooner proposed a brief measure, con-
firming the Presidents authority to shape
the affairs of the island until Congress
had passed finally upon the questions re-
latng 20 their political status. This prop
osition In an amended form has now been
grated upon the army appropriation bill.
although II is yet TO be determined
whether the provision will be accepted by
either or bcth houses Cuban legig alton
has been In abeyance pending the &C ion
| of the. constitutional convent on in franz
ing Of a constitution for the fs'and.
Another important achievement In In
sular legislation was that Of enactlng a
territorial government, with an insular
legislature and Judiciary. a governor,
chosen from Hawaii. and a delegate in
the House of Representatives. This law,
passed at the first session, has become
50 far effective that the second session
saw the appearance Of the delegate from
Hawaii, Mr.. Wilcox, who is the first Of
hcial representative on the floor of Con-
gress from cne Of the island possesstc ms
al q A
missioner. MIR. Degetau also has been
accredited to Washington under the law
passed at the first session.
Has Accomplished Much Work
In actual work accomplished the Fifty
sixth Congress has an exceptionally large
record. Aside from the Porto Rican and
Hawaiian acts already mentioned, this
Congress has passed a financial law es-
tablishing a permanent gold reserve OF
about $i50,000000, fixing the ratio between
gold and silver, and reorganizng the
bonding and banking systems of the treas
ury reorganizing the United States army
on a basis of 100000 men; reapportioning
the representation in Congress on the
basis of the twelfth census, giving "free
homes" ON the Indian lands; providing
for government participation in the Lou
isiana Purchase Exposition in 1903 as wei
as many other measures OF wide general
Importance Dut IilS congress draws to
a close with some of the most i'm
portant measures before 1t still In
doubt, and quite likely to expire
without final action, including the Mic
araguan canal bill, the shipping subsidy
bill, the Pacific cable bill. and the oleo-
margarine bill. The fate OF some OF these
measures is very much in doubt, but at
this late day In the session the chances
are decidedly against them.
In 4 ha .
dent Hobart made the duties of the pre-
siding officer of the upper house deyolve
upon Senator Frye of Maine. the presi-
dent pro tempore. His ability as a par.
-iamentarian had been recognized In his
selection as president pro tempore, and
during this Congress he has presided over
the deliberations OF the Senate in a most
acceptable manner.
The House, during this Congress, has
been under an entirely new administra-
tion.
A spirited contest for the speakership
was promised. but before Congress con-
vened the candidates had withdrawn one
by one In favor OF Gen. David b. Hender-
son of Iowa, and he became the unani-
nous choice OF the Republican caucus. He
has presided with a hrmness and fair
ness that has won for him the admiration
and esteem of members on both sides
His reelection is a foregone conclusion.
A spendthrift Congress.
The appropriations of the present Con-
gress will aggregate for the two sessions
approximately $1,457, ,269, 457. This is about
$l1O,OO0O0O less than for the preceding
Congress. which, however, covered the
period of the Spanish war when the APP
propnation ran IN single year up to
ss93. SIS. The tota.s for the present
Congress, as recently summarized by
Chairman Cannon of the House Commit
tee on Appropriations, follows:
Appropriations. first session, including
sinking fund. S71O 150,8G
Appropriate MS, Sc tond session, includ-
ing sinking fund $7l7, 1855.
The act reorganizing the army and
placing the military establishment on a
permanent basis pr badly is the mos i'm
Tortant piece of genelal legislat n en-
acted durr q the present sess on and ne
OF the most important measures placed
on tho statute books In recent years.
The New Standing Army.
II was not until Feb. ttat the meas
ure became eff Give as iaw. As finaIy
enacted Il prov des q st4ndi army, max
imum strength 10 900 and mn.mam
strength ca 20, 70 cou'ist Of fifteen regl-
ments Of cavalry, a corps OF artillery.
thirty regiments OF infantry. one lieuten-
ant general. six major generals hfteen
br,gadier generals snd the usual star
corne The old reR1nnrutaI orga nlzaffon