The Savannah morning news., 1902-06-30
WORK OF CONGRESS-
} RECORD OF WHAT 1T HAS Ann u.s
NOT DONE.
HAS BEEN A BUSY SESSION.
APPROPRIATIONS REACHED Al
MOST A BILLION.

OemOci" win nave Plenty of Cam
paign Material From This nm.
other LegislatiOn-The PhiIiDDino
Civil Government Bill Will Dovh.
/ less Becone n Law This weel. h,,
Cuban Reciprocity Was Defeated
by Hepub leans Despite the Pre.t-
dents AdFocacy-Much Time Has
Been Given to Investigations.
Washington, June 29-The work o4
Congress is low practically closed. So
that it is possible to sum up the re-
cord of VIVA. has been ACCOMPLISHED
during the past seven months. which
constitutes the first session of the Eif
J ty-seventh Congress. The session has
been marked by exceptional business
activity, with many questions of far
reaching general interest engaging ar
tention. With the exception of the
Cuban reciprocity bill, most OF the
larger subjectse of general legislation
have been enacted as laws, or will be-
come such before the session closes
Notable among these larger measures
is the isthmian canal bill, which con-
summaries the efforts of a half century
TO link together the waters of tha A.
lantic and the Pdcific. Aside from it's
national and international Importance
TINS Dill probably involved a larger sum
OF money than that covering anv 9th.
er single undertaking by the govern.
ment outside of war expenditures The
Philippine civil government is another
measure of far-reaching Importance
extending to our remote Pacific posses-
slons system of Internal civil govern
ment, together withlcoinage. currency
banking, corporation, timber and
homestead laws.
among the other important general
laws enacted are those repeating tba
war revenue taxes: extendinp and
making more effective the Chinese ex-
eIusion laws; establishing a
tarlH for goods to and
from the Philippines; extending
me charter of national banks for
twenty years; establishing a perma-
nent census office; restricting the sale
OF oleomargarine by placing a high
tax on imitation butter; providing
consular and diplomatic service for
Cuoa' and establishing an extensive
system by which the government will
aid in the irrigation of the arid sec
ions of the West.
Reduction of Revenue,
The repeal of the war revenue taxes
reouced taxation $7S,25G00O and is
sdld TO be enc largest single reduc-
tloh OF taxation ever made in this
country. By this step the last of the
taxes imposed at the beginning of our
war with Spain was wiped out. The
Phlllppine tariff act imp}sed 70 per
cent. OF the Dingley tariff rates on
articles coming from the kphilippines
10 the United States and ako imposes
on articles entering the philippines
from the United States thu rates of
duties established by the Philippine
Commission. The oleomarg4rine act
results from several years OF agitation
IL places tax of 10 cents bound en-
substances colored to initiate butter.
The irrigation act is of special inn
portance to the development of the
West 1t creates an irrigation fund
IN the Treasury Department into
which is to be paid the proceeds of
the sales OF public lands in the arid
states. This fund in turn is
TO be used in storing water
and establishing irrigation sys-
TENS, the irrigated sections to
be open to homesteaders, who are to
be charged a proportionate share of
the cost of improvement. The Chi
nese exclusion law continues exclusion
until otherwise provided by law and
also applies the exclusion to the Island
territory under the Jurisdiction of the
United States.
Bills which Hung Fire.
Aside from these important laws are
number of other measures of general
Importance which have passed one or
both houses, but have not progressed
to the final stage. These include the
antianarchy legislation. which grew
out of the assassination of President
Mckinley Bills restricting anarchy
and throwing safeguards about the
President have passed both branches
of Congress, but It has been impossi-
BILE to pass an agreement in confer
ence, so that the subject goes over un-
til next December. A bill giving to
Arizona, New Mexico and Oklahoma
statehood-known as the omnibus
statehood bill-passed the House, and
the Senate has determined to take up
the matter early in the next session.
The ship subsidy bill received early
attention in the Senateabut the end of
the session has come without the
measure being reported to the House.
AS it passed the Senate the bill grants
graded subsidies to steam and sailing
vessels of American build. I'm the
Houe it has been decided to let the
subject go over until the short session,
when it is expected that a bill will be
reported and urged tn passa%e.
The bill creating the Appalachian
forest reserve, including vast tract
in the Appalachian mountain section
of the South, has received favorable
attention in both houses. but has gone
over for final adjustment of differences
until next December. Another bill
passed by the Senate and likely to be-
come a law changes the Marine Hos
pital Service to a national health bu-
reau and gives the bureau larger
powers and facilities for cooperating
with the state health authorities in
quarantine and health affairs.
Bills with Little Prospect.
The bill 70 establish a cable between
the United States, Hawaii and the
Philippines was retired by defeat In
the House of Representatives. Sew
eral other measures have advanced to
a certain stage and have there halted
without much prospect for further
advancement. These include the res
olution looking to the election OF
United states senator's by direct vote
of the people. 1t passed the House by
practically a unanimous vote. but IN
the Senate has received little atten-
ton, and is not likely 20 pass. The
House passed a bill relating TO the I'M
migration laws, codifying and amend
ing the laws and making some impor-
tant changes. II has been reported
70 the Senate, but there