Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1902-07-10

Presidents supporters to make him get up
in the House and disavow such an inten-
ton, with an explanation of his course,
which was riddled and satirized by Mr..
Richardson of Tennessee.
So much for the greater part of this ses
sion's reccrd-the bills that have not pass
ed. Now for the bills that have passed:
BILLS THAT HAVE PASSED.
The Panama canal bill is not unalterably
for the Panama canal. 1t provides that
the President is to acquire, at a cost not
exceeding $40 600. the rights and prop
erty of the new Panama Canal company,
provided he can get satisfactory tue.
There are also provisions for the acduisi-
ton Of title from the Republic OF Colombia.
lie is then through the 1sthmian canal
commission to have the canal QUILT If
he cannot obtain satisfactory title to this
property, he is to get a canal through
Nicaragua. This Is a compromise intro
duced by Senator Spooner, and is satisfac-
tory to the Panama men.
1t is not at all alternative. for the Presi-
don't is bound to negotiate first with Pana-
ma, and only In the event of failure there
can he do any business with Nicaragua
The Nicaragua mon have professcd from
tho first that Panama cannot give a title
and say they are satisfied with the bill Tor
that reason.
The Philippine civil government bill
leaves the present civil government ir
force Appeals from the Philippine SUI
prem Court can he taken to the American
Supreme Court. There are differences be
tween the legislative provisions Of the bills
passed by House and Senate which vii
have to be arranged in conference. The
same is true of the bill of rights and the
coinage system. The friar lands are TO b
acquired.
Tho permanent census bureau bill makes
the census office n regular department OF
the government. 1t Is to collect annually
statistics Of the births and deaths, am
there are several additions to the manufac
turing statistics which are to be collected
dcccnnially after the year 1905, instead o'
in Years divsihle by ten. The public printer
is to take charge of the printing office es
tahlishod in the census bureau
The olcomarGarinc bill provides tina
olcomargarinc, free from celebration e
make it lock like butter, is to he taxet
ono fourth Of a cent a pound. When col
orcd it is taxed 10 cents a pound.
THE IRRIGATION Bull.
The irrigation bill avoids the nreviou:
argument that irrigation would take tot
much money out of the pockets of Easter
Taxpayers by providing that the money de
voted TO irrigation shall be taken from thf
! sale OF public lands in Arizona, California
Colorado, Idaho. Kansas, Montana. Nebras
| Oklahoma oregon. South DAKOTA, Ctah
| Washington and Wyoming.
1t is to be put in special fund in TIT
treasury to be known as the 'reclama
| ton fund" Public lands which 1t is pro
posed to irriEate shall be subject to entr,
only under the provisions of the home
stead laws. Only bona fide residents car
buy land. This is the only bill especial,
favored and desired by the Presiden
which has passed the first session of Con
gross during his term.
| a Chinese exclusion bill was passct
which was vastly milder than had been ex
pccted and rrophesied by the friends o
exclusion. and which amounted to littl
| law.
! Aside from these matters of afllrmatiV
legislation, the bill repeating the war take
was passed by unanimous vote in boil
House and Senate. The democrats wante
to amend the bill by some tariff refori,
para graphs, particularly those aimed at tn
iron and steel schedules. and tried to &c
! the influential element of tariff reform re
publcans to join with them but at tina
| time the terror of the House machine wa
so great that not a man went with them
not even Mr. Babcock. If the bill had bee
| introduced later in the session, after thes
same tariff reform republicans had joinc
with the democrats and overthrow tn
| House machine there is no telling wha
would have happened.
This is the record of the first session o
the Fifty-seventh Congress, so far a
| legislation Is concerned.