Omaha daily bee., 1902-05-05
BILLS RETAIN THEIR ORIGIN
Measures Passed by House Attract Atten-
tiOn Tor Undergoing So Few Changes
AIN ACTIVITY OF INDUSTRIOUS LoBBlES
NJ buildings and Grounds OmnI-
~, m IRE Presents Many Feat-
urS Ls/ %toricaI Interest in
ConlS/ s,J.with Structures.
(From a san Correspondentl

gram.)-On Wednesday the house passed
the agricultural appropriation bill, carry
ing nearly $5,250, 900, substantially as II
came from the committee on agriculture
In fact, not a single amendment was in
corporated, which was not previously sane
TONED by that committee
This statement might not be considered
Of much importance under ordinary cir
cumstances. But the year 1902 has been
remarkable, thus far in a legislative sense,
because Of the peculiar methods employed
In putting bills through the house. For
instance the Cuban reciprocity bill and the
omnibus public buildings bill were brought
up under rules which permitted no general
amendments. The agricultural sppropria-
tion bill. on the other hand, was subject
to any amendment which a majority Of the
house might see At to incorporate, and
yet not a single change was made without
the sanction and approval Of its trainers.
The bill carries total increase Of some
thing like 100000 for the scientific bureaus
Of the department. II the total had been
s6.0O0,OO0 1t would have been considered
mot enough" by some Of the bureau chiefs.
AS 1t was, one Of these gentlemen has
spent all his spare time-and some of the
governments time-during the last six
months in lobbying for more money. As
soon as 1t became apparent that the COM
mittee would not give his particular bureau
all that this particular chief asked for
he began propaganda which extended
from Maine TO California and from Mexico
to the Canadian border and which resulted
in floods OF letters and petitions, urging
members to vote for more money for this
gentleman to expend. His efforts were un 4
remitting and he never tired until the bill
came up. Naturally he expected great
results and a few hundred thousand dollars
more for his experiments. Last year the
appropriation for his bureau was S110, 900
in round numbers. This year nearly $50, 900
more has been added.
But he is not satisfied.
The work done by this gentleman and
his colleagues was expected to upset the
calculations Of the committee But It did
nothing of the kind. The house emphat-
ically indorsed the report OF that COM
mittee and passed the BILL
Log Rolling Method.
When the late Senator Sawyer Of Wis
consin first supplied the expression log
rolling" to the combination method OF get
ting bills through congress It was the GUS
tom for members to get together and agree
to support each others bills. Thirty years
ago congress frequently provided for the
Improvement of a single river or harbor
in a bill which had no other object than
to provide funds for that particular stream
or harbor. Later came the Omnibus"
river and harbor bill. and still later a spe-
cial committee was organized to frame this
general Improvement scheme. and that
committe has been continued by each con-
gress since.
Next to rivers and harbors members are
most generally interested in public build
ings. Each year scores of bills providing
for federal structures In every section of
the country are introduced and It has al
ways been a dificult matter to sift out the
deserving from the undeserving towns be-
cause Of the '1og-rolling" disposition OF
members. Two or three years ago the COM
mittee on buildings and grounds brought
in an Omnibus bill TO provide increased
appropriations for bills already authorized
and which could not be built within the
limit fixed because OF the increase in cost
of all building materials and the uniform
advance in the wages OF skilled labor. This
omnibus plan was so successful that it has
been adopted again and the house has
passed the bill prepared by the committee
without amendment.
Four Hundred Cities Applied.
There were 400 towns and cities in all
which asked for public buildings or for an
increased appropriation for those already
authorized this year. The bill provides for
174 Of these towns and II will keep the
force in the supervising architects ONCE
busy for several years to prepare the
plans.
In the report spbmitted with the bill some
interesting historical data concerning
hui nv IL
presented.
OF the building in Richmond, Va, the re-
port says
when the state Of Virginia seeded from
the federal union. in April, 1861, the state
took charge OF this building and used It
for various purposes until the confederate
government was transferred to this city
from Montgomery Ala. in July. 1861, when
they took charge OF this building and in
stalled here the treasury department OF
the confederate states, from which were
issued all the bonds and currency used by
the confederacy."
Jefferson Davis, the president Of the con.
federacy, had an once on the third floor
Of this building In which he and General
Robert e. Lee and other famous generals
sometimes met for consultation.
The secretary OF state. Judah P. Ben
JnAhAnt anu lhc bcticAdIy Ol Ahc AlchoAIy
together with the auditor and treasurer.
occupied rooms In this building. Room
No. II was used for cabinet meetings by
the confederate government.
There were also stored In this building
up to April 2. 1885, the gold and silver OF
the confederate states government. which
on that date was transferred south. On
the following day It was occupied by fed
eral troops. and afterward placed under
control OF the Treasury department.
In this building, on May 10. 1866. the
grand jury OF the United States circuit
court indicted Jefferson Davis for treason
On May 13. 1857. he was brought into this
building on a writ OF habeAs corpus, and
was Immediately released under bond given
on that date by Horace Greeley, Franklin
stearns, Charles o'Connor and others
OF the building in New Orleans and the
necessity for a new postoffice there the
committee says:
The present site was eeded to the United
States June %, lsts. by the frst municipai-
ity OF New Orleans. and building opera
tlons We're commenced soon after. In 1850
the walls had been carried up seventy-five
feet above the concrete base to the archi-
trave line OF the entablature and all the
moor beams Of the fourth story were in
place. The discovery was then made that
the building slowly sinking the maxi
in kagv.