The Waxahachie daily light. [volume] (Waxahachie, Tex.) 1894-current, 1902-06-30
REVIEW OF CONGRESS
What Has Beeen Accomplished BY
the First Session.
IMPORTANT BILLS.
Exceptional Business Activity Has Been
on for Seven Months and Measures
Of Farreaching Interest Dis.
posed Of-AdiOurnment.

cord or what has been accomplished
J during the past seven months, which
constitute the first session of Fifty
seventh congress The session has
been marked by exceptional business
activity with many questions Of far
teaching general interest engaging at
Isertion. With the exception of the
Cuban reciprocity bill most OF the
larger subjects OF general legislation
have been enacted as laws OF will be-
come such before the session closes.
Notable among these larger measures
lis the isthmian canal bill which con-
to link together the waters Of the At
lantic and the Pacific. Aside from its
national and international Importance
this bill probably involves a larger
sum of money than that covering my
other single undertaking by the gov
eminent outside Of war expenditures.
The Philippine civil government bill
is another measure OF farreaching I'm
portance, extending to our remote Pa
cifsc possessions Il system OF interna-
tional government, together with coin
age, currency. banking, corporations,
a timber and homestead law.
Among the other important general
laws enacted are those repeating the
war revenue taxes; extending and
making more effective the Chineses ex-
elusion laws; establishing a tariff for
goods to and from the Philippines. ex
tending the charter of national banks
for twenty years; establishing a per-
manent census Office. restricting the
sale OF oleomargarine by placing
high tax on imitation butter; providing
q consular and diplomatic service for
Cuba and establishing an extensive
system by which the government viii
aid in the irrigation of the arid SEC
lions Of the west
| The repeal OF the war revenue taxes
| reduced taxation s75,250.000. and Is
| said to be the largest single reduction
| OF taxation ever made In this country.
BY this step the last Of the taxes i'm
posed al the beginning OF our war with
Spain was wiped out
The Philippine tariff act imposes rs
per cent OF the Dingley tariff rates on
articles coming from the Philippines
| from the United States the rates Of
duties established by the Philippine
| com mission.
The oteomargarine act results from
| several years Of agitation. It places
tax OF ten cents a pound on substances
| colOred 10 initiate butter
The irrigation act Is Of special i'm
| 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 sale OF
public lands in the arid states This
| fund in turn ls to be used In storing
water and establishing irrigation sys-
| TENS, the irrigation sections to be open
| to homesteaders, who are to be charg-
| ed proportionate share Of the cost
OF the Improvement.
The Chinese exclusion law continues
exclusion until otherwise provided by
law and also applies the exclusion
ito the Island territory under the
| Jurisdiction of the United States"
Aside from these important laws,
| there 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 anti-anarchist legis-
| lation which grew out of the assassf-
nation OF President Mckinley. Bills
| restricting anarchy and throwing
safeguards about the president have
| passed both branches of congress, but
1t has been possible TO reach an agree
| ment in conference, SO that subject
| goes over.
A bill giving statehood to Arizona,
| New Mexico and Oklahoma 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 secured early
attention in the senate but 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. In the
house II has been deemd desirable 10
let the subject go over until the short
session, when 1t Is expected that q bill
on the subject will be reported and
urged to passage.
The bill creating the Appalachian
forest reserve including a vast tract
In the Appalachian mountains Of the
south, has received favorable atten.
tlon In both houses, but has gone over
for final adjustment OF differences un'
til next December.
Another bin passsd by the senate
apd likely to become q law changes
the marine hospital service to ma
tonal health bureau and gives the
bureau larger powers and facilitates
cooperation with the state health au
thofjties in quarantine and health
affairs.
The bill TO establish q cable Do
tween the United States. Hawaii and
the Philippines was retired by defeal
I'd the house.
Several Othsr pleasures have sd
vancsa 20 q cert4tp steKe and have
thea halted wttsOas much prospeci