The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1903-03-07
CONGRESS- ADJOURNED
The Session Just Closed Appropri-
ated Over SI,ss4, 900, 900.
1850 BILLS WERE INTRODUCED
1918 We're Reported and More Than
1000 Passed-Mr. Mason Lectured
the Senate on Unlimited Debate.
Demonstration in the House.

Demonstration in the House.
Washington. March 5.-The 57th con
gress expired al noon yesterday by
limitation. In many respects the clos
Ing scenes We're similar 10 those at the
END OF every congress. Every four
years, however. there is an Inaugural
ton. which materially changes the pro-
ceedings in the senate. but the expira-
ton of congress- .n The house is very
much the same each time. But there
has moi been in many years such a
demonstration in the house as occur
red yesterday. owing TO the fact that
Speaker Henderson was retiring. not
only as presiding officer. but from the
house as a member. The bitter par
tisan feeling tha; has sprung up in the
house of representatives. during the
past week reached q pitch under which
The speaker was prevented from re-
reiving the unanimous approval of the
house when the usual resolution of
thanks and courtesy was offered. More
than this. the. resolution had to come
from the Republican side. and while
this has occurred before. it is not the
usual custom. The usual resolution of
thanks to President Pro TEN. Frye was
unanimously adopted in the senate.
Two years ago when the 56th CON
gress expired il was remarkable not
only for the second Inauguration of
William Mckinley. but also for the
fact that Senator Carter, of Montana,
talked the river and harbor bill to
death, which occupied the time of the
senate mp 60 within few minutes OF
the end. Yesterday Senator Mason.
whose term expired at noon, also
talked an unimportant bill to death.
but in his yalodictory he lectured the
senate for its unlimited debate which
allows bills 10 be killed in that man
Ter, and he also made a final plea for
the freedom of the Filipinos.
AS all OF the important supply bills
1ad passed before the two houses took
recess yesterday morning. no legisla-
ZION was necessary and none was at
tempted. The bills that had passed and
reached the stage Of enrolment were
all signed by President Roosevelt. who
with members of his cabinet. occupied
the presidents room in the senate
wing of the capitol. This biennial Wis
1t of the president TO the capitol is one
Of the features of closing congress.
The appropriations made during the
session OF congress aggregated s753.-
1908. as against $500. 624. 1876 for the
last session. The total for the entire
congress thus footed up $l.5541OS.514.
or something more than a hundred
millions in excess of the total appro-
priations for the 56th congress. the
total for that congress being $1.44O.-
iS943S.
The number of bills introduced ae-
gregated 1850, OF which 3.9lS were
reported and more than 2O0O passed
The house calendar is clearer at the
close of this congress than it has ever
been before. only IS bills remaining
nndisposed Of In the 55th congress
2,1l4 bills were reported and 1913
passed; in the Goth. 2.7S7 were report
ed and 2,20i passed. Fifteen members
Of the house died during the congress
Just closed, an unusually large number