Omaha daily bee., 1903-03-02

the rev department from the Treasury. and
the Bureau u Foreign Commerce. from the
State department are consolidated.
Besides the foregoing. the new depart
ment is To have Jurisdiction nov possessed
b. the Treasury department over the fur
seal salmon and Dther fisheries Of Alaska
II h hnally provided that the president
shall have the authority 20 transfer at any
time the whole or any paTt Of any Once.
bureau. division OF other branch Of thu
public service engaged in statistical or
scientific work from sny other department
excerpt that Of agriculture. This would seen
20 BE- a sweeping provision. Rs under strict
construction Of Il the president might
transfer the cor Gructi0n bureaus and ord
nance and engineering branches Of the
army and navy. because they are scientihc
ofhces. or even the ONCE Of the comptroller
Of the currency. on the ground that 1t iH
q Statistical bureau. to the new depart
merit
short Sessions Notable.
Ever since the early SOS and beginning
with the thirty-seventh congress short SEES
Eirns have frequently enacted important
legislation. During the expiring hours Of
the thirty-seventh congress West Virginia
I was admitted aE a state and the territories
Of Arizona and New Mexico were organized.
During that same session the national
banking system was created, and on the
last day the territory, nov the state. Of
Idaho was also created. The close Of thai
congress was not able for the fact that
for the FIRST time IN history. Mr.. Lincoln
signed a bin seven days after II had Rd-
journsd. The ounstitutiunality Of that act
has never been decided, for the reason that
II was never brought to court.
At the second or short session OF the
thirty-eiEhth congress the grade of vice
admiral was created and Rear Admiral
FHrrsgut was promoted TO the grade. which
be filed until he wRs subsequently, made
admiral by the act Of 1856.
During the short session OF the thirty
ninth congress q Law was enacted requir-
ing the new congress to meet on the eth
day OF March after its election and this
act was in force until 1873. The tHnure-of-
ofice-act was another notable piece Of
Legislation during that session. which also
ON February 9, 1867, authorized the admis-
sion Of the Territory Of Nebraska as a
state. Many other enactmentE OF more or
less importance are credited 10 that short
session.
During the short session of the Fortieth
congress the fifteenth amendment was sub
miated. and two years later the act Great
ing the District of Columbia, with 3 terri
turiRl form Of government. was passed.
The Furty-second congress did nothing
notable during its last session, but its sue
cessor, in January. 1876, passed the act
for the resumption Of specie payments,
which began in 1879 and which has been
the basis Of all financial legislation ever
since.
Hayes-TiIden Contest.
The most notable art of the short session
Of the Forty-fourth congress- was that
which created the electoral commission 10
settle the contest between Hayes and TIL
den for the presidency. In the short SEES
sion OF the Forty-ffth congress the arrears
Of pension act was approved. and the same
session gave women lawyers the right to
practice before the highest court in the
land. Under that act some thirty or forty
women are today members of the bar Of
the United States supreme court.
The Forty-sixth congress- did nothing no.
table during the second session, but in the
Furty-seveuth the celebrated Tariff com
mission ACT, Eo-cRlled, vas added to the
revenue bill, which WIS passed by the
house and senate and resulted in tbs
Whedules Of 1883. That act remained I'm.
chnnged for eleven years till amended BY
the Wilson German tariff OF 1894. The
celebrated Pendleton act, or civil servios
Law. was also enacted during that same
session.
The Forty-eighth congress during It'll
? short session did nothing OF note. but III
! successor passed the Edmunds Rnti-polyg.
amy law, incorporated the Nicaragua Mari.
time Canal COMPANY, created the Depart.
ment Of Agriculture with a secretary a
it's head. and passed the omnibus state
| hood bill admitting Montana, the two Da,
kotas and Washington.
The Fiftieth congress was not notable
8 for its accomplishments.
] The F1fty-frst congress during its shor
session authorized the refunding Of direc
p taxes which had been collected from thI
states as u wRr measure, and also passed
? a law prohibiting pool selling and az othe,
Z sorts of gambling in the District Of Co
. lumbiR.
I During the next ten years short sessions
? accomplished but little, and il has re
manned for that which Ia just coming Il
an end 10 place upon the statute book
what promises TO be some of the most i'm
= portRnt Legislation affecting trade and com
. merce OF the last half century.
pEp0pTS m c0hI PRIZES