The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-04-25
Legislative Accomplishments by Present Congress Confined
 to These Two Things
APPROPRIATION BILLS
 ALL WERE ECONOMICAL
Conservatism incident to Approaching Presidential Campaign as Usual Was Manifested by the
 Party In Power.

Washington, April 24-The special leg islative accomplishments of the session of the fifty-eighth congress were confined to two subjects-Cuba and Panama. The reciprocity treaty between the new island republic and the United States, initiated by President Mckinley was made oper- ative by a legislative enactment. The ratification of a treaty by the senate and the subsequent initiation of legislation for the government of the canal zone com mits the United States to the construc- ton of the Panama canal. connecting the waters of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.
 The special session. now denominated the first session, was called for the ex- press purpose of carrying out the pledge of the nation to Cuba. The Panama de- velopment was one which arose suddenly and received decisive and immediate &C., tion at the hand of President Roosevelt and the senate.
 The conservatism incident to the ap- preaching presidential campaign, as usual, was manifested by those respon- slble for the acts of the national leg isative body. The annual supply bills were made up with an eye to economy. Incidentally they were passed with great CT dispatch than heretofore has been the case at a long session.
 The senate referred the treaty negoti- ated with Cuba to carry out the terms of the Platt amendment.
 It also referred the Chinese commer cial treaty which provides for two open ports to Manchuria.
 Statement of Appropriations
 Chairman Hemenway of the house com mittee on appropriations, on a statement compiled under his direction, gives the total of all supply bills Subject to slight changes in pending bills) as $597, 1882 S24. to which must be added $S4,971, s20 for inter- est on the public debt The estimated revenues are s704 742, 060. By these figures the expenses are s22,0O0,000 less than the revenues. The estimates of the various government departments, on which the appropriations bill was based. exceeded the total estimated revenues by $42,845 1862. No river and harbor bill making provision for new projects of improvement in the rivers and harbors of the. country were undertaken. Likewise no omnibus meas ures, carrying provision for public build ings were allowed to pass.
 While a total of over 400 bills became laws during the two sessions, less than 
 this latter number one half simply au- thorized the bridging of rivers, the dam ing of streams, the regulation of federal courts, the ordinance of the District of Columbia.
 The Public Land Laws.
 Several amendments have been made to facilitate the administration of the public lands law The allotment in severalty
 
 tribes in various sections of the country has been provided for in a number of acts.
 A step in the direction of worlds peace" has been taken through the for nation of an American group affiliated with the parliamentary union for international arbitration, and the official recognition of this group by passage of a joint resolution extending an invitation to the union to hold it's annual meeting at St. Louis and appropriating s50,000 for the expenses of the same A joint reso- lution was enacted granting privilege for the transportation aboard a government vessel of not exceeding 500 of the public school teachers of Porto Rico to the Unit ed States during the coming summer months for the purpose of broadening their views by travel and a course in the summer schools for teachers in this coun- try
 By the terms of joint resolution the President is authorized to negotiate convention with Great Britain to which the assent of Japan and Russia are to be obtained if possible to protect the further states of the north Pacific ocean and Behring sea.
 Provision was made for the extension of coastwise shipping laws of the Unit ed States to the Philippine ilsands after July l. 1906
 It was made crime to 'crimp" sea- men of the United States by soliciting them as lodgers or charging a fee for shipping them.
 The only general pension legislation which became a law makes the pension of those who totally lost their sight in the military or naval service s1OO a month. Agitation for a service pension bill resulted in the introduction of many such bills. It was decided, however. that no such action should be taken at the present session. after which the general order making age an evidence of physi- cal disability to perform manual labor was issued by the secretary of the in- terior and recognized by congress in deficiency appropriation of s1.500,000 to make 1t effective.
 Loan to the Exposition.
 The Louisiana Purchase Exposition com pany received loan of 46OO, 900 from the government. of which s100.0OO is to pay the expenses of the board of lady man. agers An act was passed to protect