The Lamar register., 1904-05-04
LATEST NEWS FROM WASHINGTON
Work of Fifty-Eishth Congress.


plishments of the sessions OF the FIJI
| ty-Eighth Congress were confined to
| two subjects. Cuba and Panama. The
reciprocity between the new island re-
public and the United States. inltiat-
ed by President Mckinley, was made
operative by legislative enactment
The ratification of treaty by the
Senate and the subsequent initiation
of legislation for the government OF
the canal zone commit the united
States to the construction of the Pan
anna canal connecting the waters oil
the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.
The Senate ratified the treaty ne
gotiated with Cuba to carry out the
terms of the Platt amendment.
1t also ratified the Chinese CONNER
! cial treaty, which provides for two
open ports in Manchuria.
Chairman Hemenway of the House
committee on appropriations, In
statement compiled under his direc-
ton. gives the total of all supply bills.
subject to slight changes in pending
bills. as $597.sO2. 1924. to which must
be added $S4 4.971.S20 for interest on
the public debt. The estimated reve-
nues are $704. 4.472 .060. By these figures
the expenses are $22.00O.000 less than
the revenue. The estimates OF the va
rlOuS government uepditHIehtS va
which the appropriation bills were
based. exceeded the total estimated
revenues by $42,S45. .S62. No river and
harbor bill was undertaken. and no
omnibus measure carrying provision
for new public buildings was allowed
pass.
While a total of over ] 400 bills be-
came laws during the two sessions.
less than $50 of them were public bills
and of this latter number one-half
simply authorized the bridging OF riv-
ers. the damming of streams, the regu-
lation of federal courts and the ordi-
nance of the District of Columbia.
Several amendments have been
been made to facilitate the administra-
tion of the public land laws. The al
lotment in severalty of lands owned
collectively by Indian tribes in various
sections of the country has been pro-
vided for in a number of acts.
By the terms of a joint resolution
the President is authorized to arrange
convention with Great Britain to
which the assent of Japan and Russia
are to be obtained. II possible. to pro-
tect the fur seals of the North Pa
cific ocean and Bering sea.
Provision was made for the extern
sion of the coastwise shipping laws
of the United States to the Philip
pine islands after July /. 1906.
The only general pension legisla-
ton which became a law makes the
pension of those who totally lost their
sight in the military or naval service
800 per month. Agitation for serv-
ice pension bill resulted in the intro
duction of many such bills. 1t was
decided. however, that no such action
oh hf toll nj tho nrpGpnt session
after which the general order making
age an evidence of physical disability
| to perform manual labor was issued by
the secretary of the interior and rec
| ognized by Congress in a deficiency
appropriation of 81, 100000 to make 1t
i effective.
The only direct dealings had with
! the postal scandals was the investiga-
| ton by the House of the connection
| of its members with clerk hire IN
creases in third and fourth class post
offices and representations regarding
| leases. This investigation cleared ev-
cry member from any improper con-
| duct in the matter.
! The House, by Independent action,
directed an investigation of the al
| legged beef trust by the Department
| of Commerce and Labor.
The attorney general was given the
| benefit of the unexpended approprla-
ton made by Congress for the prose
cution of the trust. an amount aggre-
eating s475.000.
The creation of two additional states
in the Union was provided for in
I bill which passed the House but not
| the Senate Oklahoma and Indian ter
ritory were united as Oklahoma. and
Arizona and New Mexico as Arizona.
| Legislation directly affecting the Ia
| Dor interests of the country received
considerable consideration In the com
! mittees of the two houses, but final ac'
! ton was not taken. The eighthour
bill was referred to the Department oil
1 Commerce and Labor for investigation
and report. and the arti-injunction bill
was postponed by the committees un
til the next session. The right of Sen
ator Reed Smoot of Utah to his seal
in the Senate resulted in an investiga
ton, still in progress. involving the
Mormon religion and practices.
IN the House there were 15,39S bills
349 resolutions, 152 joint resolutions
and sixty-one concurrent resolution:
introduced. OF these 2.253 passed tht
House. In the Senate there were 5.64;
bills introduced.
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