The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1904-04-30
CONGRESS DOES MUCH WORK
OUTLINE OF SOME OF ITS I'M
PoRTANT TRANSACTIONS.
Total Of Over 81 900 Bills and Resolu-
tons introduced, and 1,4oo
New Laws Are Enacted.


| New Laws Are Enacted.
| Washington, April 25.-The important
legislative accomplishments of the first
and special sessions 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 Presi-
dent Mckinley, was made operative by
legislative enactment. The ratitica-
ton Of a treaty by the senate and the
subsequent initiation OF legislation for
the government of the canal zone COM
NIT 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.
ton at the hands of President Roosevelt
and the senate.
| In the house there were Is, 1898 bills, $40
resolutions, 1852 joint resolutions and
61 concurrent resolutions introduced.
OF these 2,253 passed the house. In
the senate there were 5,645 bills intro
| duced.
Chairman Hemenway, of the house
committee on appropriations, in state
! ment compiled under his direction, gives
the total of all supply bills (subject to
slight changes in pending bills) AS $751;
SO2,3334, to which must be added S64 ST.
$40 for interest on the public debt. The
estimated revenues are $104 ,472 ,0G0. BY
| these figures the expenses are 500 600, 900
less than the revenues. The estimates Of
the various government departments on
which the appropriation bills were
based, exceeded the total estimated reve-
nues by S42.S45,S62.
While total of over 400 bills became
| laws during the two sessions, less than
$50 Of them were public" bills, and of
this latter number one-half simply au-
thorized the bridging of rivers, the dam
ming of streams, the regulation of fed
eral courts and the ordinances of the
District of Columbia Several amend
ments have been made to facilitate the
administration of the public land laws.
The allotment in severalty of lands
owned collectively by Indian tribes in
various sections Of the country has been
| provided for in number of acts.
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 500 per
month. Agitation for service pension
bill resulted in the introduction Of
many such bills. 1t was decided, how
ever, that no such action should be
taken at the present session. after
which the general order making age an
evidence of physical disability to per-
form manual labor was issued by the
secretary of the interior and recognized
by congress in a deficiency appropria-
ton of $1,5O0.00O to make it effective
| The only direct dealings which con-
gress had with the postal scandals"
was the investigation by the house of
| the connection of its members with
clerl: hire increases in third and fourth
class post Offices and representations
regarding leases. This investigation
cleared every member from any i'm
proper conduct in the matter
The Louisiana Purchase Exposition
company received loan of 81 600 900
| from the government, of which 100000
! is TO pay the expenses of the board Of
| lady managers.
The government is to participate in
the exposition to be held at Portland,
| Ore. in 1905, for the commemoration
of the one hundredth anniversary of
the exploration of Oregon by the
| Lewis and Clarke expedition, TO the
extent Of an exhibit to cost $450,000
and an Alaskan exhibit to cost SOS 900.
The house. by Independent action,
directed an investigation of the alleged
beef trust by the department of COM
merce and labor. The attorney general
was given the benefit of the unexpend-
ed appropriation made by the last con-
gress for the prosecution of the trust,
an amount aggregating $47500O
impeachment proceedings were be-
gun in the house against Federal Judge
Charles SWayne, Of the northern dis
trict of Florida, but after majority
report from the committee favoring
impeachment. the matter was sent
back to committee and made a special
order for the next session.
Legislation directly affecting the la
Dor interests of the country received
consideration in the committee of the
two houses, but final action was not
taken. The eight-hour bill was referred
to the department Of commerce and labor
for investigation and report, and the
anti-injunction bill was postponed by
the committee until the next session.
The creation of two additional states
In the union was provided for in bill
which passed the house, but not the
senate. Oklahoma and Indian Terri
tory were united as Oklahoma, Arizona
and New Mexico as Arizona.
Ready for the Opening.
st. Louis, April 25.-Everything is in