The Grit-advocate., 1904-04-29
Work Of Fifty-Eiohth Congress.

| public and the United States. initiat-I
| ed by President Mckinley. was made
operative 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 commit the United
States to the construction of the Pan
anna canal connecting the waters OF
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
tion. gives the total of all supply bills,
subject to slight changes in pending
bills, as S597, ,S02,32i, to which must
be added SS4.97l $50 for interest on
the public debt. The estimated reve-
| nues are S7O4, ,472, ,O6O. BY these figures
the expenses are s220OO.0OO less than
| the revenue. The estimates of the va
rous government departments on
| which the appropriation bills were
| based. exceeded the total estimated
revenues Dy Si-,sfo,ob-. No river anu
| harbor bill was undertaken and no
| omnibus measure carrying provision
for new public buildings was allowed
pass.
While 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 reg,l-
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 number of acts.
By the terms of 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 exten-
son u III coastwise shipping laws
of the United States to the Philip
pine islands after July /. 1906
The only general pension legisla-
tion 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 a serv-
ice pension bill resulted in the intro
duction of many such bills. 1t was
decided. however. that no such action
should be taken at the present session
after which the general order making
ovid Of nh, i,.pl
to perform manual labor was issued by
the secretary of the interior and rec
ogniZed by Congress in deficiency
appropriation of 81 100000 to make It
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 tho
benefit of the unexpended appropria-
ton made by Congress for the prose.
cution of the trust, an amount aggre-
eating $4,000.
The creation of two additional states
in the Union was provided for in a
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 la
Dor interests of the country received
considerable consideration in the com
mittees of the two houses. but final ac-
tion 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 committees un-
til the next session. The right of Sen
ator Reed Smoot Of Utah to his seat
in the Senate resulted in an investiga-
tion, still in progress, involving the
Mormon religion and practices.
III the House there were l5,39S bills
349 resolutions. 152 joint resolutions.
and sixty-onc concurrent resolutions
introduced. OF these . 253 passed the
House. In the Senate there were 5,645
bills introduced.
Mr.. Dubois introduced and the Sem
ate passed without comment resolu-
,ion instructing the postmaster gem
oral to ascertain, as far as possible, and
to report to the Senate. what, if any.
pOstmasters in Idaho are living in
polygamy.
In the House April 23d Speaker Can
non announced the committee to repre-
sent the House at the opening ceremo-
MES of the Louisiana Purchase Exposi-
iion. The House agreed to the Sem
ate amendment to the pension appro-
priation bill. The conference report on
the naval appropriation bill was adopt
ed without division, The conference
report on the bin to ratify an agree
ment with the Crow Indians of MOnta-