Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-04-25
important Legislative Accom-
pIishments Of 58th Congress.
Provision Also Made to Extend Coast.
wise Shipping Laws.
Other Matters Passed at First and
Second Sessions.

and the UnlteO SldteS, lnitIdteu Wy
President Mckinley. was made opera
tive by a legislative enactment. The
ratification of a treaty by the Senate
and the subsequent initiation OF legis-
lation for the government of the canal
zone committed the United States to
the construction 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 express purpose OF car
rying out the pledge of the nation to
Cuba. The Panama development arose
suddenly and received decisive and
immediate action at the hands OF Pres
ident Roosevelt and the Senate.
The Senate ratified the treaty nego-
tiated 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 appropriat ions. in a
statement compiled under his direction,
gives the total of all supply bills (sub-
iect to slight changes in pending bills)
as S597 500. 324, to which must be added
debt. The estimated revenues are
S704 49, 60.
BY these figures, the expenses are
500 ,00G, 900 less than the revenues. The
estimates of various government de-
nartments on which the appropriation
bills are based exceed the total esti-
mated revenues by $42,S45,S62.
While total of 1400 bills became
laws during the two sessions, less than
40 of them were public" bills and of
this latter number. one-half simply au-
thorized the bridging of rivers, the
damming of streams. the regulation of
federal courts and the ordinances of
the District of Columbia.
Several amendments have been made
to facilitate the administration of the
public land laws.
A step in the direction OF world
peace was taken through the forma-
ton of an American group affiliated
with the parliamentary Union
for International Arbitration, and the
official recognition of this group by
the passage of a joint resolution ex-
tending an invitation to hold it's next
annual meeting at St. Louis, and APP
propriatins $4,000 for expenses.
A joint resolution was enacted pro-
viding for the transportation on a gov
eminent boat of 900 public school
teachers Of Porto Rico to the United
States during the coming summer to
broaden their views by travel in this
country.
BY the terms of a joint resolution
the President is authorized to negoti-
ate convention with Great Britain
with the assent of Japan and Russia,
if possible. to protect the fur seals of
the North Pacific ocean and Boring
sea.
Provision was made to extend the
coastwise shipping laws of the Unitec
States to the Philippine islands after
July l, 1906
Citizens of Newfoundland entering
the United States We're made exempt
from the 50 head taxes prescribed
against aliens by the immigration laws.
Hawaii was granted the right to have
superintendent of public instruction
ana to have statistics compiled by the
United States commissioner of labor
regarding commercial, industrial. So
cial educational and sanitary condi-
uohs. beginning next year. and every
I'VE gears thereafter.
1t was made crime to "crimp" sea-
men of the United States by soliciting
them as dodgers, or charging n fee for
shipping them
Inc only general pension lcgisratjon
which became a law makes the pension
or those who totally lost their sight i'm
the military or naval service 500 par
month. 1t was decided that no action
Tor a service pension bill should be
taken at the present session, after
which tho general order making age
an evidence of physical disability to
perform manual labor was issued by
the secretary of the interior and recoe-
h!zed by Congress in a deficiency ap-
propria ton Of S1,500,OO0.
The Louisiana Purchase Expostion
Co. received loan of 81, 500. 600 from the
government. of which S10O. 900 is to nav
the expenses of the board of lady man.
ayers. An act was passed to protect
foreign exhibitors at the exposition Of
literary. artistic. and musical works,
through the copyright laws of the coun-
try and provision was made for the
wtfdrasal Tree of duty under bonds
from the exposition Of articles or mate
rails donated to Incorporated religious.
educational or scientific
institutions
The government is to participate in
the exposition to be held at Portland.
Oregon. in 1905. for the commemoratjoD
OF the Tooth anniversary of the explora-
ton of Oregon by the Lewis and Clark
expedition. with an exhibit costing
$4,000 and an Alaskan exhibit to cost
$4,000.
Ire only direct dealings which the
congress had with the postal scan
oais was the investigation by the
House of the connection of it's members
with clerk hire increases i'm third and
fourth class post offices and represent
alton regarding leases. This investi-
CATION cleared every member from any
improper conduct in the matter.
The House by independent action direct |
cd an investigation of the alleged beef |
trust by the department of commerce |
and labor The attorney general was CIV !
en- the benefit of the unexpired appropria- /,
tion made by the last Congress for the |
prosecution of the trusts. amounting to |
The extension of the east front of the /