The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1904-04-29
BRIEF REVIEW OF
WORK OF congress
SUMMARY OF MOST IMPORTANT
LEGISLATION ENACTED
AT SESSION.
CUBA AND PANAMA
~ RECEIVE ATTENTION
over 1,400 New Laws Placed on the
Statute Books-Total Of 81 sos
Bills and Resolutions Were Intro
duced-The Appropriations.

Washington, April 26.-Ehe 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 ratthca-
ton of treaty by the senate and the
subsequent initiation of legislation Tor
the government of the canal zone COM
init tho United States to the construc-
ton of the Panama canal connecting the
waters Of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.
The special session, now ,denomlnated
the first session, was called for the ex-
press purpose Of carrying out the pledge
of the nation to Cuba. The Panama de-
yelopment 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, 1913 bills, 349
resolutions, 1852 joint resolutions ana
GIL concurrent resolutions introduced.
OF these 1888 passed the house. IN
the senate there were 5,645 bills intro
duced.
Appropriations.
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, 1874, to which must be added $64,9
500 for interest on the public debt. The
estimated revenues are $704, 472,O6O. BY
these figures the expenses are 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 2,S45,862
More Than 1,4OO New Laws.
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-haff simply au-
thorized the bridging of rivers, the dam
ming of streams, the regulation OF 1ed-
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.
Pension Legislation.
The only general pension legislation
which became law makes the pension
of those who totally lost their sight in
the military or naval service 500 per
month. Agitation for a 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 deficiency appropria-
ton of 81, 100000 to make Ineffective.
The Postal Scandals.
The only direct dealings which con-
gress had with the postal scandals
was the investigation by the house OF
the connection of it's members with
clerk 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.
Aid for Expositions.
The Louisiana Purchase Exposition
company received loan of $4,600,OO0
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 $45O,000s
and an Alaskan exhibit to cost $25, 900.
Beef Trust Investigation
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 $475,000.
The Swayne Case.
Impeachment proceedings were be-
gun in the house against Federal Judge
Charles Swayne, of the northern dis
trict of Florida hit after a majority