The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1904-05-05
congress Held
A BUSY session
BRIEF RESUME OF IMPORTANT
WORK ACCOMPLISHED THE
SENATE AND HOUSE.

over !, 4UO new Laws have Been En-
acted-A Total of 81 sos Bills and
Resolutions introduced in Both
Branches-The Appropriations.
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, inflated by Presi-
dent Mckinley, was made operative by
a legislative enactment. The ratifica-
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 rose suddenly
and received decisive and immediate ac-
ton at the hands of President Roose-
vent and the senate.
More Than !, 400 New Laws.
While total of over 400 bills became
laws during the two sessions, less than
$50 Of them were public bills.
In the house there were Is, 1893, bills, 349
resolutions, 1852 joint resolutions and
81 concurrent resolutions introduced.
OF these 2,253 passed the house. In
the senate there were 5,645 bills intro
duced
Appropriations.
Chairman Hemenway, of the house
committee on appropriations, in a state
ment compiled under his direction, gives
the total of all supply bills (subject to
slight changes in pending bills), as 1897, :
S02, 1874, to which must be added $64 ,971, =
800 for interest on the public debt. The
estimated revenues are $704 Az 600. BY
these figures the expenses are $22, 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 $42,S45,S62.
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. 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 81 500, 900 to make it effective.
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 the last con-
gress for the prosecution of the trust,
an amount aggregating $475,000.
Labor Legislation.
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 asd report, and the
anti-injunction bill was postponed by
the committee until the next session.
New States.
The ceration 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.
Senator Hanna and seven Numbers
of the house have died