Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1909-03-04
Expenditure of Money Authorized
Of Present Session Will Ex- =.
coed Q Billion.
NO GENERAL LEGISLATION
Congress Has Spent Its Time Making
Appropriations and Fighting the
Preside initiate Of MANY I'm.
portnnt Mcnsures Yet to
BE Determined.

Washington. Feb. 2s.--Now that bill
lion dollar sessions of Congress are
the rule. little other than appropria-
ton legislation can be enacted during
the short sessions. and the one to end
this week is no exception to the rule.
The appropriations for the session
probably will be the largest on rec
ord. even exceeding the S1.00S, 900
provided for at the first session. AS
only one of the Is general appropria
ton bills OF this session has been
sent to the President for his sigma
turc an accurate statement OF tho
amount to be appropriated is impos
sible
Scarcely any of the general policies
OF the country were touched upon this
session. The discussion in both houses
Of the secret service and of the Pan
ANA canal and in the Senate Of the
Brownsville affair and Of the Tcnncs-
see Coal and Iron company purchase
has brought the administration of
Theodore Roosevelt prominently In
view. The veto OF the census bill be-
cause the employees for the taking Of
the decenn,al census were not to be
placed under civil service regulations.
was feature in another interesting
chapter Of this session. The census
bill goes over to the special session
OF the 61st Congress. The veto OF
severai dam bills because they could
not recognize the principles advanced
for the conservation of water powers.
attracted much attention.
The appropriation of $4,000 for the be-
lief OF the italian earthquake sufferers
at the beginning of the session has been
spoken of as the most significant enact
ment Of the session A companion piece
of legislation was enacted In the first
session when the remission OF the re-
maindcr of the Chinese indemnity was
! authorized.
TO SUPPRESS OPIUM HABIT.
! The passage Of a law for the sup
preston OF opium habit in this country.
II Is hoped by Its advocates will exert n
wide moral influence. Appeals from many
sections Of the country were successful
In obtaining a law for the preservation
OF the c. A. T.averas big tree in Cali
| fornia. An act OF great Importance to
western homeseekers authorized enla re-
ed homestead entries In the arid region.
In the closing hours Of the session the
fate OF many highly important measures
is to be determined. 1t practically Is as
sured that the monumental work Of re-
visinE and codifying the penal code laws
If the United States will he completed.
II remains only for the two houses TO
approve the agreement already reached
| by the conferees OF the two bodies. As
result OF this Legislation the United
1CsA. ssrt1l
enters the field Of regulating the Inter-
state shipment Of Intoxicating liquors.
An amendment to the code prohibits In
! terstate C. o. y. shipments of intoxicat-
ing liquors ard provides for the mark
ing Of the packages OF such liquors in
interstate commerce with the bona flde
name OF the consignee and the nature
! ~ the contents
The statehood BIZ. admitting Arizona
aud New Mexico. into the Union. wh'c',
has attracted much attention through
out both sessions IL stll IN committee IN
tie Senate, II is conceded that It can
| not pass Mt this session.
The fate OF the Gnllineer ocean mai
subsidy bill rests with the House. 1t has
been reported out Of the committee but
ite massage through the House Is
problematical. II provides for substituting
mail lines to South America. Japan. Asia,
the Philippines, and Australasia.
BILLS Sure TO FAIL.
Many measures OF importance con-
sidered are regarded as certain to fail
If enactment Among these are the
Burke wireless telegraph bill: the Weeks
forest reserve BILL the Currier copyright
bill the $500 ooo NO bond issue for improve
ment OF Waterways: changes In the
government of the Isthn!nn canal zone;
federal inspector OF naval stores and
grains, and suppression Of gambling n
cotton futures.
Much time was devoted by the Senate
to consideration Of score or more ot
treaties. The most important one ap
proved was an agreement with Grea'
Britain relating to the uses OF The
boundary waters between the United
States and the Dominion OF Canada.
A movement to amend the rules Of boil
the Senate and House and has attractet
much attention. In the lfouse there ha.
been an organized open irsurrection. bu
In the Senate the opposition did not 20
beyond Some sharp criticisms BY new
senators The movement IN both house,
was designed ns a warning to future ses
|
mediate effect Of establishing n "calenda,
day" for the call NJ bills on the unior
calendar every Wednesday.
,, SO, 900 BILLS INTRODUCED.
, Bills numbering about 5000 were IN
troduced in the two houses In addition
} l,5CN resolutions were presented.
, Out of the mass Of public bills, abou
275 will become laws. There will b
about Ito private bills enacted. estimate,
to represent about 81 900 private bills in
troduced. as many OF the private bill
finally passed were omnibus bills.
About ! Ia per cent. Of the bills intro
? duced became laws.
PRESIDENTS POLICIES
Early in the S!xtieth Congress- tn
President outlined what has been terme,
his policies. They were In tho main:
A national child labor law; an employ
ers' liability law; anti-injunction Iegisa
tion; amendments to the Sherman anti
trust law for good corporations and 10
labor unions; financial legislation; posta
savings bank; revision of the tariff
waterways commission; regulation o