The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1911-03-04
WORK OF CONGRESS
Is SUMMARIZED
The Payne-Aldrich Tariff Was Perhaps
the Most Distinctive Feature
Of All the Sessions.


of All the Sessions.
Washington,D c., March Ain the
retrospect the sixty-first Congress,
which expired to-day by constitutional
limitation, appears to have been distn-
gushed by three things. The revision
of the tariff in the so-called Payne
Aldrich bill, which was passed at an
extra session in the summer of 1909,
the large amount OF important legisla
tion much OF it upon the recommenda
tioH OF President Taft enacted at the
regular session Of l000-l0, and the ex.
ceedingly small product OF the short
session." so-called, now coming to a
close.
The interval between the last two
sessions was marked by the political
upheaval registered at the general elec-
tion of last November, which changed
"a large Republican majority into a
still larger Democratic majority in tho
House OF Representatives; cut the Re
publican majority in the Senate almost
to the vanishing point, and incidentally
effected striking changes in the Senate
personnel.
The failure of this session to enact
much important legislation has result.
ed in the practical certainty that the
new sixty-second Congress win be called
almost Immediately in extraordinary
session, especially by reason OF the
strong desire of President Taft to se
cure action upon the pending reciprocity
agreement with Canada, to the consum-
nation of which the contracting parties
pledged the utmost efforts of the two
governments.
In strong contrast with the support
which the Taft administration received
from the Republican majority in the
matter OF legislation in the regular ses-
sion OF l909-l0, is the fact that at
the present session the majority has
been anything but united; the reciproo
ity agreement was passed in the House
by the aid OF large proportion OF
Democratic votes, while in the Senate
the rift in the majority between the
regulars" and insurgents" has been
an important factor in its sidetraek
ing and in the consequent summoning
of the extra session.
To this division in the majority was
largely due the most dramatic feature
of the previous long session-tbe pro-
tracted and sensational conflict last
spring which ended in material changes
in the rules OF the House generally
interpreted as "the overthrow OF the
speaker" and which, after a bitter fight
lasting many hours and including one
all night struggle, stopped only just
short Of the actual unseating of Speak
er Cannon While the acrimony be-
tween the regulars and insurgents neith-
er began nor ended with the battle
over the rules, that was its most con
spicuous episode, and there has been
little peace between the factions since
in either house.
In the Senate, the most sensational
feature of this session was the unavail
ing effort, in which the insurgents were
most active. to unseat William Lorimer
as Junior senator from Illinois, on the
ground OF alleged bribery in connec-
tion with his election by the legisla
ture of that state in the spring Of 1909
The echoes of that battle are still re-
verberating, and its bitterness adds frie-
tion to the closing hours of the Senate
session.
Another important recent action Of
the Senate was the defeat OF the reso-
luton embodying proposed amend
ment to the constitution of the United
States to provide for the direct cleo
tion of senator's by the people. This
resolution received more than a major
ity of the Senate; but it needed two
thirds vote and fell short by only four.
Had the Senate passed it, the House
almost certainly would have done so.
The friends Of this proposition enter
tain little doubt that it will pass the
next Congress, and 90 to the states for
or defeat
The output OF this session in the way
OF general measures consists chiefly OF
the appropriation bills, and several of
those have seemed in danger more than
once in the tense situation OF the past
few days, when long hours passed away
in filibustering on one side or the other. /
Thousands Of bills have been intro /
duced and several thousands more came
to the closing session as a heritage from
the FIRST and second sessions. In an. |
there are between $4,000 and $1,000 |
measures before the Congress as il
comes to a close The failure to enact |
many laws was not due to lack OF raw /
material.
These are some Of the more impor- |
tant measures, outside appropriation /
bills. that the final session OF this Con- /
gress enacted into law:
Providing tor forest reserves in the |
southern Appalachian and White Noun
tains.
Providing for the inspection Of boil
ers on locomotives.
Providing for the purchase OF cree
tion Of embassies, legations and con 4
sular buildings abroad.
An ocean mail bill passed the Sen
ate. but the House did not manifest 4
enough liking for It to send IL on to the
White House.
Barren as the final session NAV have /
been Of fruitful legislation. the Re 1
publican leaders point to the preceding 4
sessions as more fruitful.