The Washington times., 1911-03-03

| Tho concluding session of the Sixty
first Congress, ending at noon March 4,
has been chiefly remarkable for what
it has not accomplished. Comparatively
little has been done in the way of final
legislative achieVement-in the actual
passage of important legislation.
Starting out with much talk of econo-
my, both at the Capitol and the White
House, the appropriations and authori-
cations for the session will exceed a
billion dollars.
Various bills OF the utmost Importance
have been considered. but most of them
have failed. The ocean mail bill, more
commonly known as the ship subsidy
bill, has died. 1t has gone to its death
after a hard struggle that has lasted
for many years. 1t is not too much
to say the subsidy measure has had as
many lives as the proverbial cat. Inc
Senate passed the bill this winter out
it was blocked in the House, ard now
that the Democrats have control OF the
House there is no telling When II VIII
again get a chance of enactment Iii NJ
may be several years before IL Will
stand any show of passage.
The spectacular finish of the Lorlmer
case in the Senate is fresh IN mlnd.
BY a bote of 20 to 46, the Senate dlteL
many weeks of debate, defeated me
resolution declaring that LorlHleI
election was illegal.
Revision Resolution Slumbers.
Early in the session. Senator Cum
minis introduced resolutions aimed AT
such changes in the Senate rules as
would facilitate revision schedule oy
schedule. These resolutions have never
been-acted on. and there is no sign they
ever will be- though they led TO much
discussion 1t is entirely possible that
the questions raised by these resoIutloiis u.
as to the prerOgatives of the senate 10
change revenue bills that originate III
tho House will be much threshed over
in the House If there is an extra ses-
sion and the Senate tries TO chanSe
the House tariff bills in numerous and
essential respects.
The Suiloway pension bill. which
would have added about $5O,00OOO0 to
the pay for pensions of the soldlers OF
the civil war, passed the House. out
connection with the pension afpropria-
ton bill, and a point of order was
raised and sustained against 1t.
The Senate still has on its calendar
the bill making changes in the lay as
to the government of the Canal Zone
This bill has passed the House. In the
Senate Canals Committee there was
provision put into this bill eXempting
American vessels in the coaSunS lIdue
from payment of canal dues.
Tariff Commission Doomed.
The Canadian reciprocity agreement
passed the House and died in the Sen
ate, after being reported without recon-
mendation by the Finance Committee.
Insurgents in the Senate made des-
perate efforts in the closing days OF the
session to get the tariff commission
bill passed The outlook, as this is
written, is for its defeat.
An important conservation measure,
which was passed by the Senate, hav-
ing been passed by the House last ses-
sion. is the bill for a forest reserve in
the White mountains and the Appalach- |
ian mountains.
After the omnibus claims bill had |
passed the Senate with the French /
spollation claims included. It went to |
the House and the spOliatton claims |
were stricken out and the bill passed. |
The Senate investigation into third de- !
gree methods of the police was con- !
tinued into the next Congress.
The Senate committee on manufac- |
lures made a report on cold storage, |
but there was no legislation on the sub |
jeCt.
The bill for leasing of coal in Alaska |
was defeated in the House.