Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1915-03-11
Was in Continuous Session for
Nearly Two Years-Revised
the Tariff Made Currency Law
Created the Income Tax.
FINAL SCENES STRENUOUS
Half of President Wilson'S AID.
ministratiOn Is Over-Vice-
President Marshall and Speak
er Clark Each Deliver Formal
Closing Speech to Legislators.

Washington. March AFTER tw,
years of almost continuous ses.
sion the sixty-third Congress which
revised tho tariff and the currency sys
TEN of the nation. supplemented tn,
trust laws. created an income tax ant
demonstrated the first popular election
of United states senators. ended n
moo to-day.
When gavels fell in the House ant
Senate signalling the adjournmen
they marked the close of half of Presi.
dent Wilson's administration. the frs
under domination of the Democratic
party since 1895. Strenuous scenes en-.
livened the waning hours, devote
chiefly to completing the a%ppropria.
lions for subsistence of the govern
ment. Two important measures. tn,
postoffice and Indian supply bills, fail.
ed in the final Legislative crush afte,
desperate efforts had been made t.
save them. In the emergency occa.
stoned by the failure joint resolution.
We're passed and signed by the Presi.
dent continuing in force appropriation.
of the present year.
While tired senators and represents
tives were deVoting their energies tc
final essentials President Wilson spent
more than an hour in his room at the
Capitol surrounded by members Of the
cabinet, signing the last fruits of leg.
islation. The President found time il
the midst of this task to greet senators
and representatives and he made the
occasion entirely one of congratula.
ton, making no reference to project:
which had failed
scores of members of both houses
Joined tonight in an eXodusfrom Washing
ton. taking with them assurance that nc
extra session of Congress would be called
at least before the fall. Despite the fact
that many important measures failed
of consideration because OF the long
flllDuster against the ship purchase bill
II was generally understood that Con.
Srcss would ne given a rest and the
country a respite from legislation. It was
regarded as extremely probable. how
ever. that the SiXty-fourth Congress
would be summoned in October in order
to be able to adjourn for the political
conventions and national campaign OF
1916.
BESIDES the government ship purchas,
biz important measures which were nut
over until another time included the
Philippine enlarged self-government bill
rural credits legislation, the hill to pro
hloit interstate in goods
manufactured by child labor and the con.
aFVaton bills so theoretically urged
by the President. There failed also a
resolution which contemplated an in
vestigation into senatorial campaigns IN
PENNSYLVANIA, Illinois and other States
which had been recommended by a
Senate committee.
Very little general legislation is car.
ried in the appropriation bills. Much was
proposed. but most of the measures prac,
tically were cleared Of such provisions b,
points of order and the postoflte bill
winch failed to pass, which contains more
new legislation than any other.
Before Adjournment Congress provided
for several important Investigations to he
carried on during recess. A committee
will continue the inquiry into the alleged
lobbying in correction with the ship pur-
chase bill, n commission will study rural
credits legislation n democrats of the
'o dbPpiiittt ~ Spftlil committee 10
recommend revision of Senate rules with
a view to establishing cloture OF debate
to prevent flibusters.
A mass of miscellaneous LEGISLATION hur-
ried through in the last days included
claim bills. bills for public buildings. Ash
cultural stations and bridges and minor
q amendments to various federal statutes
Most of these were put through on the
initiative of individual members and
passed without objection.
The appropriations committee to-day
the work of tabulating the amounts
Of the various bills which took money ont
of the treasury during the session. 1t
will be several days before An accurate
Is made but the total appro-
are estimated at about 81, 100
900, 900.
The annual appropriation bills which
failed caused considerable trouble.
After the indian bill had made its dev-
way through the Senate opposi
ton, II reached the House Just ten
minutes before final adjournment. \
filibuster was Immediately initiated
and il forced the Withdrawal of the
conference on the bill.
The joint resolution which continued
the current postoffice appropriations
brought forth a protest from Repre-
sentative Moon of Tennessee. chairman
OF the %postofficc committee. He declar-
ed his committee a not been consult
ed in regard to the decision of the
leaders to abandon the bin and that
the Joint resolution had been put
through the House in his absence.
Representatives Of railroad inter
ests and railroad attorneys" he said
have been active at both ends Of the
Capitol in their efforts to prevent the
of this bill"
Representative Fitzgerald that the
d.Vtaion to abandon the measure had been
reached only after it became apparent
that II could not pass and that Repre-
sentative Moon was fully cognizant of
the circumstances
Just before the Senate adjourned,
resolutions thanking Vice-President Mar
shall for his services as presiding Of
hcer OF the Senate were adopted.
May I be permitted to say" said the
vtceapresident on closing the session,
that when ! came here two years ago, Z.
was the first time ever stepped my foot
inside of a legislative hall. know that
u have made mistakes. errors, some