Rensselaer Republican, Volume 15, Number 27, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 15 March 1883 — WHAT CONGRESS DID. [ARTICLE]

WHAT CONGRESS DID.

The Legislation AeooiAplisMeduud that Which Failed of | Jet ion. Washington, March 4.—A1l the regular appropriation bills obtained passage in both houses and have become laws. The Sundry Civil, the last upon which agreement was reached in conference received the President’s signature at 10 o'clock this morning. During the Fortyseventh Congress 10,670 bills and joint resolutions had been introduced (8,018 in the House ai\d 2,652 in the Senate), and' of these 832 have been introduced. in theHouse and 35*7 in the Senate during the Session just closed. In each house the gieat majority of these measures still remain with the committees to which they were referred, and of those reported from committees the larger number remain upon the calendar of their respective houses. Aside from the regular annual appropriation bills one hundred a£d sixty-three bills anfl joint resolutions passed both houses during this session and became laws. Among the more important of these are the following: » The Tax and Tariff Bill to reduce revenue: the Civil Service bill; the Japanese Indemnity Fund Bill, to provide for a new mixed Commission in accordance with the treaty of April 18,1876, with the United States of Venezuela; to modify the postal money-order system, and' for other purposes; to readjust salaries of post master?; to afford assistance and

relief to Congress and the Executive departments in the investigation of claims x and demands against the Government; to prevent the importation of adulterated teas; to encourage the holding of the World’s Industrial and a Cotton Centennial Exposition in 1884; to amend the act repealing the discriminating duties on goods produced east of the Gape of Good Hope; granting the right of way for railway and telegraph purposes through Fort Smith, Ark.; a joint resolution to adjudicate the claims of New York brokers for a refund of taxes; to print the agricultural reports for 1881 and 1882; to allow Canadian grain to be brought over the border to be ground; to erect a monument to General DeKalb; a joint resolution presenting the thanks of Congress to John F. Slater for an educational bequest to the colored people; to refund to the State of Georgia money expended for the common detense in 1777; to establish the title of the United States to the site of the military post at El Paso, Texas; authorizing the sale of certain property at Harrodsburg, Ky., belonging to the soldier’s Home; ceding to the first taxing district of Tennessee a lot of land situated in that district; to refund to the States of Oregon and California the moneys paid in suppression of the Modoc war; to provide for holding a term of the District Court of the United States at Wichita, Kansas and for other purposes; extending the time of filing claims for horses lost by officers and enlisted men; to amend Section 3362 of the revised Statutes so as to extend the jurisdiction of the Justices of the Peace in Washington, Idaho and Montana; to admit free of duty a monument to George Washington; authorizing the examination auditing of certain claims against the Freedmen’s Savings Bank, and payment-of certain dividends barred by the act of Feb. 21, 1881; to increase the fees of witnesses in the Star Route cases from west of the Mississippi River; to regulate the construction*'of bridges across the Ohio River, and a bill to regulate the export of tobacco in bond.

In addition to the long list of propositions which found their last resting place in the pigeon-holes of the various committees ot the House—76o bills and joint resolutions are left upon the calendars, and 238 upon the speaker’s table, having failed of securing final action by the House. The calendar of the committee of the whole, which is composed of prepositions involving the expenditure of money on the part of the Government, contains among others the following: ‘Tor the appointment of a Liquor Traffic Gommission; providing a permanent construction fund for the Navy; to regulate the tax on weiss beer, and authorize the construction of vessels of war, and for the admission of the State of Washington, providing for ocean mail service; the Hennepin Canal Bill; for the construction of the Illinois ahd Mississipi Canal; for a Board cf Commissioners of Inter-State Ocm-

merce; to'ereCtWfAgribufounl WJommisnon; to create on Immigration. I The titles'ofbflls on the House dar fill ten printed pages; and mtee of greatest importance are: To establish a Postal Depository; the French Spoliation Bi& to promote efficiency of Revenue Marine Service, also of the Signal Corps; declaring forfaited certain railroad land grants; to limit the coinage of the standard silver dollars, and to suspend the issue of silver certificates; to establish a uniform system of bankruptcy; for the issue of gold q£tlfiba4*| ting the use of domestic materials in the construction of ships,for foreign account; to incorporate the Nicaragua, Maritime Canal Co.; to declare the forfeiture of the Texas Pacific Railroad land grant; to authorize the consolidation of the Southern Pacific and other railroad companies; for a treaty with the German Empire. The titles of bills left untouched On the private calender fill twenty-five pages, and represents some four hundred bills, “special orders” left unacted on are the following: “To prevent political assessments; to aid in the support of common schools; to grant pensions to the survivors of the Mexican and Indian wars. Under the head of “unfinished business the only matter of importance is the bill to regulate the carriage of passengers by sea (with the President’s veto message.) Un "‘er the head of ‘‘business on the Speaker’s table” are the following: To regulate immigration; relating to the entry of distilled spirits in distillery and special bonded warehouses, *and to the withdrawal of the same. Under the heading, “Bills from the Senate on their first and second reading,” there are ninety-five bills unacted on that came over from the first session of the Forty-seventh Congress, and thirty-one from the second session. Among the latter are the following: For a survey of the passes between the affluents of the Upper Mississippi and Columbia Rivers; for the performance of the Presidential duties in case of the removal, death, resignation or inability of both the President and VicePresident; for the relief of Fitz-John Porter. The bills and resolutions remaining upon the calendar of the Senate, reported from the committee but not finally acted upon, number 398. Some of the more important are the resolution proposing an amendment to the Constitution, in relation to the manufacture, importation and sale of intoxicating liquors; a resolution extending the franking privilege; a resolution for printing ten thousand copies of the Medical and Surgical History of the War; a bill to establish a branch mint at Omaha; making Government paper currency a legal tender for customs dues; to incorporate the Interoceanic Ship Railway Company; to constitute the Bureau of Agriculture an Executive Department; to establish a Bureau of Animal Industry; to place Thos. L. Crittenden on the retired list of the army as a Brigadier General; admitting Dakota to the Union; to exempt freight vessels of less than twenty-five tons burden from inspection and license; a bill providing a form of government for Alaska; to expedite the administration of justice in the Supreme Court of the United States; to provide for investigation and settlement of claims against the United States, which in justice and good conscience ought to be paid. A resolution to appoint a commission on a revival of international commerce in United States steamships suitable for naval purposes; to prevent the payment of double pensions; to enable corporations to become surety on official bonds; increasing the area of Yellowstone Park; to relieve ships from compulsory pilotage; to suppress the opium traffic between the U. S. and China; to provide for specific annual appropriation for fifteen years for school purposes on the basis of illiteracy. The “Dingley” Shipping Bill which passed the House early in January, was not taken up by the Senate until yester day at midnight. Objections having been made which seemed to jeopardize passage of the bill, the Commerce C.:mmittee withdrew the tonnage and mail pay sections, which they had added, and the bill, with some amendments, then passed, and two hours later the bill reached the House and attempts were made to send it to a committee of conference or to pass it as amended under a I suspension of the rules; owing, however, to the deadlock over the South Carolina election case, the House refused to entertain either motion, and the Shipping. Bill failed.

The River and Harbor Bill, appropriating 88,047,000. was strangled in the Senate by a motion to lay on the table upon the last day of the session. Among other propositions which failed to reach the status of legislative enactment we r e those to forfeit the land grants of the Northern Pacific, Texas Pacific, Atlantic and Pacific, and other railroads; to reduce the amounts paid the land grant railroads for transporting mails; to place General Grant upon the retired list; to

in iPod:* uttdiWuTJ constitute a > wife a competent witness Wdstlier W tedfygutay. DM® , h I The last biU whiudk iboad of u - 8CourtafSrthe Eastarsunnd Northern DisHouse just aa Speaks , his remarks , preliminary .fe; the House adjourned sine die. bill in hand, rushed np to the desk and endeavored to attract the Speaker** AL tention, but the| gavel fell without the coveted signature. Jb s n<. .• I Mr. Hjaoock,Uhairmaaofthe l Honse Committee on appropriations, ■ has furnished for publication a statement relative to the appropriation bills passed this session, and which have become laws. The aggregate amount of all the bills is 8229.327.511, made up as follows: Pensions, 886,575,000; Military* Academy, *8318,657; Fortifications, 8670,000; Consular and Diplomatic, 81,296,755; Navy, 815,894,434; Army,524,681,350; Post-office; 844,489,520; Indian, 85,362,655; Legislative, $0,464,296; Sundry Civil, 823,906,j 147; District of Columbia, 81.699,867; Deficiency, 82,813,187; Agricultural, 8405,640; miscellaneous bills involving appropriations of money, 8750,000. The aggregate of appropriations for the last year, including 818,738,875 for the River and Harbor Bill was 8295,509,639, and for the preceding year, including 811,441,300 for the River apt! Harbor Bill was 8219,367,983. An analysis of the figures for the past three years shows that the appropriations for the current expenses of, the Government,, irrespective of the amounts for pensions; aggregate less than either of the two preceding years. The regular pension bills for. the years 1882,1883 and 1884 aggregate 8252,575,000, the bill just passed being $20,575,000 in excess of the bill passed two years ago, and 813,225,000 less than the bill last year. Of the Deficiency Bill just passed only about 8500,000 is on account of the current fiscal year. The appropriation bills of the present session were based upon estimates aggregating $271,894,844; as reported from the House Committee on Appropriations they aggregated 8220,082,753; as passed by the House, 8226,420,208; as reported by the Senate Committee on Appropriations 8231,115,015; as passed by the Senate 8230,662,541, and as finally passed by both Houses, after adjustment by a conference committee, 8229.827.511, an increase $9,244,758 over the amounts.originally recommended by the House Committee on Appropriations.

A Combination that Was Spoiled. New York World. Mr. Nicholas Langdon, a well-known politician, had a funny experience with a pet monkey yesterday. He tells the story as follows: “Along with two friends I went into a beer saloon on Third avenue. I called for three , beers and placea a quarter on the counter. A monkey was scratching his ears at the end of the bar and blinking his eyes at the ‘boss.’ My friends turned around to admire several ornamental theatrical bills on the walls and I joined them. When we were ready to go I said to the saloon-keeper, ‘where’s my change?’ he said ‘what change?’ I looked at him with surprise and told him I had put down a quarter on the counter. The man said I was mistaken, but my friends, who saw me put the money down, told him that I had tossed twenty-five cents on the bar. The fat German was heard to mutter something about ‘deadbeats,’ and I was beginning to get my Irish up. The monkey was apparently taking in the situation, and I thought his jaws looked a little swollen. ‘l’ll bet that monk took that quarter,’ I said to myself. Walking up to the animal I just gave him a tap behind the ear, and he spilled 82.50 in silver change on the bar. The boss appeared to be dumb-founded, and as we went out he was heard to remark that he would bet his life that the bar-tender John had trained the monkey, andtnathemustbe working the customers as well as the drawer, but the combination was spoiled.”