Salt Lake Tribune | 1900-06-04 | Page 2 | Here is the Record

J ERE IS TDE RECORDa I What Has Been Accomplished During the First Session of the Fifty t sixth Congress It Has Been the Busiest Session According to Veteran Officials in YearsWork However Has Been Less Exciting Than that of j I the Preceding Congress Which Covered the Dramatic Period I When War Was Declared Against Spain Washlnglon June 3Tlic record oC the first session oC the Fiftysixth Congress Is now practically closed and It Is possible to survey the Important work Ie has accomplished during the last six I months I has been a busy Con TOSS the busiest according to veteran vet-eran officials in year The work has been less exciting than that of the preceding pre-ceding Congress which covered the when declared dramatic period war was care against Spain and also the period pe-riod of reconstruction and treatyma king with Spain following the successful success-ful close of the war But In work actually ac-tually accomplished and started toward to-ward accomplishment the record of the present session stands well In comparison compar-ison with the most energetic Congresses Con-gresses WORK ACCOMPLISHED Our new territorial possessions have I received much attention and while there his been no definite action as to the Philippines or Cuba n form of government and a means of raising revenue has been provided for Porto Rio and n comprehensive territorial form of government has been given to Hawaii The financial act IH made important changes In the laws relating to the parity of metals the bonded Indebtedness In-debtedness national banks and the < rwtlonal security se-curity of the treasury by a gold reserve re-serve serveMEASURES MEASURES ADVANCED The Nicaraguan canal billhas passed the House and Is on the calendar of the Senate ready for attention when Congress reconvenes The antitrust bill is similarly advanced The anti trust constitutional ant constlutonal amendment has C defeat recorded against It The Pacific Pa-cific cable measure has passed the Senate Sen-ate and is waiting final action In the House HouseEXCL EXCLUSION OF ROBERTS The exclusion of B H Roberts from 0 seat In the House because of his I polygamous sentiments the refusal of the Senate to admit Mr Quay on tho Appointment of the Governor of Pennsylvania I Penn-sylvania and the sensational charges scnsatonnl eharse investigation and developments In the < natp in the case of Mr Clark of Montana have added some exciting phases to the Senate cxcltnt INVESTIGATIONS PROLIFIC I Investigations have been prolific In eluding the inquiry into theCoeur dAlene mining riots In Idaho the various inquiries on polygamy growing out of the poIgamy Roberts case and more re cently the Senate Investigation of the postal and other Irregularities In Cuba I TOTAL APPROPRIATIONS The total 0 appropriations cannot yet be stated with exactness as five bills are ponding hut It Is approximate ly 700000000 for the session IMPORTANT TREATIES The Senate in executive session has been occupied to a considerable extent with important treaties Of these the treaties with Great Britain and Ger lan closing the tripartite govern ment In Samoa Samoa and awarding to tho United States the island of Tultulla with UK valuable harbor cf PagoPago has been ratified while the commer cial I reciprocity treaties reclproel treates with France and the British Wedt Indian Islands and the IlayPauncefote treaty con cerning the Interoceanic canal go over without action FINANCIAL ACTOr ACT-or the legislation actually accom actlal pushed and now on the statute books the financial act Is regarded book chief achievement of the year Thc noteworthy feature of the debate on this measure In the House was that party lines were broken to some extent a number of Democratic members from the Eastern and New England States I Joining with the majority in passing i paslng In the Senate also party lines were not entirely regarded Senators Lind say and Caffrey voting for the mea urn and Mr Chandler against It GOLD STANDARD As it became a law by the Presi dents signature on March slgalule llth It makes specific the declaration splclfe of the gold standard provides a a treasury re serve of 130000000 establishes a di 1 vision of Issue and redemption of the treasury piovldcs for the redemption and reIssue of Interestbearing bonds of the United States and makes nale new regulations as to the national banks their circulation natonnl hanls estimate in small L communities and the tax they pay smal act also o contains a specific that Its provisions are not Intended declaration to preclude the accomplishment national accomplshment of inter PORTO RICO LEGISLATION Porto Rico legislation Ijas been the moivt fruitful theme of contio 11e and thcml controversy In out of Congrcbs s the during session The J1 discussionfirst lscuSlonfrHt turned on the rev enue bIJl levying I a duty of 15 of YlnE poo cent I the DIngley rates on Porto Rico goods The majority of the Ways and Means committee urged the constitu urred tionality and necessity of this course ynlle the minority reinforced cOlrse minoriy by Mr McCall McCal of Massachusetts a member ot majority maintained that the Con stitution of the United States extend C01 ed to JPorto Rico and that Congress vas inauguralng a new and dangerous precedent by giving the island any oth er law than that of the tha rest or the country EXCITEMENT OVER MEASURE Incitement ran high under the of spur widespread public attention The de atenton bate in the House was the tle signalized b y division of the majority which for a time made the whlcl tme result doubtful but the bill ultimately passed The con L test In the Senate was animated but less l acute the Senate changing the chQnfll en L tire scone of the measure by adding a eomplcttrformofcivil this form I dlllS raising revenue and 1venue estab lishing an island lshlng government the sOvellmerl measure q became a law I Subsequently it Subgequent was amended to as to limit rate franchises and on tho President corpo 3 recommendation an act eras passed ap pointingfor the use of Porto Rico USI Poto thu 2095l55 collected from 2f5155 Colcet trol Island sources ii since anc Us acquisition 1 GOVERNMENT FOR HAWAAI S Next In Importance In the it con pllshcd work of the session Is the act to provide a government for Jovelnment the Tcrirtory Of Hawaii The I it in the Senate and House debates on aroused little olousld ltte llslon save on matters of de act provides a system of government much like that of Terri leo I the tories Tvllha Governor appointed by houses President franchise a Legislature righto practical of two the prnctJcl name as those of voters In the United Stales with the Unied additional wih 1 nddltonnlqal ification that a voter shall thnt 3 hal be able to epeak read GIJck nI and write the English or the Hawaalan Englsh Eawaalan language Administrative and Judicial oMlccra I i nre provided and the island is given a I DHegnte to the HOIUM of Represent I I I Ueif of the United Slates chosen by he people with a right to debate in I tho House but not a right to vote S PHILIPPINE AFFAIRS j I The Philippine and Cuba questions I have h occupied much attention In the way of debate and the adoptiofl ° 5 1 resolutions of inquiry rho Spoonei bill providing l that when nil lnsulTO I ion against the authority of the United States shall be at an end then t The military and all Judicial poxvew I shall unless otherwise provided i > > Congress be l carried on under the di i < rccllon of tho President formed the basis ot the Senatorial debate on the I Philippines but was fruitless of action ac-tion The only legislation as to < uba Is I a comparatively minor character relating re-lating l to Cuban shipping EXTRADITION BILL The extradition bill applying to all 1 I I insular I possessions and depiMKluncies I h as passed both houses and doubtlesii will become a law I is designed J I inalnly to reach cases like that ot Charles f W Ncely CNAL MEASURE The Nicaragua canal bill and the shipping subsidy bill are notable in Htnncos of legislation pai tly advanced I during the I present session but not enacted into law The canal bill has passed 1 the House and has been made the special order In the Senate beginning be-ginning December 10th n xl The shipping ship-ping bill Is on the calendar of ouch house h with favorable recommendation from a majority membership ot the House committee AFTER THE TRUSTS Antitrust I legislation I I has come prominently l Into attention of the House at tho closo of the session the House having passed a new antitrust bill ant defeated a constitutional amendment I The Senate has passed J a bill for a cable to tho Philippines and beyond to bo constructed and maintained under un-der Government aid but no action has been taken on it in the House The restriction of oleomargarine has been l productive of considerable agitation agita-tion mainly In committees and a I radical restricts bill has been reported report-ed to the House PENSION LAWS CHANGED The general pension laws have been materially changed by the present Congress largely as a result of the efforts of tho Grand Army of the Republic Re-public which securod the passage of a bill amending the law of Uune 27 1890 so as to permit the aggregating of disabilities and changing the pie vision as to widows so that a widow may receive pensions when she is without means of support other than her dally labor and has an actual nee incoin not exceeding S250 FREE HOMES LAW The fiee homes act has at last become be-come n law I provides for the patenting pat-enting of homesteads on the public lands l acquired from the Indians on the payment of the usual fees and no other or further charges This opens to free homestead entry many millions of acres of public lands in the West acre heretofore sold at stated figures per PROTECTING GAME BIRDS Another measure passed of some general Interest permits the Secre tary of Agriculture to restore game birds which arc becoming oxtlnct and provides for the restriction of traffic o trfc on dead animals birds etc from State to State tho latter provision Cc be ing In I part designed to limit I the t de struction of song birds for the sale of their plumage Among other miscellaneous acts of the session are those for the preserva tion of the historic frigate Coast itu tion and for extending the work of the twelfth census PROMOTING GEN MILES ILES Consldeiablc general legislation Is carried on appropriations These IProprlatons pro 10 visions include the amendments to the nillltruy academy bil amendmCts making the commanding General of the arm a LleutenantGeneral arid Adjutant General of the army n MajorGeneral also the amendment to the sundry civil bill appropriating 5000000 for the St Louis JoulM exposition Both of these bills are still pending 0 INCREASING THE NAVY Tire naval appropriation bill two battleships throe armored cruis adds ers three protected cruisers and five submarine boats to the naval I strength and may include Kpoclal legislation as to urnlor plate and a Government plant The ether appropriation the apHorlatlul blllo 1 main carry the usual supplcrArTEl Government MATTER STILL PENDING The Alaska code bill giving hi a com a plete civil system of laws to the Ter ritory has passed both houses and lel I doubtedly l will andII become wi become a Jaw Other measures which I lNUrcs have passed one house passel e or tin > other thl but arc still pending in eluding those for the election in1 elecion of Sena ion Sela President by the people authorizing the 1 to appoint a commission to I study commercial conditions In I condlLons China and China Jarin for Increasing tlit of the army by thl oTirlency I service making In the staff corps temporarily olglitnour law Increasing extending the the an nual allowance to the militia of miiia o the country from 100000 to 51000000 Tho forecast for the closing week follows SENATE FORECAST There Is now har hardly l the 9Y y any doubt that Senate will agree to the House res olution to olUlol adjourn the Hessian next Wednesday of the The passage of the lnst obstacles appropriation billa loaves no in taces the way of final adjourn fnal ment except the amendm amendments those bills by the Senate made t bllH the anti the opln Ion Is now almost universal opll that these I business differences of can the he session adjusted and all the i I concluded In the time named II I TWO ITEMS OF DIFFERENCE I Tho > only two items of icms difference which might dlfclHCC Cause thy armorplate material delay aro I amendment on the I I val appropriation na bill and the amend ment on the sundry civil In the Inter I cvi est of the St Louis leaders of all parties exposition lhe I al united In the wish to apparently bring are Ui slon brinG li ses to n close on Wednesday and bv beginning the dully sittings y dll slttlS early and allowing them I oloJ11 to continue late will succeed contnue Iltr thc r CONFERENCE REPORTS The remainder of the session will be I given up to conference wi e conrerence reports on the appropriations to the consideration considerton of comparatively unimportant bills on the calendar and to the making of speeches on political questions poltcl qucthIJ There are a half dozen C nrr r Senators who want to bo hoard at some length qnd be ieolthtH they yH l accommodated i HOUSE FORECAST Conference reports on appropriation I r and other bIlls pr rilsc to occupy thc attention of the house to the exclusion exclu-sion of everything during the closing days of the eslon Only one piece of general legislation sorlously threatens I the programme the Grout oleomargarine oleomargar-ine bill The friends of this measure hi hil I and havo t Insistent hJ have been very threatened In case tho Senate does not I thleateulo cae resolution for final adjournment agree to JeHoluton journment on Wednesday to hold up journment resolution until they can I any amended re oluton unti thC I I opportunity to vote on their have an oIPortnly I I bill A WAY OUT OF THE DIFFICULTY A way out of the difficulty I was suggested sug-gested yesterday which may bo put Into operation tomorrow Tomorrow being suspension day Mr Tawney maybe may-be recognized to move that an hour of Tuesday be given to the oleomargarine bill An this motion will require a two thirds vole tile powers that be are be considered willing that the measure be wiling I it can command such an overwhelming over-whelming majority of the House AS TO SUPPLY BILLS of number a considerable There are 0 consldelable disputed Items In the appropriation lspullc Icms will probably bills which the House wi settle by direct vole tho appropriation for the St Louis exposition and somn less Important Items which the Senate Iems the sundry civil bill the placed upon uncry dvl hi armorplate provision and the paragraphs para-graphs relate to ocean and like surveys sur-veys and the abolition of the sea courser fo course-r naval cadets In the naval appropriation appro-priation bill and the MllosCorbln I amendment on the military academy bill 1 Final adjournment will undoubtedly undoubt-edly como Wednesday