or Provides for the protection of the salmon fisheries; prohibits obstructions in streams preventing ascent of salmon; prohibits fishing above tide waters, except with rod or spear, or to lay or set any drift net. set net, trap, pound net, seine for any purpose across the tide waters of any river or stream for a distance of more than one-third of the width of the river; prohibits fishing from midnight on Fridays to 6 p. m. on Sundays; and provides for spawning grounds and closed seasons. June 9, 1896. ANALYSIS OF MORE IMPORTANT ACTS OF CONGRESS. COLLISIONS AT SEA. An act amending the laws to prevent collisions at sea, approved June 10, 1896, and to take effect at a subsequent time to be fixed by the President by proclamation for that purpose, provided as follows: "Article 15. All signals prescribed by this article for vessels under way shall be given: First-By 'steam vessels' the whistle or siren Second-By 'sailing vessels' and 'vessels towed' on the fog horn. The words 'prolonged blast' used in this article shall mean a blast of from four to six seconds' duration. on "A steam vessel shall be provided with an efficient whistle or siren, sounded by steam or by some substitute for steam, so placed that the sound may not be intercepted by any obstruction, and with an efficient fog horn, to be sounded by mechanical means, and also with an efficient bell. (In all cases where the rules require a bell to be used a drum may be substituted on board Turkish vessels, or a gong where such articles are used on board small seagoing vessels.) A sailing vessel of twenty tons gross tonnage upward shall be provided with a similar fog horn and bell. or "In fog, mist, falling snow, or heavy rainstorms, whether by day or night, the signals described in this article shall be used as follows, namely: (a) A steam vessel having way upon her shall sound, at intervals of not more than two minutes, a prolonged blast. (b) A steam vessel under way, but stopped, and having no way upon her, shall sound, at intervals of not more than two minutes, two prolonged blasts, with an interval of about one second between. (c) A sailing vessel under way shall sound, at intervals of not more than one minute, when on the starboard tack, one blast; when on the port tack, two blasts in succession, and when with the wind abaft the beam, three blasts in succession. (d) A vessel when at anchor shall, at intervals of not more than one minute, ring the bell rapidly for about five seconds. (e) A vessel when towing. a vessel employed in laying or in picking up a telegraph cable, and a vessel under way, which is unable to get out of the way of an approaching vessel through being not under command, or unable to manoeuvre as required by the rules, shall, instead of the signals prescribed in subdivisions (a) and (c) of this article, at intervals of not more than two minutes, sound three blasts in succession, namely: One prolonged blast followed by two short blasts. A vessel towed may give this signal and she shall not give any other. Sailing vessels and boats of less than twenty tons gross tonnage shall not be obliged to give the above-mentioned signals, but, if they do not, they shall make some other efficient sound signal at intervals of not more than one minute." FILLED CHEESE. 1896, An act was approved June 6, which went into effect September 4. to govern the manufacture and sale of "filled cheese." It is defined as "all substances made of milk or skimmed milk, with the admixture of butter, animal oils or fats, vegetable or any other oils, or compounds foreign to such milk, and made in imitation or semblance of cheese." Special taxes are imposed by the act, as follows: Manufacturers to pay $400 for each and every factory, per annum; wholesale dealers, $250 per annum; retail dealers, $12 per annum. Every manufacturer of filled cheese is required to file with the Collector of Internal Revenue of the district in which the manufactory is located such notices, inventories and bonds, and shall keep such books and render such returns of materials and products, and put up such signs and numbers to his factory,_etc., as the Commissioner of Internal Revenue may require. It is required that filled cheese shall be packed by the manufactur ers in new wooden packages, marked, stamped and branded; that it shall be retailed only from original stamped packages, and when sold shall be packed in wooden or paper packages properly marked or branded; that all retail and wholesale dealers in filled cheese shall display in a conspicuous place, in his or their salesroom, a sign bearing the words "Filled cheese sold here," in black-faced letters not less than six inches in length, upon a white ground; that each manufacturer shall securely affix on each package a label on which shall be printed a notice, prepared by the Commissioner of Internal Revenue; that there shall be levied a tax of one cent a pound on manufacture, and that imported filled cheese shall pay an import duty and an internal revenue tax of 8 cents per pound. The Commissioner of Internal Revenue is authorized to have applied scientific tests, to determine whether any substances used in the manufacture of filled cheese contain ingredients deleterious to health. All packages of filled cheese that shall be found without the required stamps or marks, and all intended for human consumption which contains ingredients adjudged as deleterious to health, shall be forfeited to the United States. MERCHANT MARINE ENGINEERS. An act, approved May 28, 1896, for the improven.ent of the merchant marine engineer service, and thereby also to increase the efficiency of the Naval Reserve, defines that vessels registered pursuant to law and no others, except such as shall be duly qualified according to law for carrying on the coasting or fishing trade, shall be deemed vessels of the United States. It also provides that "all the officers of vessels of the United States who shall have charge of a watch, including pilots, shall in all cases be citizens of the United States. The word 'officers' shall include the chief engineer and each assistant engineer in charge of a watch on vessels propelled wholly or in part by steam; and after January 1, 1897, no person shall be qualified to hold a license as a comr ander or watch officer of a merchant vessel of the United States who is not a native-born citizen, or whose naturalization as a citizen shall not have been fully completed. "No master, mate, pilot, or engineer of steam vessels licensed under title 52 of the Revised Statutes shall be liable to draft in time of war, except for the performance of duties such as are required by his license; and, while performing such duties in the service of the United States, every such master, mate, pilot, or engineer shall be entitled to the highest rate of wages paid in the merchant marine of the United States for similar services; and, if killed or wounded while performing such duties under the United States, they, or their heirs, or their legal representatives shall be entitled to all the privileges accorded to soldiers and sailors serving in Arny and Navy, under the pension laws the of the United States." JOINT RESOLUTIONS. ALASKA. Appropriating $75,000 to defray the joint expenses of the International Commission engaged in locating the boundary line between the Territory of Alaska and British North America. February 20, 1896. INCOME TAX.-Directing the immediate destruction of all income tax returns and copies thereof, with all statements and records thereto in possession of the Treasury Department. April 6, 1896. MEDALS OF HONOR.-Authorizing the issue to holders of medals of honor a rosette or knot, to be worn in lieu of the medal, and a ribbon to be worn with the medal; and provided, that a new ribbon may be issued without charge whenever the original issued has been lost, destroyed or rendered unfit for use. May 2, 1896. NAVY.-Extending the benefits of honorable discharges, and of three months' pay upon re-enlistment after honorable discharge, to all enlisted persons in the Navy. June 11, 1896. NAVY.-Authorizing the acceptance of the Ammen ram Katahdin. 1896. January 4, PRESIDENT'S MESSAGES.-Directing the distribution of the "Messages and Papers of the Presidents," published by resolution of Congress. SEALS.-Authorizing April 30, 1896. a vestigation of the fur-seal fisheries on the SEED DISTRIBUTION. -"That the Secretary of Agriculture be, and he is hereby, authorized and directed to purchase and distribute valuable seeds for the year 1896, as has been done in preceding years; and as the public exigency requires that the valuable seeds, bulbs, trees, shrubs, vines, cuttings and plants, to be purchased may be ready for distribution at the earliest possible date, the Secretary of Agriculture is hereby directed to procure them by open purchase or contract at the places and in the manner in which such articles are usually bought and sold: Provided. That the said Secretary shall not, 75 in said purchase, pay more than a reasonable and fair price for such commodities or for any of them." Passed March 3. 1896. Became a law without approval of President. TENNESSEE EXPOSITION.-Authorizing foreign exhibitors at the Tennessee Centennial Exposition, to be held in Nashville, Tenn., in 1897, to bring to this country foreign laborers from their respective countries for the purpose of preparing for and making their exhibits, and allowing articles imported from foreign countries for the sole purpose of exhibition at said exposition to be imported free of duty, under regulations prescribed by the Secretary of the Treasury. May 18, 1896. UTAH.-Authorizing and directing the Governor and Secretary of the Territory of Utah to deliver to the Governor and Secretary of State of Utah, desks and all furniture and fixtures of the safes, their respective offices and all property of like character, belonging to the United States, including that held by the Utah Commission. January 4, 1896. ex WORLD'S FAIR MEDALS AND DIPLOMAS.-An act authorizing the Secretary of the Treasury to distribute the medals and diplomas of the World's Columbian Exposition to the several hibitors entitled thereto; but in case any of the exhibitors cannot be found, then, in every such case, such medals and diplomas shall be retained by the Secretary of the Treasury until they are called for by the exhibitors entitled thereto, or by persons authorized to receive the same. March 13, 1896. WAR RECORDS.-Authorizing and directing the Secretary of the Navy to send the undistributed copies of the Official Records of the War of the Rebellion, both of the Union and of the Confederate navies, to such orgonizations and individuals, as may be libraries, designated before the meeting of the next Congress by the Representatives in the LXIVth Congress of the districts whose Representatives in the LXIII Congress failed to designate the distributees of their quota of said official records or any part thereof as authorized by Congress. January 30, 1896. CONCURRENT RESOLUTIONS. ARMENIAN OUTRAGES. A concurrent resolution of Congress was passed by the Senate on January 24, and by the House on January 27, 1896, which read as follows: "Whereas, The supplementary treaty of Berlin, of July 13, 1878, between the Ottoman Empire and Great Britain, Germany, Austria, France, Italy and Russia, contains the following provisions: "The Sublime Porte undertakes to carry out without further delay the ameliorations and reforms demanded by local requirements in the provinces inhabited by the Armenians, and to guarantee their security against the Circassians and Kurds. It will periodically make known the steps taken to this effect to the Powers, and will superintend their application. "The Sublime Porte having expressed the wish to maintain the principle of religious liberty, to give it the widest scope, the contracting parties take note of this spontaneous declaration. In no part of the Ottoman Empire shall difference of religion be alleged against an individual as a ground for exclusion or incapacity as regards the discharge of civil and political rights, admission to the public service, functions and honors, and the exercise of the different professions and industries. All persons shall be admitted, without distinction of religion, to give evidence before the tribunals. Liberty and the outward exercise of all forms of worship are assured to all, and no hindrance shall be offered either to the hierarchical organization of the various communions or to their relations with their spiritual chiefs. The right of official protection by the diplomatic and consular agents of the Powers in Turkey is recognized both as regards the above-mentioned persons and their religious, charitable and other establishments in the holy places; and "Whereas the intent and object of the above cited provisions of said treaty are to place the Christian subjects of the Porte under the protection of the other signatories thereto, and to secure to such Christian subjects full liberty of religious worship and belief, the equal benefit of the laws, and all the privileges and immunities belonging to any subject of the Turkish Empire; and "Whereas by said treaty the Christian Powers, parties thereto, having_established, under the consent of Turkey, their right to accomplish and secure the above-recited objects; and "Whereas the American people, in common with all Christian people everywhere, have beheld with horror the recent appalling outrages and massacres of which the Christian population of Turkey have been made the victims; therefore, "Resolved by the Senate of the United States (the House of Representatives concurring) That it is an imperative duty, in the interest of humanity, to express the earnest hope that the European concert brought about by the treaty referred to may be speedily given its just effect in such decisive measures as shall stay the hand of fanaticism and lawless violence, and as shall secure to the unoffending Christians of the Turkish Empire all the rights belonging to them both as men and Christians and as beneficiaries of the explicit provisions of the treaty above recited. "Resolved, That the President be requested to communicate these resolutions to the Governments of Great Britain, Germany, Austria, France, Italy and Russia. "Resolved further, That the Senate of the United States, the House of Representatives concurring, will support the President in the most vigorous action he may take for the protection and security of American citizens in Turkey, and to obtain redress for injuries committed upon the persons or property of such citizens." CUBAN WAR. "Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives concurring), That, in the opinion of Congress, a condition of public war exists between the Government of Spain and the Government proclaimed and for some time maintained by force of arms by the people of Cuba; and that the United States of America should maintain a strict neutrality between the contending Powers, according to each all the rights of belligerents in the ports and territory of the United States. "Resolved further, That the friendly offices of the United States should be offered by the President to the Spanish Government for the recognition of the independence of Cuba." Passed the Senate February 28, 1896, Passed the House of Representatives April 6, 1896. Totals .. $404,036,085 29 $391,156,005 03 $383,934.564 34 Perm'nt annual appro'ns 115,468,273 92 d101,074,680 00 113,073,956 32 33.096.710 19 g15,341,911 07 416,010 06 $396.791,034 57 119,054,160 00 $519,504,359 21 $492,230,685 03 $497,008,520 66/h$515,845,194 57 Total by Congress.....$1,027,104,547 92 $989, 239, 205 69 Grand totals..... a. Includes $14.149.724 85 deficiency for 1893. b. No River and Harbor bill was passed for 1894, but $14,166, 153 was included in the Sundry Civil act to carry out 87,236,599 55 11,643,180 00 34,253,775 55 12,211,006 06 577,956 55 89,545,997 86) 92.571,564 22 f12,659,550 00 e46,568, 160 40] 9.825,374 82 297,667 37 contracts authorized by law. c. Includes $1,330,669 67 to be placed to the credit of certain Indians for certain non-paying State bonds or stocks; also includes $2,472,697 to carry out agreements with various Indian tribes. d. The Secretary of the Treasury having recommended the repeal of the Sugar Bounty law, no estimate was submitted for the fiscal year 1895. In case the law should not be repealed the Secretary noted that $11,000,000 would be required for the purpose. e. Includes $11,462,115 to carry out contracts for river and harbor improvements for 1896. f. In addition to this $3,284,597 was appropriated in the Sundry Civil Act to carry out contracts authorized by law for river and harbor improvements for 1897, and $300,000 was appropriated in the Urgent Deficiency act to carry out such contracts for 1896. g. The General Deficiency Appropriation bill as agreed upon by the House and Senate, appropriating $10,719,503, was vetoed by the President, and, failing to pass over the veto, another bill, being an exact copy of that vetoed, omitting one section appropriating $1,761,996 66 for French spoliation and other claims, was enacted. h. In addition to this amount, contracts were authorized to be entered into, subject to future appropriations by Congress, as follows: District of Columbia act, $124,000; Fortification act, $4,195,076; Naval act, $10,000,000 in excess of estimated appropriation for increase of the Navy; River and Harbor act, $59,616,404 91; Sundry Civil act, $981,000. Total, $75,816,480 91. ELECTION OF UNITED STATES SENATORS. DELAWARE. one IOWA. The Legislature met in joint convention on January 22, and elected William B. Allison to succeed himself (his fifth term) from March 4, 1897. KENTUCKY. the lawful presiding officer of the Joint Assembly. Immediately after the reorThe State was represented in the United ganization of the United States Senate States Senate in the first sesion of the LIVth Congress by only one Senator, upon the convening of Congress, Mr. Dupont's claim was submitted, and on May George Gray (Dem.), who was chairman 15 the Senate voted against it by 30 of the Committee on Privileges and Elecyeas and 31 nays. The 31 nays were cast tions, to which the technically imperfect by twenty-six Democrats and five Popucredentials of United States Senator-elect Henry A. Dupont were submitted. The lists. The 30 votes to admit the claim were cast by Republicans. There were joint Legislature which began to ballot on States January 15, 1895, for a United fourteen pairs, those for exclusion being thirteen Democrats, from Senator Populist, and for the six years' term those for admission fourteen Republicans. March 4, 1896, was composed of eleven The election to fill the vacancy will be Democrats and nineteen Republicans, thus held by the newly elected Legislature. making sixteen votes necessary to а choice. On April 8, Governor Marvil (Rep.), died, and on the following day William T. Watson (Dem.), president of the Senate, was sworn in as Governor. As the State Constitution provides that a Governor cannot hold two offices at the same time, the joint session of the Legislature was reduced to twenty-nine in number, making fifteen a majority vote. There were 217 ballots taken. On May 9, the closing day of the session, thirty-seven ballots were taken, the final one being as follows: Dupont, 15; Addicks, 4; Ridgely (including Watson's vote), 10; Tunnell, 1. A resolution was offered declaring Dupont's election, but as Governor Watson refused to entertain the any motion, Speaker of the House arose and declared Mr. Dupont elected. Immediately after taking the oath of office as Governor, on April 9, Mr. Watson assumed the functions of the office, and from that time until May 9, the final day of the Legislative session, he did not take part in the proceedings of either the Senate or the Joint Assembly or seek to have his vote recorded for any candidate for United States Senator. On May 9, however, shortly before the hour of adjournment, it became evident that Mr. Dupont would get fifteen votes, and Governor Watson hastily entered the Joint mounted the President's desk, seized the gavel and declared his right to participate in the election, and his vote, being recorded at his direction, was held by him to raise the number of qualified electors to thirty, and to reduce the fifteen votes cast for Mr. Dupont to one less than a majority. He then refused to sign the certificate of election given to Mr. Dupont by the Speaker of the House, there The Legislature was in a deadlock over the election of a successor to Senator Joseph C. S. Blackburn, whose term expires on March 4, 1897, until the close of the session by limitation, hence the State will be without its full representation in the Senate until the election by the Legislature of 1898, unless the present Legislature is called in extra session for this purpose. When the Legislature met on January 7, the Senate contained twentytwo Democrats and sixteen Republicans. In the House there were fifty-two Republicans, forty-six Democrats and two Populists. On joint ballot, therefore, were sixty-eight Republicans and sixtyeight Democrats and two Populists. If the two great parties had been concentrated in support of the party candidates they would have been tied, and the control of the situation would have rested with the two Populists, if they had chosen to vote together for one candidate or the other Assembly, The complexity of the situation was increased by the fact that one of the Populists was inclined toward the Republicans and the other toward the Democrats. A certain group of Sound Money Democrats agreed that under no circumstances would they vote for Blackburn, because of his free silver proclivities. If these had not scattered their votes, but had voted for a Republican, a Republican would have been elected and the State would have had its full representation in the Senate. During the session two Democrats, one a member of the Senate and the other a member of the House, were removed by death. Upon the death of the member of the House, Mr. Stege, a Republican, refused to vote until the vacancy should be filled, thus preserving the tie. Upon the death of the Senator the Speaker ruled that it would take a majority of both Houses (70 votes) to elect, hence the death of the Senator did not bring about the required strength for the Republican candidate. One of the Populists, Poor, held the key to the situation, and, although he started out by supporting the Republicans, he soon cut loose, after which he became what he himself termed a free-lance, voting at first for Blackburn and then for some one else. There culminated the most bitter partisan feelings, especially when the Democrats in the Senate attempted to unseat two of the Republicans. During the last week of the Legislature some of the Blackburn sympathizers became very desperate and assaulted some of the Senators, and took possession of the doors of the House for the purpose of intimidation and interfering with the procedings. The Governor was informed that there were threats of violence and bloodshed, and for the security of the lives and the property of the citizens he called out the militia on March 14, and it guarded the State Capitol until after the Legislature adjourned on March 17. There were fiftytwo ballots taken from beginning to end. The following gives the figures from day to day, except on those days when there was no material change: The election for the successor of Charles H. Gibson (Dem.) for the term from March 4, 1897, began in the joint session of the Legislature on January 14, 1896. The complexion of the Legislature was: Senate, 12 Republicans, 14 Democrats; House, 70 Republicans and 21 Democrats. There were eight ballots taken. On the first ballot it stood: George L. Wellington (Rep.), 25; C. T. Westcott (Rep.), 18; P. L. Goldsborough (Rep.), 14; J. C. Milliken (Rep.), 7; A. L. Dryden (Rep.), 7: S. E. Mudd (Rep.), 1; R. P. Dixon (Rep.), 1; H. C. Forbeyt (Rep.), 1: J. W. Smith (Dem.), 21; S. M. Henry (Dem.), 9. The final ballot, on January 22, resulted in the election of Wellington, the ballot standing as follows: Wellington, 63; Goldsborough, 1; Smith, 23; John R. Pattison (Dem.), 7; James E. Ellegood (Dem.), 1. MISSISSIPPI. The Democrats of the Legislature held caucuses which continued for three weeks before they could decide on a candidate for United States Senator, and on the twentieth ballot Representative Hernando De Soto Money was chosen. The Legislature took a joint ballot on the following day, with this result: Money, 166: Burkitt (Pop.), 2. The Legislature was almost wholly Democratic. OHIO. Joseph B. Foraker (Rep.) was elected on January 15, 1896, for the full term of six years from March 4, 1897, to succed Calvin S. Brice (Dem.), the vote being as follows: Foraker, 116; Brice, 27; Blandin (Dem.), 1: Thomas (Dem.), 1; Neal (Dem.), 1; Kagy (Dem.), 1; Groot (Pop.), 1. POLITICAL MISCELLANY, 1896. INDIANA. The Congressional Apportionment Act, passed over the Governor's veto on March 5, 1895, was declared to be unconstitutional by the State Supreme Court on January 30, 1896. The Act of 1893 was also declared void. The Court held that the provision of the State Constitution providing that an apportionment shall be made every six years, upon the basis of the sexennial enumeration, is mandatory. On March 31 a suit was brought in the Supreme Court to decide whether the Apportionment Act of 1885 was valid, and the Court rendered a decision on May 15 sustaining the act. This leaves the law of 1885 in force until the Legislature makes other provisions. NEW-JERSEY. There were 668 bills introduced in the Legislature of 1896, but not more than 15 per cent were enacted int laws. Among the successful bills was one ceding to the United States jurisdiction over lands adjoining the Palisades for a mil |