President Cleveland was accused of unconstitutional interference in the proceedings of Congress; and the House was blamed for submitting to the Senate and passing the amended bill without going through the usual form of conference and adjustment of differences.

Senator Sherman of Ohio remarked that "there are many cases in the bill where enactment was not intended by the Senate.

For instance, innumerable amendments were put on by Senators on both sides of the chamber...

to give the Committee of Conference a chance to think of the matter, and they are all adopted, whatever may be their language or the incongruity with other parts of the bill." The bitter feeling, excited by the summary mode of enactment on the part of the House, was intensified by President Cleveland's treatment of the measure.

While he did not veto it, he would not sign it but allowed it to become law by expiration of the ten days in which he could reject it.