The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-03-03
SITTING DAY AND NIGHT.
UEIRIED CONGRESSMEN STRUGGLING
UITH me UNFINISHED BUSINESS.

A.irrp-An Unexpected Discourse ON snb.
bath BrcaklnR-R Reports from the Con-
rercuce Commtitees-A Recess ut Midnight
WAsHINGrON, March 2.-Thcrc is no ne
cc-siy ior an extra session of Congress- so far
a. the public business is concerned. All of tho
appropriation bills. except the River and Har-
bor are Row in conference. and there are no
insurmountablc difficulties in tho way OF
agreement save the political legislation which
has been Incorporated in tho Army and tho
Legislative bills. Tho Senate will Yield all
questions involved in the appropriation bills
save thn political questions. They admit that
there can hc no objection to tho repeal Of lcgs-
lation on appropriation bills which was enacted
IN the same way. They admit that they cannot
prevent the repeal Of these laws before tho next
general election. and that. therefore, they can
gain nothing but n little political capital by ro-
eisting the repeal now. On the other hand
they say that tho Democrats can gain nothing
by insisting upon the repeal now but must
losc. because the business interests OF the ooun-
try will sulcr IL an extra session is forced
There are some Democrats who do not deny
this. They say they cannot see the necessity Of
insisting upon the repeal OF laws which can be
applied only TO tho State Of California before
tho next Congress will have nm opportunity to
repeal them. They also say that tho party is
likely to loso rather than gain by insisting upon
the repeal Of these laws. and forcing an extra
Session
But the question is. can all the public business
be completed between this and Tuesday noon
Undoubtedly II can. All of the appropriation
bills can easily be disposed Of II the political
questions are dropped. The details OF agree
ment on all Of them save the River and Harbor
are arranged at this writing 40 o'clock. and II
1t were not for the differences in regard to po-
litical legislation involved the two Houses could
be ready TO adjourn before noon tomorrow. Ii
does not seem possible. however. that the Dom
ocrats will yield and II is pretty certain that the
Republicans will not
1t is barely possible that some Democrats in
the House will refuse to insist upon the repeal
OF the election laws and upon the prohibition OF
the use OF troops at the polls. II ten of them
should decide to yield. refusing TO obey the de-
cison Of the caucus there would be no extra
session, unless the majority Of the Democrats
should then nlibuster the session out. 1t il said
That forty five Democratic members ot tho House
have signed pledge to libuster until March
4. il necessary. to defeat what they term treach-
cry TO the party.
After the River and Hnrbor bill had been com
pleted in Committee OF the Whole. and about.
moved to strike out all after the enacting
rause and provide that s2 900 900 be- nppro-
was seconded by Senator Conkling in
ciousness OF appropriating money ms 1t was
proposed to do in the pending bill. Senator
Senator Conkiine had been active in putting on
Amendments which appropriated large sums Of
money ior n,nimporta9t streams and said that
This called out from Conkl decidedly the
best speech he ever made in the Senate. Ii was
pot only eloquent but II was in bettor manner
hAn any recent effort OF his.
Ransom had spoken Of the great internal
improvements which made the state OF New
,1ork great and prosperous. To this Conkling
replied in an eloquent deecrp ption of the works
own conception and were paid for out Of her own
peoples money. He said also that New York was
ko-day paying one-third OF all the taxes which
supported the national Government and yet
Rhe was not selfish about the application Of the
money which came out Of her peoples pockets.
but was willing TO see great national improve
nents made The debate which followed ran
Ior two hours. and was participated in by Ed
Punds. Bayard. hathews. Howe, and Here
When Sunday opened at midnight. last night.
both Houses were in session With the oxcep,
zion OF short recess from o'clock this morn
ing until o'clock this afternoon. tho Senate
bas been in continuous session. disposng
Hrst OF the Legislative bill. and then spending
HSrboT b The House took nq Poeess Ssr from %ma
time 10 time during the day. meeting to hear
reports from conference commit ttees, which at
III o'clock Were still reporting their disagree
There is that about these closing hours that
keeps this whole House Of three hundred mid
ne-aged men at fever heat. Hour by hour the
ierest to himself. and sure to pass il he can get
pny 1--WE minutes for Us consideration under
The intricate rules Of the House SO he frets |
md fumes stays here by day and night. |
Hnatches his meals when he can. drinks some
" he has never drank before. drinks much IL |
Pc has drunk before. and comes 10 each session |
IN such a state as makes him ready to lose his |
ness under which the Forty-hith Congress has |
% vote s9j0OOOO0 before Tuesday noon; or
gress necessary, Bring n great flock OF |
Iuch men together. poison the air, set the |
through twelve hours OF furious excitement !
and you must have the furious bedlam with |
night. The Chinese message was Just over. |
Hhni had been taken up. not because the tall |
ers tlbl" wanted the message but because the |
message lay on top OF n host OF private bills |
Ha Ha wern also on me, Speakers table and |
betiye work on the floor TO take up. The corri- |
nors rmrted OF men anxious about claims ns |
uey passed into the galleries. 10 see their bill |
teachei Instead. Randall flung in this mes
lage' ana wnen the roll call oyer il was closed |
~ hdmidnight that great pile OF bills was us far |
From 10 o'clock till II o'clock Springer and |
House should 80 to the Speakers table or take |
~ Sewards case Harris Won, Now the |
Just covering each other. the unwearied |
nsd spIngeri ris IS on & his eEs again; Ths whole
down in front. tall man. with close, black |
beard shutting in long face. talking furously. |
Bundy OF New York. "A broad-shoudered norid- |
faced fellow with white hair and a ST n run OF |
gray beard standing out around his chin For |
bali an hour these men stand four feet apart.
ehouung qt the top Of their hoarsc voices.
Bundy cool. and Springer tax lng short steps up |
and down the aisle in his excitement
Al SprlnRor's first rising Garfield comes
down the aisle opposite. three steps at n time
his hand mp as he Jerks II point Of order ut the
Speaker on his extended fnger-thnt at least
The gesture. is seen. the words are lost in the
storm. Ben Butler quits his seat walks in his
slow fashion until he ls opposite Springer. and
Spreading one hand. lays tho lorcdnger Of tho
"A L. a OgT nu nuk
ma stills. He has his say. The din begins
again, as Bundy and Springer gesture; thoir
bands miss hitting each other by q lucky inch !
or Two. Every point and phrase is cheered by
shout and yell. Turner, n member from Ken
lucky. whose speech has been getting thicker
and whose bald scalp has been getting redder
minute BY minute for an hour until now his
lcQd looks like boiled lobster, has some in
lmllahe iAucy jumps on his feet and yells
doubling his fist and shaking II half foot or so
from Bundy who turns in bland and smiling
Anazement,
The House goes into great paroxysms Of
laughter. and the members form dense ring
ground tho men. Outside. the venerable and
Iery faced Martin !. Townsend OF New York