St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-11-23
THE SHORT SESSION.
Some of the Important Measures to be
Considered by Congress this
Winter.
Special Telegram to the Globe. /

Special Telegram to the Gltbe.
WASHINGTON, Nov. 22.-The next session
Of congress will begin on Monday, Dec. 1,
but after deducting the two weeks usually
appropriated for the Christmas recess and
the Sundays, there will remain
only about seventy-6ve working
days. OF these days the regular
annual appropriation bills viii consume a
large portion, and though there is not now
the same inducement to make buneombe
speeches as in the past session, it is fair to
assume that some time viii be wasted in
partisan elimination and recriminatiOn.
There will thus be comparatively little
time for measures outside OF the appropria-
ton bills
The house has passed and sent TO the
senate divers measures intended to secure
the rights OF the people as against great cor
porations-bills to declare forfeited certain
land grants, bill to compel the payment
of the cost of surveying, selecting and
conveying lands granted to aid the Pacific
railroad and a bill to amend the Thurman
act and provide for the settlement of the ac-
counts of the Pacific railroad with the gov
eminent, AS the senate declined to pass
these bills with the motive OF presidential
contest pending, the Republicans are not
likely to let them go through
now. The house bill to retire and receive
the trade dollar may perhaps receive fayora-
bic consideration. The senate has passed a
bill to provide for the accommodation of the
library, which is made a special order of the
house. Its fate is uncertain. There
is bill to provide for
the construction of additional vessels for
the navy. 1t is not unlikely that the house
OF representatives may agree to a guarded
but liberal measure, provided the new ad-
ministration and not Mr.. Chandler is TO
carry out the appropriation. The Blair bill
to provide for the establishment of a tempo
rary support for the common schools has
a good chance to pass. There is also chance
for the senate bill or some similar measure
to establish a uniform system of bankruptcy.
A bill to provide for the performance of the
duties OF the office of president in case of the
death, removal, resignation or inability Of
the president and vice president will be apt
to receive early consideration. Other SEN
ate bills there will hardly be time to con-
/ slider.
| The house Of represen tatives will go on, If
there be time to complete its action of last
session restoring to the public domain the
forfeited land grants. 1t is not likely that
there will be any bills for the admis-
sion of Dakota or other ter.
ritories passed at this session.
Dakota and Washington Territories
will be brought in under Democratic adj
ministratlon. There will be an effort to
pass Hewitt's bill to carry out the Mexican
reciprocity treaty, but since Mexico is giving
the same privileges to other countries as to
the United States, the opposition to the bill
will be much stronger, and it may prevail,
despite the lobbying of the state department
| and the railroads.
| On the important subject Of the reduction
of the present surplus in the treasury it is
difficult to make positive prediction. Both
parties are pledged by their platforms to a
reduction of the surplus, but the difficulties
in the way Of the passage Of tue tariff
bill at this short session are
so great that it is not likely
that any bill modifying the tariff or internal
revenue will be passed. Mr. Arthur will
probably repeat his recommendation to re-
duce the surplus, and this is on the line of
Secretary McCulioch's views, but If
anything is dore it will not be
a general tariff bill. There is
no time for carrying out the scientific views
OF the doctrines, and even at the long SEES
sion Mr.. Morrison took in his des pair a
short cut to the temple Of fame for tariff
/ re1ormers. The session will be an easy and
| jolly one, and plans for the future and dis
/ cussion of civil service reform will have a
large place.