Morning journal and courier., 1885-12-07
News by Telegraph FROM ALL QUARTERS. AN ANXIOUS COUNTRY Will Watch The Opening Of
 Congress. NO LIBERALS Ik IRELAND. Austria Ready To Take
 Up Arms. 4 GREAT BLAZE AT CHICAGO. Vast Prairie Land Wrapped In
 Flames.
THE FoRTY-NINTH CONGRESS.

N WVtS1 CON9TE ESSs 4 Widespread interest fin the Ses-
 sion-Kterybody Curious About tFse
 Presidents Message-Prospects Ahead
 for a Lively and Memorable Ses-
 sien.
 WASHINGTON, Dec 6.-There was less ex- citement last week attending the preliminary work which usually pfecedes the opening or a new Congress than for years past. This wss due to the fact that there was little or no friction iii the dominant party of the House over the Speskefship and other off ces of the House. The nominstians in the Democratic caucus were practically all unan- imous and harmony and good feeling pre- vailed everywhere, quite in contrast with the exciting contest two years ago between Messrs. Carlisle, Randall and Cox. On the Senate side the sudden death of Vice Presi- dent Hendricks necessitates the election of president pro tenn. of the Senate, who in the event of the death of President Cleveland would become acting President of the United States, but tho dominant party there have se lected their candidate with hardly ripple of excitement attending the caucus ptdeeed- ings But while tht re has been so little ex- citement before the opening much more in terest is felt in the opening of the Forty ninth Congress than in any for years past. create excitement there is much to heighten interest. The House is Democratic, the Senate Republican and the President is many say-Mr. Cleveland, and so at tention is concentrated at the outset on the action Of the new President in com1nuni- eating with Congress His message to Con gress on Tuesday will be the frat document of the sort ernansting from Dsruocratic President since MT. Buchanan's last mes sage in December, 1860, twenty five years ago. What President Cleveland will have to say about silver coinage, upon the tariff question and about civil service reform, probably the three leading topics to be dis cussed in this message, is awaited with great interest, not to say anxiety, by both Demo crats and Republicans. It is generally ex- pected that his position on the silver ques- ton will be ss positive and radical in oppo- sition to continued coinage as that taken in his Warner letter last winter. On the tariff question conservative utterances are looked TUT ailu Ou CIVIL Se1F1C0 r6ICrn d fSSGdCGmenG and elaboration of his well known views on this question will surprise no one His message will furnish food for reflection for all on these leading questions and probably lay the foundation for discussion and con troversies sure to take place during the com ing session which will make it a meulorable and exciting one.
 On the Senate siffs r.a,acla is likely te be said by Republicans about removals and 'ap- pointments that will awaken antagonism be- tween the President and the Republican ma jority. On the House side the effort to amend the rules, to distribute the work of the Appropriations committee and the dis cussions of silver and tariff and attempted legislation on these questions bid fair to make this one of the hveiest sessions for years.
 Yesterday vas busy day with the mem bers of the Forty-ninth Congress, the Sen ators and Representatives of both parties holding cauclsses to select their candidates for office in its organization. At tine Rspubli- can senatorial caucus MT. Sherman received all the votes and on motion of Mr Ed nunds the nomination was made unanimous, MT Sherman accepting in 8 short speech. It WAS also decided at this gathering that ths bills relating to the presidential election, and also to the presidential succession, which had passed the Senate during the last Congress, should be introduced soon as practicable, and after proper reference and considera- ton, should be promptly passed. The Dem ocratic Senators met in caucus and nolAi- mated Senator Harris, of Tennessee, as their candidate for president pro tenn. At the meeting of Democratic members of the House Speaker Carlisle was unanimously nominated for Speaker, John B. Clarke of Missouri for clerk of the House, Mir. Leedom of Ohio, the sergeant-at-arms of the last House, to succeed himself, Samuel Donelson of Tennessee for doorkeeper. and Rev. W. H. Milburn, the I Ii,,l r<lfT n1,a oi, TIa Republicans put up Thomas B. Reed of Maine for Speaker, and the fol- lowing ticket for the remaining offices: For clerk, Colonel W. o. Crosbie, of Iowa; for sergeant at arms, Captain Albert O.. Marsh, of Indiana; for doorkeeper, Colonel Joseph R. Selden, of Connecticut; for post master, A. w. Adams, of Marylan z; for chaplain, Rev. Dr. F. T. Britt, of Nebraska. These two resolutions were adopted:
 Resolved That it is the sense of this caucus that immediate action be taken by the Ferty-ninth Con gress 10 provide for the presidential succession.
 Resolved, That the caucus favors the passage of a properly guarded Mexican pension bill with pro- war, their Widows and orphans similar to the bill passed by the Senate during the Forty eighth Con gress, and declare in favor of the uncoDditionat repeal of the limitation the payment of of pensions
 The presidential succession bill, which the Republican Senators decided to reintroduce in the Senate, is that known as the Hoar bill of the last Congress It confers the success sion to the President and Vice President upon the Secretary of State, or if that office is vacant then upon the Secretary of the Treasury, the succession passing to the other members of the Cabinet in turn in case of vacancy. The electoral count bill, also to be reintroduced by order of the Republican caucus, is that known as the Edmunds bill of the last Congress. Its pivotal feature is a provision that each State may by it's own tribunals determine all controversies with re- ard fr,i iHa al