Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1886-07-24
WASHINGTON.
What Congress is Dolng-A Long Sets on
Mileage Of Army Officers and Con.
gressmen.

- 49, NffNAANANf
Congress is lingering long this sum-
mer. Those who know best fix the d y
of adjournment at the 10th OF August.
But it is understood that there will be
no agreement as to fixed time OF adj
journment until the actual day, the
reason of this being that when res olu-
ton declaring certain day for adjourn
ment is agreed to in advance, the lat
six days OF the session are made sus-
pension-of-rule day. At such times
some of the worst "jobs" ever known
in the history of Congress have been
passed. The 'jobs" are anxiously
waiting this harvest time. Every job
that has been knocking at the doors Of
Congress this session has fastened its
hopes on this annual period when the
unlocking OF the treasury vaults is de-
clared.
Messrs. Randall and Morrison are
credited with this plan to prevent "job"
getting through in the hurry OF the last
days of the session. If they succeed,
think OF the disappointments and blasted
hopes that will fall at the heels of the
Forty-ninth Congress. Even should
this session be marked In no other way
than with a defense of the national
treasury, it would have an honored
place in the nations history.
But there are other ways in which
the present session is remarkable. If
the House itself has not completed all
the legislation that was hoped for, the
committees have done more work by
far than the committees OF any previ-
GUS house. They have considered and
reported to the House over 3,100 bills,
during the first session. In both sess-
ions OF the Forty-eighth Congress, only
1896 bills were thus acted on. The
flood of bills that has been poured upon
the present Congress is also unprece-
dented, over 10000 having been intro
duced into the House alone.
After repeated attempts and failures,
the House has succeeded in passing one
little pension bill over the Presidents
veto. Speaking of adjournment, it is
probable that the last days of the session
will be involved in a heated political
debate at the Senate end of the Capitol.
The Senate is expected to pass resolu-
ton for the printing of Presidential
veto messages form the organization of
Congress TO the present day. They will
probably be in the hands of Senators
within week. This is the prelude to
fight.
Referring to the prospects for adj
journment, Representative Bland, the
silver man OF Missouri, declared that
the senate was moving even more slow.
ly than the House in furnishing pros.
pective "veto MATERIAL, for as such be
characterized the river and harbor bill
The length of time the Senate consumed
in pottering over this measure made
him think the Senate seemed more
anxious for the grab than the House
"Now," continued he, eff the Presi.
sees fit to veto the measure, no power
can prevail upon Congress to pass the
bill over his opposition" Representa-
tive Hatch, also Of Missouri, and one O
oleomargarine's bitterest foes, has said
that he strained his conscience in vot
ing for the river and harbor bill wher
it first passed the House, and that he
will not do it second time.
Congress has voted to reduce the
mileage OF army officers from cents tc
4 cents per mile. That is about twice
what it cost them to travel. But the
allowance of Congressman is still &c
mile, the same as in the stage coach
era. The clamor son what basis O
right or reason is this?" has failed, SC
far, in impressing Congress with the ne
cessity OF doing something for itself in
this respect. For short distances, q
cents mile does not amount to much
but on long distances, it counts up to
almost criminal extravaganza.
Take, for instance, the trip to the
Pacific slope. The entire expense both