St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1886-05-08
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From Our Regular Correspondent.
WASHINGTON, April 26, 1Ss'

gress, and the probable course OF
events in that body, said yesterday
Every thing seems to be settling down
to long session of Congress. Lit is
true that Members of the House talk
about getting away the latter part OF
June. But this is simply impossible.
In the first place the legislation that IS
absolutely necessary-I mean the APP
preparation bills-is not in forward
state Besides, there will be consider
able discussion OH some OF the appro-
priation bills in the House, and you
may rest assured that the Senate VIII
take it's time to consider the important
appropriation bills and not hurry itself
as it used to do, when the Republican
majority there hastily considered them,
following the lead of the Senate APP
preparation Committee in increasing
the expenditures, and being upheld In
this by friendly Administration.
when do you think Congress Will
adjourn? i asked.
Il do not think we will get away be-
fore the middle of August. You see
we have more to do this session than
we have had for many years. There Is
the question of building up our Navy.
It is an important question, and one In
which there is some division OF opl-
MON, not as to the necessity OF increas-
ing the Navy, but as the details. Then
we have to settle upon comprehensive
plan of coast defence, and make
start in the construction of heavy ord
nance. The debate on the tariff Will
consume considerable time both in the
House and in the Senate. The River
and Harbor bill now before the House
is likely to consume time yet. Then
there will be discussion upon the re-
port of the commission that has IN
vcstigated the scientific bureaus, and
above all, that the consideration OF the
nerplexing labor question will help to
spin out the session. We shall be
lucky, said he, if we get away by the
middle of August
l lie WAS Ill ldfOI VI SohShSSo
earlier in the fall, say as early as No.
vember for the long session, and as ear
" as the middle of October for the
short term. He also thought the life OF
Congress should begin and end IN
April, instead of March. This would
give plenty of time to consider legls-
lation, and would give the best season
of the year in this climate.
And it is quite probable the date OF
the Presidents Inauguration will be
changed from the fourth OF March to
the thirtieth of April. The amend
ment recently introduced in the Senate
to that effect seems to be popular. liz
would be difficult to find any objections
to the change, and there are many rea-
sons why it is desirable. Since our
first President was inaugurated on the
3Oth of April, historically the day is
the proper one.
During the week, the room in which
Jay Gould, Grand Master workman
Powderly and other distinguished wit
nesses were being examined with re-
gard to the great Strike, was the chief
point Of interest on Capitol Hill. SO
great was the interest and curiosity of
the public in this investigation, that it
finally became necessary because OF tile
surging crowd, to exclude all except
the witnesses, members of Congress
and representatives of the press.
/ The seven Congressman composing
the committee which conducted this
investigation are all lawyers by pro-
fession, class of men who are rigidly
communicated by the knights of La
Dor. All men who honestly labor are
eligible for admission to the order of
the knights of Labor, except lawyers
and bankers.
1t has been said that these committee
men are all millionaires too, but they
are not. Burnes, of Missouri, is ad-
mitted to be the wealthiest man among
them. Curtain, the chairman, has not
the reputation Of wealthy man, al
though he says himself that he owns
some stock in railroad that pays.
Grain is clever, but he is not a capitalist
and will probably never be, because he
Ispends his money too freely. Outh-
waite, of Ohio, started life as a school
teacher. Stewart. of Vermont, has
been Governor Of his State, which is
taken as an assurance of his poverty.
Buchanan, of New Jersey, is railroad