The Portland daily press., 1886-12-23
FROM WASHINGTON.
Congress Adjourned Until After the
Holiday Season Is Over.
Senators Who Are Going to Look Af-
ter Their Political Fences.
The Business on the Calendars of
the TWO Houses.
Passage of the Bill for a Custom
House at Eastport.
Especial to the pREss.l

WASHINGTON, Dec. d. Congress adjourn
ed tonight for the usual holiday recess, and
for the next two weeks pleasure will take the
lead of business in the National Capital.
Many of the Senators and Representatives
have already gone home, and more win de-
part before the end of the week; but still a
good sized number will remain here and eat
their Chris mas turkey in the ease of their
own boarding house." Several of the Sena-
tors, whose terms expire with the close of
the present session of Congress. will spend
their holidays at home looking after their
fences and laying their wires to return here
for another six years. The terms of twenty
four Senators expire ON the 4th of March
next. The successors to a large part Of
them win be chosen with very little if any
contest, but in few cases Close and bitter
contest is likely to ensue. The public inter
est Is mostly turned to 1.-THE four States of
New York, Massachusetts, Indiana and New
Jersey, in the first two on account of the
rivalry between different candidates of the
Republican party, and in the others for the
extreme closeness of the votes of the two
parties in the legislatures of these States,
which renders it impossible to tell which
will win. Neither Senator Harrison nor
Senator Sewall, the two retiring senators,
concede their defeat as yet, but both claim
that they will be ultimately successful.
The three-cornered contest in New York,
between the present senator, Warren Miller,
ex-Minister Morton, and Representative
Frank Hiscock, excites considerable interest
here. The balance of opinion here seems
now to be that Miller viii succeed, although
it is conceded that Morton will give him a
close call. Hiscock's only chance is consid-
cred to be that he may possibly slip in as
compromise candidate, in case of failure to
agree on either of the others. Either of the
three would make good senator.
In Massachusetts, the race between Sena-
tor Dawes and ex-Gov. Long is considered to
be close one. A fact that many consider
significant is that Gov Long, since his re-
turn here in the latter part of November, has
neither written nor received single commu-
nication upon the subject. Gov Long is too
shrewd politician to remain thus inactive
unless he felt pretty well assured that his
chances for success were good. Should he
succeed, he will add another to the long list
of Maine men who have been honored by
other States with seats at the highest council
board of the nation.
Business in the TWO Houses.
A comparison Of the calendars of the two
houses indicate perhaps more plainly than
anything else, the great difference in the
amount of work which is done by the House
and Senate. The first point of difference is
the size of the two calendars; that of the
Senate being small document of a little
less than twenty pages, while that of the
House is voluminous one of seyenty-nine
pages. The Senate calendar rarely exceeds
25 or 80 pages, the amount of work done pre-
venting its growth to a much greater extent.
Comparing the number Of measures passed
by each house and sent to the other for con-
currence, we find on the Senate calendar as
yet unacted upon by that body. seventeen
bills and resolutions of more or less public
nature, and forty-six private bills. On the
other hand there are on the House calendar
bills of public nature, and one
hundred and thirty-nine private bills, which
have passed the Senate and been sent to the
House, where they remain still unconsidered
Two of the House bills ON the Senate calen-
dar, one forfeiting lands granted to the New
Orleans, Baton Rouge & Vicksburg Railroad
Company, and "An act for the relief of set
tiers and purchasers of lands on the public
domain of the States of Nebraska and Kan
sas, are special orders, and will receive at
tention soon after the recess. Many of the
Senate bills on the House calendar are bills
for construction of public buildings, but
there are some of considerable Importance
to the whole country. In order to enable
the House to catch up, in measure at least,
with the Senate, a resolution has been pre-
sented, providing during the rest of the ses-
sion for evening sessions on Tuesday and
Thursday of each week, from to 1890
o'clock, when it shall be in order to consider
private bills, taking up and considering Sem
ate bills exclusively until they are all dis
posed Of
II this is adopted, there is some chance
that the House win, in the future, more
nearly keep pace with the Senate.
A bill was introduced In the Senate yester-
day by Mr.. Salisbury of Delaware, which
will meet with approval in many parts of the
country where there is large percentage of
ignorant and vicious foreign born voters. II
makes 1t necessary for all foreign-born resi-
dents who desire the rights of citizenship
and suffrage, to have lived five years in this
country and to be able to read and write the
English language. The passage of such
law would be of great advantage to such
places as Chicago, where the Anarchist ele-
ment is so prominent.
Neither branch of Congress accomplished
much today, the Senate being in session only
a little more than half an hour. Barely
quorum was present in either house. The
House, however, on motion of Mr.. Boutelle,
passed his bill for the sale of the present
site of the Eastport custom house, and the
purchase of a new site and the erection Of a
new building. As the bill has already passed
the Senate, it now only requires the Presi-
dents signature, and Eastport will get new
building at once.
The following changes are announced in
the Maine postal service: Route 263, Waldo
boro to Friendship; leave Waldoboro daily.
except Sundays, at $50 p. m, or on arrival of
the last mail from Portland; arrive at
Friendship in % hours; leave Friendship
daily, except Sundays, at 5.45; arrive at Wal
doboro by SIS a. m.
William O'Brien has been commissioned
postmaster at Robbinston, Me.
The following pensions have been granted
to Maine claimants; Sidney Potter, Gardi-
ner; Geo. B. Jones, Rockville; John w.
Barnes, Bangor, increase.
The Interstate Commerce Bill.
The supporters Of the Interstate COM
merce bill expect that il will pass the Senate