Morning journal and courier., 1886-12-06
THE OPENING OF CONGRESS.
Sixty-Two Working Days At Thi Session And A Variety of Matters Tt Ia fxo UIr,

sixty-Two Working Days At This
 Session And A Variety of Matters To
 Take Up The Time.
 | WASHINGTON, Dec. 5.-At twelve o'clock
 tomorrow the second and last session of the
 Forty ninth Congress will convene The
 Senate will be called to order by MT. Sher-
 man, president pro tempore, and the
 House by Speaker Carlisle. The first work will be the administering of the oath to the two new senators and the new member Mir. | Williams, who succeeds MT. Hearst of Cali | fornia, and MT. Cheney, the successor of the 1 late MT. Pike of New Hampshire. will take the oath in the Senate, and MT. S. S. Cox of New York, successor to MT. Pulitzer, will take the oath in the House. A joint com
 mittee will then be selected to visit Presi- dent Cleveland and inform him that Con gress is in session and awaits his pleasure It is expected that the President will transmit his message and that it will be read simulta- neously in both houses. The reading of the message will occupy most of the afternoon and at it's conclusion the Senate intends to adjourn over until Tuesday out of respect to the memory of MT. Pike, deceased, while the House will adjourn for the day in re- spect to the late Messrs. Arnot and Beach of New York. A condition of business exists in both houses which under ordinary circumstances would be conducive to disor- der and general scramble for precedence. Neither of the presiding officers nor any of the leaders in either branch has any definite idea to the real order of business during the week, while a number of gentlemen are determined to secure consideration of various measures if possible. When Congress ad- journed on August 5 last Mr Hiscock of New York, had the floor in the House for the purpose of moving the suspension of the rules to pass bill. As that was the first Monday of the month it was suspension day for private individuals Mir. Hiscock says that he would insist, if opportunity existed, upon continuing his motion and occupying the floor, but he recognizes that his motion will have to go over until the first Monday in January. The measure which he desires to pass provides that all leaf tobacco imported in bales, etc., shall pay duty of $1 per pound if stemmed and seventy-fve cents per pound if unstemmed and is known as the Sumatra tobacco bill. When the House meets on Tuesday tue special orders on the calendar will come up unless motions to suspend the rules prevail There are a number of special orders which are liable to be pushed to the front, among them the free ship bill, the cleo toral count, the Oklahoma, Thurman's railroad bill, the increase of the army, etc. There are also specially assigned some measures relating to labor, and as these are subjected to the least antagonism a mo- tion to suspend the rules and consider them may prevail. It is generally believed that the week will be occupied by the House in the consideration of special order. One or two of the appropriation bills will be reported by Saturday, the sundry civil being promised by Friday.
 In the Senate Mr. Platt intends to make an effort on Tuesday to secure consideration of his resolution providing for open sessions for the consideration of executive nominations. There has been a great deal of discussion on this subject during the recess it has gained strength. If this is true Mir. Platt, if persistent, will likely succeed in securing consideration. Should he fail, however, mass of business on the calendar will be referred to. The un- finished business will of course come first. This is an act granting pension to John 0. Williams, vetoed by the President and re ported back from the committee with a recommendation for it's passage Other matters on the calendar likely to receive early consideration are measures affecting land grants and prohibiting mem DerS or congress rom acGlng as attorneys TOT corporations which have received government aid. Tine Senate will have number of ex ecutive sessions during the next few days for the purpose of referring presiden- tial nominations 10 committees and there will be no action taken upon them for some time and until they have been ma tured in committees and reported to the ex- ecutive calendar. Seventy-six working days will elapse from the time this Congress con venes until the term expires. After deduct ing two weeks which are usually taken for the holidays sixty-two working days will remain. There are fourteen regu- lar appropriation bills to be passed before March 4th, and as it is not likely that more than one or two will go to the Senate before the second week in Janusry, it can be seen that little other legislation is likely to be enacted, since any one of the four or five of the appropriation bills may provoke debate lasting from week to ten days. It is the purpose of the con ferees on the part of both houses on the subject of inter State commerce to get up for consideration the result of their labors before the holidays. A cheerful view is taken of the outlook for legislation in the face of ths fact that the elections are over. Political speeches are all made and a general desire exists for actual work.