St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-10-15
CHAOS IN CONGRESS.
The Situation Of the Nations
Solons Really a Very Del
icate One.
How an Absent-Minded Man
Could Put the Senate in
a Snarl.
An Impression Abroad That
an Adjournment Will En-
sue This Week.
Short Sessions and Long Re-
cesses to Be the Prevail
ing Order.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 14.-By the last
census of the senate, taken Friday
afternoon, there were fifteen members
present for duty, while enough more to
raise the aggregate available for emer-
gencieS to within half a dozen of quo
rum were known to be within easy call.
Since then several have left the city.
Contradictory reports ares current re-
garding the prospective adjourn ment
(all traceable, oddly enough, to highly
authoritative sources), to the effect that
it has been determined to adjourn with
out delay on Wednesday, OH Thursday,
on Saturday of this week, and on Mon
day of next week. In support of the
two dates last mentioned, it is argued
that members of the ways and means
committee of the house have secured
the services of experts in political
economy, and are preparing digest of
the senate tariff bill, which they wish to
make public through the official chan
nels of congress before the session
closes. Against all of these, the state
ment Of Senator Allison, who, having
the tariff bill in charge, is more likely
than any other member of either house
to know the situation thoroughly, can
be quoted to the effect that no arrange
ment or understanding of any kind has
yet been reached on the subject of ad-
journment. The opinion is, however,
almost unanimous that
CONGRESS WILL ADJOURN,
take long recess, or in some other way
bring the session to an end within the
present week, and in this opinion SEN
ator Allison is understood to concur.
The situation is one of considerable
delicacy. Should any senator, through
force of habit or absence of mind, de-
mand division or otherwise develop
the absence of quorum, parliamentary
chaos would ensue. Under the senate
rules it would be the imperative duty of
the chair to send the sergeant-at-arms
and his deputies in search of absentees,
and until an impaired quorum should
be obtained no other businessmen even
the resolution to adjourn sine die or
take a longer recess than three legis-
lative dayS-would be in order. The
fact that any one member of the senate
may prevent the adjournment has led
to the suggestion that in Difference to
the constitution chairman pro tempore
and one member of each party be left
in attendance to meet twice or three
times week and adjourn with the I'M
derstanding that no legislation shall be
attempted. There are members of both
parties in the senate who still think
that
THE TARIFF BILL
should be brought to a vote, but in
view of the difficulties, they are greatly
in the minority, and the situation is
such that an adjournment resolution
coming from any source ely to be
unanimously adopted. Senator Morgan
will call up for action early in the week
the resolution giving to the heads of ex-
ecutive departments authority-in their
discretion-to make exhibits at Paris of
articles belonging to their departments,
and it is possible that some other de-
bated measures, which are not likely
to encounter any opposition, may be
taken up in the morning hours; but the
principal part of the time henceforth
to the end of the session will be devoted
to speeches on the tariff. Not more than
twenty-five or thirty members of the
house of Representatives are expected to
be in their seats tomorrow. Objection
will be made to the transaction of any
important business in the absence of
nine-tenths of the members, and the leg
iSlatiVe possibilities for the coming
week are almost nothing. Short ses-
sions and long recesses will be the pre-
vailing order.