Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1889-08-19

summer eeseion, with the Congressional elec
tons approaching, is devoted to partisan he
bates and not to business.
what important maisers do you expec
viii claim the attention Of Congr~sss
| '.Of c0urse the frst business in oricl
after the organization Of the Hoase--And
there will be no delay in the organization
| will be the appointment ofa Committee OF
Rules, Who will promptly report eerAin new
rules Of procedure calculated to give the ma
jority = chance 10 do some business. Fol
everybod 10 aware that under the ralcs as
| they have existed, by the use alternately OF
the two naos,ons made slwsys in order via.
to adjourn aud to III the time Ct adjourn.
ment. the hoase can be prevented inded.
nisely from reaching vote on any question,
and small minority can prevent the tran
sacsion Of business.
"Unless these rules are 20 changed a. 10
put some limit on these motions when used
for dilAtory purposes, Congress may As vel,
surrender ito functions, and pass the appro-
priation bills and 20 home. 1, would seem
~ II both sides Of the House would concur
il the propriey of such modification OF the
rules, yet it 10 understood that the democratic
minority propose to make . hot and pro
longed nghs Asainst the proposed change.
II have no doubt. however, that the pro.
posed changes will be made. af;cr q two
weeks debate; for il has been settled by re-
peated rulings that the House cannot be pre-.
vented BY dilatory motions from exercising
it, constitutional function of making rules
for the transaction of business.
while the House is debating proposed
changes In the rules, the Speaker eau form
the committees. % ~ 10 be able to announce
them ~ soon as the rules are disposed Of !;
and the Senate can consider treaties in ex-
ecutive session.
"rhus - early as the first Monday in
December, and probably earlier-for the
session would continue without interruption
from the time Of meeting in October to he
holiday recess about December 20th-the
committees will be at work and begin to
report measures for consideration.
Foremost In the work before Congress
will be the revenue bills, which will 40 to
the Ways and Means Committee.
at 10 more than probable that tbs COM
mittee will promptly report u separate bill
Abolishing the tax on tobacco and on alcohol
used in the arts and manufactures, and
another separate bill providing for certain
reforms In customs work, pre-.
cisely ~ reported in the Senate At the last
session. II this should be done, there would
probably be little delay in their passage b!
the House; and Of course the Senate would
promptly concur. These two measures
would reduce the revenue nearly tnirty isc
mlllions Of dollars. and unless the ,iemoe ra.s
should delay their passage, might becom
laws and 60 into force early In the spsiag, ur
possibly winter.
THE tariff bill will undoubtedly be ready
TO report to the House on the reasseinbling
Of Congress after the holidays, as it 10 under
stood the bill which passed the Senate at thu
last session will be substantially the measur,
agreed upon by the republicans Of the CON.
mit,ee.
"How much time will be occupied in con
sidering the tariff bill in committee of the
whole of the House will depend almost en-
tirely on the disposition of the democratic
1t is reasonable 10 suppose, how
ever, that by the last of February or first of
March, the bill would be completed in the
House, and sent to the Senate. And as tina,
body debated and passed the bill vt the last
session, few weeks ought to secure its pas.
sage there, and bring the measure into con
ference and on the road to tine statute book. |
''At any rate the Honsc will attend to
nothing of Importance, except the appropria-
lion bills. until the revenue bills have pa sed
that body.
'kevenue bills out of the way. then the
important matters which are likely to claim
the first attention of the lIouse are pension
the proposition to extend federal
aid TO public school education; legislation
looking to the encouragement Of American
shipping in the foreign trade, and the strength
ening of this militia of the seas which mus
ever constitute the most valuable resource
for national defence; legislation calculat ID
TO Improve and give greater permane1cy to
The national banking system; legislation
looking to the reimbursement Of the dircci
tax of 1861 and the refunding of the per
cent bonded Indebtedness at u lower rate Of
interest, with the usual variety of land, In
dian and railroad legislation, and possibly in
case the approaching congress of nations of
this continent shall open the door legislation
looking to improved trade relations with
South American continents.
This 10 a broad programme, and undoubt-
edly more than can be done. Indeed, every.
thing will depend upon the obstructions inter.
posed by the minority in the consideration OF
revenue measures, for every thing else will
be pushed aside until these are completed.
at must be borne in mind that the repub
licans Of the House start out " with only three
majority conceded to them by the democratic
clerk, whose roll will control in the orsanzi
ton, although it is expected that Ave mem
bers will be added To the republican, m,j,riiy
by the elections to be held in October IN
North Dakota. South Dakota, Montana aud
Then there are the republican represen-
tatives elected in West Virginia and several
other Southern districts, but denied certi-
ffcates on various pretexts, whose early al
mission IL expected.
Three or even eight majority in the
National House is = very marrow working
majority; but IL the rules can not be thu
modified, twenty or even fifty majority could
accomplish nothing.
"The narr0wness Of the republican ma
jority, the Importance Of the subject TO be
and the evident disposition of the
democratic leaders to open the campaisn
now for the NJ Z. presidential elec ,ion, and 20
contest every republican measure inch b,
inch, will inevitably make the approaching
session Of Congress unusually important, and
exciting"