Evening journal., 1890-12-01
AT WORK IN WASHINGTON
Second Session of the Fifty.
first Congress.
THE PRESIDENTS MESSAGE READ

The Business That WIN Claim the LeEis.
lator's Attention Between the Presen,
Tinae and March 4-The Republicans
win Work Hard for the Lodge Enl.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 1.-The second SEES.
sion Of the Fifty-frst congress begun al
noon today. At precisely IL o'clock Vice
President Morton In the senate and
Speaker Reed 10 the house OF representa-,
tives called these two bodies to order. Tit
roll was then called, and three new mem
bers sworn in Whitelaw, in place OF
Walker, OF Missouri; Hayes, the successor
of Conger, of Iowa, and Pindar, who has
been elected to the vacancy occasioned by
the death OF Miller, OF New York. Mr..
Breckenridge, of Arkansas, also had TO be
resworn.
The business Before Congress.
This session has much important bust.
ness before it, very small proportion OF
which viii likely be disposed Of before it,
expiration at noon on March a. There are
the necessary appropriation bills without
which the business OF the government
would be suspended At least in part, and
the reapportionmeut bill which has a.
yet received consideration ia neither
house. but which the Republicans ia both
houses have said must be passed at this
session. Then there are many measures
Of importance on the calendars which
have passed one house and are therefore
half through the legislative journey.
Bills That Are Half Way Through.
The most important OF these is the fed.
eral elections bill which passed the house
at the first session, and which was resisted
in the senate by the Democrats so firmly
that il was necessary for the Republicans
to agree to a postponement OF its consid-
GRAFTON in order to bring about the passage
OF the tariff bill and an adjournment Of
the hrst session. There are also on the
calendar OF the senate the national bank
ruptcy bin which Is being pushed 10y the
representatives OF the commercial conyen-
tion; the bill to transfer the revenue ma
rine service from the treasury to the navy
department, which was debated at some
length during the first session. the bill to
discontinue the coinage OF the 81 and sa
gold pieces, and the Conger lard bill
These measures have passed the house
On the house calendar are the subsidy and
shipping bills which have passed the sen.
ate. A number OF other measures OF great
importance are on the calendars OF both
houses which have received final action in
neither.
The Federal Elections BIN.
The Republicans in che senate are
pledged TO the passage OF the federal cleo.
tions bill, but IL Is q question in the minds
81 some whether It is possible 10 pass II
against the obstructive tactics Of the Dem
ocrats. and then the question is raised
whether there is any party necessity for its
passage, now that the elections for the
Fifty-second congress are over The Re.
publican senators will probably bold a
caucus during the week to determine what
il to be done. There has as yet been no
consultation Of the Republican leaders on
this point
The Peaident's Message Read.
The first day Of the session was prlnci-
pally devoted 70 the receipt Of the presi-
dents message, which was read at length
in each house. 1t Is not unlikely that to
morrow the house committee on appropri
stions viii be ready To report one or more
Of the annual appropriation bills The
pension bill and the fortifcation bill will
be the first TO come up for consideration.
What will be doue 20 push the appropria
tion bills forward will be determined in
caucus The Republican caucus has also
to determine upon a postmaster for the
house, the Office having been declared va
cant at the close Of the first session.