Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-11-27
The Approaching Session of Congress.
fpaIiroora SIM


The Approaching Session of Congress.
baltimore SuD.l
The second or short session OF the
Fifty-first Congress, which will begin five
days hence, will probably produce little
legislation in addition 10 the necessary
regular appropriation bills. Want of
time, together with the existence of q
pugnacious disposition on the part OF the
minority, must prevent the completion
Of an ambitious programme. This is
beginning to be understood by the adyo-
Gates Of the force bill, the shipping sub
sidy bills, the copyright bill, the bank
ruptcy bill, the compound-lard bill, and
the projected apportionment bill. The
record OF previous short sessions IS against
the optimists Of the majority. The Fifth
eth Congress began its short session with
high hopes OF passing the thirteen
regular appropriation bills long before
the 4th OF March Two of these bills
were presented to the House as early as
the 9th of December, yet neither OF
them got through both houses before
February Goth. One of the thirteen
regular appropriation bills was not re-
ported TO the House at all before febru-
arv 18th and of course did not pass TIL
the very close of the session. Close at
tention will, therefore, have to be given
to strictly business measures II an extra
session of the Fiity-second Congress is
10 he avoided. This will be the more
necessary for the reason that the
regular appropriation bills will this win
ter contain many items that require DIS
cussion. The pension bill, for example,
with the alleged scandalous management
Of the Pension Bureau, will receive
much attention. The Census Bureau
and its work will demand inquiry, and
perhaps formal investigation. The
condition of the Treasury, the proba-
biity of deficit, and the practical
working Of the silver law are matters
about which great concern is felt. There
will be many propositions for the repeal
of the Mckinley tariil, some OF them
offered probably by good Republicans.
They Will hardly result in action, but
yociferous members will find opportu-
nitv to inject their tariff ideas INTO
speeches on other topics. There viii
be. in short, a great deal for the average
member TO say IN the House during the
approaching session and very little time
TO say it in, If anything III addition TO
the regular appropriations IS attempted
The fact that Speaker Reed will during
most of the session lie dependent ON the
minority for q quorum Is an important
factor in the situation Witha kepubll-
can quorum present the Speaker would,
Of course, put everything through with
rush. rejoicing again that 1.-THE House
has ceased to be a dehberatlve BODY.
But q great many OF the hepuo-
leans in the present House were
defeated at the recent elections,
and their interest in its proceed
incs will be but slight. They will be
away from Washington great deal, ana
by their absence compel the Speaker to
con6ne himself somewhat to pro-
pramme that the Democrats will assist
him to pass. II he attempts to force
through any partisan measure the Dem
ocrats will doubtless fiibuster not only
against that. but against regular appro-
nriation bills as well, till the shortness
of the time left warns the Speaker to
adopt a more conciliatory course. The
obstruction of any bill will serve the
purpose, The object being to prevent a
I force lill or other like bills from
being considered, it will be enough to
teac6 the autocrat of the House that
there is only time to pass necessary bills
and none for the passage OF party mea-
sures. Should the latter devise some new
engine for the suppression of the mi
nority In the House. the Senate will be
another field in which to utilize the right
OF discussion for the defeat OF bad bills.
So unpromising, in fact, IS the outlook
/ for the batch OF one-slded bulls coming
over from the first session that their flu
tine IS almost despaired OF already. II
remains for the leader Of the minority
bv visa and determined tactics to place
them permanently in innocuous desue'
! fude