Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1890-10-24
WASHINGTON LETTER.
(FrOm our Regular Correspondent

(From our Regular Correspondent
WAsHIN GTON, d. c., Oct. 90 The
President will call an extra session of
Congress. The President will not call an
extra session. 1t depends altogether up
on who you talk with which of the aboye
statements will be positively made.
called ON Secretary Halford at the White
House today and tried to obtain. some
thing definite, but Mr.. Halford was cour-
teously nOncommlttal, and from his man
ner more than from what he said / came
away with the idea that the President has
not yet settled the question himself
The, has been one fully attended cabinet
meeting ut which the subject in all its
bearings was freely discussed, and from
the best information obtainable, which of
course isn't official, marked difference of
ooinion as to the ACCESSIBILITY of an extra
session was developed. 1t is known that
the President personally tayOrs an extra
session for the purpose OF passing inn
pOrtant legislation that cannot possibly
be crowded into the short session without
causing some of the regular appropriation
bills to be crowded QUO which would
necessitate the calling of an extra session,
of the Fifty-second Congress which is to
be elected next month, early in the Spring.
and it is also known that a number OF
prominent Republicans in and out of
Congress are opposed to calling an extra
session this fall, believing it better policy
TO attempt to pass all necessary leglsla-
ton at the short session, and let the Dem
ocrats take the responsibility of pre-
venting it by fillibustering tactics, If they
dare. The idea that the President is
compelled by law to issue a proclamation
calling an extra session thirty days pre-
yiOus to the date upon which Congress is
to assemble, which had been generally
accepted as correct, has been exploded
There is no law on the subject, except that
contained in the Constitution Ofthe United
States, which places the entire matter at
the discretion of the President. So that
Mr. Harrison, if he be so disposed, may
call an extra session, to meet within
forty eight hours after the date OF his
proclamation. OF course il an extra
session is to be called it is probable that
enough time will be gwen, between the
date of the proclamation and the as
sembling OF Congress, to enable members
from the most distant districts to reach
Washington in time to be present at the
opening.
Admiral Porter, who returned to WASH
ingtOn last week dangerously i'll, IS now
much better, and his physician hopes to
have him out in few days. The Admir-
al is deservedly popular here, and the
news Of his serious illness caused great
distress. He has long since passed the
three score and ten post, but his rugged
physique and the good health be usually
enjoys furnishes good ground for the
hope that he may continue at the head of
the American Navy for at least another
decade, and the Admiral himself told me
last spring that he hoped to live long
enough to see the vessels OF the Navy
named by American seamen exclusively,
instead of by foreigners, many of whom
have never even applied for naturaliza'
ton papers, as at present.
Speaking of the Navy: advertisements
have been issued by the Navy depart
ment inviting proposals for building a
novel fighting ship, which will carry no
guns. This vessel was designed by Rear
Admiral Ammen, and will always be
popularity known as the "Ammen RAM"
although the department calls it a char
Dor defense ram" The only weapons of
the ram will be her powerful engines and
a steel beak strong enough to disable any
vessel sfoat which it strikes when going
at full speed. The vessel will be almost
entirely under water which will make it
extremely difficult for the enemy to dis
able her with guns.
Major General Nelson E. Miles, who is
the military member of the commission
recently created to negotiate with the
Cheyenne Indians on the Tongue River
in Montana and on the Pine
Ridge reservation in South Dakota for
their removal and permanent settlement
on any of the existing reservations, is
here comforting with his civilian COL
leagues on the commission and with the
Interior department.
Civil Service Commissioner Roosevelt
has returned from six weeks vacation
which he spent on his cattle ranch in
North Dakota. He tells fish story that
f persisted in will forever destroy his
repution for varacity.
The acting Superintendent of the
Census has very naturally refused to or
Ger recount of New York CITY unless a
better reason can be given for asking it
than the recent count made by Tammany
Hall for the aYowed purpose OF gaining
an additional Congressman under the new
Secretary Tracy says the successor TO
the late Justice Miller will be western
man, but further than tina. he does not go.
S-~-