Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-12-26

The holiday season has afflicted the Senate
heavily in the matter Of attendance, and but
seven Senators put in an appearance at the
north wing Of the Capitol today. 1t was under
stood when the Senate adjourned Wednesday that
its session tomorrow will be purely formal and,
in fact, it was ordered only to escape the con-
stitutional inhibition against an adjournment
of over three days. So nothing can be done
until Monday and then the elections bill will
be taken up again. There is TO be no cloture,
no finances, no anything for the whole week to
create diversion from the debate on the cleo
tions bill.
A SENATOR'S OPINION.
republican Senator-a strong champion Of
the bill-aid:
week, and many speeches will be delivered to
vacant seats and empty galleries. We can't
help 1t, you see, for the proceedings the other
night when Mr.. Hoar tried to drive the demo-
Gratis into night session was proof conclusive
that we could not muster in force during the
holiday season. But I believe that about jan
uary we shall have Q fighting quorum, and
then You may look for o diversion."
Az TO THE CLorURE RULE.
The Senator was asked If majority could be
secured for the cloture resolution. He replied
that Senator Aldrich, who had it in charge,
had been instructed to canvass the republican
side of the Senate before putting in the new
rule. Senator Aldrich was o cool-headed,
shrewd man and it was hardly to be presumed
that he would enter into great struggle, as
this promised to be, without some sort of as
surance Of sufficient power behind him to win
the victory.
THE LIGHT ATTENDANCE IN THE HOUSE.
Asergeant could barely secure enough mem
bers who we're present in the House this morn
ing to constitute q skirmishing squad, and il
he had succeeded it is doubtful whether his
squad would have proved to be very efficient
one in either a military or political melee.
An air Of lassitude hung over the chamber,
and politics being tabooed for the nonce, the
time employed in the interchange OF holiday
greetings and in tender inquiries as to how
Christmas day had been spent by each individ.
ual member
THE SHIPPING BILL DEBATE.
Here and there, however, few gentlemen
would gather in a group and in q desultory
manner talk over the business now pending in
the two houses. The concensus of opinion,
especially on the democratic side, was that the
debate on the shipping bill would be prolonged
to much greater extent than had been ex-
Ressed hepEesensatves hssno on both
their desire to deliver speeches upon that
measure. OF course Representatives are in the
dark az to the action of the Senate on the
cloture, the financial measure and the elections
bill. That the first will be adopted is con-
sidered as doubtful As to the second, the feel.
ing on the republican side is that no financial
bill can pass the House that is nota purely repub
lican messure-one that isagreed upon party
caucus and one that is not passed through the
Senate with the aid of democratic votes. That the
prospect Of the elections bill q not very bright
unless the pending debate is brought to q
DIV lu,, t<aI h~yo oil n <~vh hsO1
is deplored by the republicans and openly re.
joiced in by the democrats.