San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1890-10-23
WASHINGTON LETTER.

DAILY LIGHT:
WASHINGTON, ID. c., October 90
The president will call an extra ses-
sion of congress. The president will
not call an extra session of ongress.
1t depends altogether upon who you
talk with, which of the above state
ments will be positively made
/ called on Secretary Halford at
the White House today and
tried to obtain something definite,
but Mr.. Halford was courteOusly nom
committal, and from his manner more
than from what he said came away
with the idea that the President has
not yet settled the question himself.
There has been one fully attended
cabinet meeting at which the subject
in all its bearings was freely dis
cussed, and from the best informa-
ton obtainable, which of course isn't
official, marked difference of opinion
as to the ACCESSIBILITY of an extra ses-
sion was developed. 1t is known that
the president personally favors an ex-
ira session for the purpose of passing
important legislation that cannot pos
sibly be crowded into the short ses-
sion without causing some of the reg
ular appropriation bills to be crowded
out, which would necessitate the. call
ing of an extra session of the Fifty
second congress which is to be elect
ed next month, early in the spring,
and it is also known that a number
of prominent repu blicans in and out of
congress are opposed to calling an ex-
ira session this fall, believing itbetter
policy to attempt to pass all necessary
legislation at the short session, and
let the democrats take the RESPONSE
bilIty of preventing it by fillibuster-
ing tactics, if they dare. The idea
that the president is compelled by
law to issue q proclamation calling an
extra session thirty days previous to
the date upon which congress is to
which, has been generally
accepted as correct, has been explod-
ed. There is no law on the subject,
except that con tanned in the constitu-
ton of the United States, which
places the entire matter at
rhe discretion of the president.
So that: Mr.. Harrison, if he be
50 disposed, may call an extra session
to meet within forty eight hours after
the date of his proclamation. OF
course ii an extra session Is to be
called it is probable that enough time
will be given. between the date of the
and the assembling of
congress, to enable members from the
most distant districts to reach Wash.
ington in time to be present at the
opening.
Admiral Porter, who returned to
Washington last week dangerously
ill, il now much better, and his ply
sIcian hopes to have him out in a few
days. The admiral is deservedly
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 he
usually enjoys furnishes good ground
for the hope that he may con-
tinue 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 manned by American seamen
exclusively instead of by foreigners,
many of whom have never even APP
piled for naturalization papers, as at
present.
Speaking of the navy, advertise
ments have been issued by the navy
department 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 1t "harbor de-
tense RAM" The only weapons of the
ram Will be her powerful engines and
steel beak strong enough to disable
any vessel afloat which il strikes
when going at full speed. The vessel
will be almost entirely under water
which will make it extremely difficult
for the enemy to disable her with
guns.
Major General Nelson E. Miles, who
is the military member of the COM
mission recently created to negotiate
with the Cheyenne Indians on the
Tongue River reservation 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 confer.
ring with his civilian colleagues on
the commission and with the interior
department..
Civil Service Commissioner Roose-
Welt has returned from a six weeks
vacation which he spent on his cattle
ranch in North Dakota. He tells a
fish story that if persisted in will
forever destroy his reputation for
yeracity.
The acting superintendent of the
census has very naturally refused to
order recount of New York CITY
unless a better reason can be given
for asking it than the recent count
N Hon a.