The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1891-12-07
presiding to the Clerk in the absence of an
agreement for the perfection OF the or
ganlzation of the House.
LEGISLATIVE OUTLOOK.
Coming Session of Congress Not Likely to i
Prolific of Important Measures.


Coming Session Of Congress Not Likely to BE
Prolific of Important Measures.
Special TO the Indianapolis Journal
WASHINGTON, Dec. 6-The legislative
outlook for the Fifty-second Congress. in
the opinion of leading men of both houses.
is not clearly defined. There is no con-
tinaing subjects winch either House can
take up of itself and pass to completion.
This being new Congress, all legislation
must originate de novo. A number of i'm
pOrtant measures passed by the last House
were pending In the Senate when 1t ad-
journed. Among them were the elections
bill. national bankruptcy bill, the pure
lard bill and others. There is no proba-
bility of an attempt to revive the elections
bill during the next Congress. 1t is likely
that the desirabllity of adopting some
national ystem of regulating bankruptcy
may engage the attention of the Senate
committee on commerce. Senator Paddock,
of Nebraska, will endeavor to pross his
pure food bill as q substitute for the lard
bill. Senator Cullom has some amend
ments to the In terstate- commerce bill TO pro-
pose. The silver question. In various shapes
was pending when the Elfty-tirst Congress
into the works of the Mckinley tariff act
in progress by committee OF the Senate.
Should the result of that investigation be
actively brought to the front 1t might
precipitate tariff debate on the Senate.
There is disposition. however. on the
part of leading Senators of both parties to
leave the Initiative in tariff matters to the
HOuse ew here il belongs, and not to force
the fight in the Senate on any issues which
will enter into the presidential contest or
1892.
Senators believe that q very large inter
est of the coming session will be centered
In the executive sessions. Interesting in
formation is expected In regard to our rela-
tioDs with Chlli. Ii, In the time that has
gone by or at the present time. our rela-
tions with that country have assumed
phase which might have endangered or
which still endangers peace, the facts will
be laid before the Senate. either by public
message or confidential communication. in
either case to be considered in executive
session. 1t is thought that not all the
reciprocity agreements which have been
negotiated with Spain and Spanish-Amer-
loan countries. under the reciprocity
clauses of the Mckinley bill. come under
requiring concurrent action BY the Senate.
The increasing gravity of the situation
in China may impose upon the United
States the necessity of taking action for
the protection of American interests in
edly be lald before the Senate as to the
proposed arbitration of the Behring sea
question with Great Britain. In the mat
ter of confirming appointments the execu-
tive sessions of the Sepate are likely to be
important. The names of nine new circuit
Judges OF appeals. two interstate-c commerce
commissioners and a Secretary of War Will
probably be among the first nominations
sent In. Changes in the personnel of the
Senate will necessitate complete Ieorgan-
Ednuuds. Evarts. Ingalls,, Payne and
others, who have hitherto borne large
share of the committee work, have left
their places to be filled by Others.
THE DEMOCRATIC HOUSE.
The element of new membership p will play
a still more important part in the organiza-
tion of the House. Of the $50 Democratic
members entitled to enter the caucus to-
morrow to select Speaker. 105 have never
before occupied a seat in Congress. Nearly
every State in the Union is represented on
this list of new members. When to these
are added twenty-eight new Republican
members and eight Farmers Alliance men,
it will be seen that whoever is chosen
-Suerker will have a berculean task before
HIM In ascertaining, as far as possible, the
preference of LII new members, who know
nothing about committee-wo and max
ing assignments that VIII be satisfactory
to all of them. 1t is not In the least likely
that the committees can be arranged and
the House be organized for legislative
business until after the Christmas hOli-
days. On whatever basis the House COM
mittees may be even ntuallv organized, it is
reasonably certain from Official pronounce
ments already made ny all the party chiefs.
that the five or SIX committees which share
with the committee on appropriations the
control of the expenditures will be organ
lied with view to cutting down the ap-
preparations to the lowest possible limit.
Mr.. Holman says: 1T will be horizontal
reduction. Everything but the pensions
must be reduced. They are fixture"
The incoming House will not have more
than half dozen contested election cases
to decide. Three of these are from Penn
sylvania. The titles of the cases are Rey-
VS.. Stewart. The testimony in the two
lastnamed cases is very voluminous, filling
three large printed volumes in each in
stance. The allegations on which the con-
tests are based are purely technical. being
questions whether certain voters had a
legal right to cast their ballots. There is
one contest in New York, NOyes Repub-
lican, vs. Rockwell. Democrat. and the lat
ter will be handicapped by decision of
the New York courts against him. The re-
naming cases are in the South. McDuffy
VS. Turpln, IN Alabama, and Miller VS..
Elliott. in South Carolina. The contestants
are Republicans. who made fight last
year, and were seated by a Republican
IlOusc. III i5 HUt bEOUdUlc tIat tucIT
to secure this session Will be successful.
In view of the conflicting majorities In
the two branches it is not probable that
when it has concluded its labors it will
have added TO the statutes many new meas
ures of national Importance; but hey ond
doubt many fierce battles will be waged up
TO the leading issues between the two great
parties-the tariff and silver coinage
while the members of the small but lively
Alliance element may be counted on TO lose
no opportunity in debate for bringing their
demands and principles before the country.
Very little business will be transacted in
the House during this week. The Presi-
dents message Will be received and read
according to custom on Tuesday if the
House completes its organization to-mor-
row; and for the rest of the week brief ses-
sions and adiournments over for a day Oh
two at a time are probable. The commit
tees are not expected TO be appoin ted be-
fore the Christmas holidays with the ex-
ception of the committees on rules on en-
rolled bills. and on mileage and accounts,
which are usually named within few day
after the Speaker is indicted into Office.
HIRAM SAWTELL,S HEAD