San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1892-12-05
FIFTY-SECOND CONGRESS-.
Grip on Hand-Free Woul-Home-
stead ana PinkertOns-Free
Coinage - Anti-Optiun
and Other Radical
LEGISLATION.

Legislation.
Special to the LIGHT
WASHINGTON, Dec. 5.-The short ses-
sion Of the Fifty second congress begins
today, Speaker Crisp in the chair of the
house, Vice President Morton presiding
over the senate. The indications seem to
point to very short period of legislation
in which no great effort will be made in
the way of radical legislation in the line
OF the changes advocated and approved at
the recent elections. 1t is possible that
free wool'' bill will be passed, but thar
its success in the senate depends alto
gether on the votes of few western sem
.atorS, whose constituencies may request
them to favor such legislation. The APP
preparation committee, which has been in
session since Nov. 2sth, will probably
report at once, giving the house some
thing OF Importance to attend to. The
reports of the investigating committees,
which have held sessions during the re-
cess in various parts of the country, will
arouse an unwonted degree of animated
discussion. The senate committee, under
the craftsmanship of Senator Gallinger,
has looked into the Homes lead matter. has
interviewed the leaders in the labor trou-
bes at PittSburg, the mill employees and
the PinkertonS of Chicago and New York.
The House Committee Investigating he
Reading combine has also been inter-
viewing all the parties involved in that
great deal and their report will be inter-
eSting. They have the testimony of all
presidents of the roads in the combine.
The report of the committee on inaugu-
ration will be another of interest as the
Investigation made by that body has been
thorough The committee which has been
Investigating the federal conduct of elect
ions in New York City have pithy
report TO present and one which will call
for bitter partisan battle.
One of the first matters to be brought
before the senate will be the Washburn
anticipation bill, which has already passed
the house, and has shown that 1t has q
clear maj >rity in favor of its passage in
the senate. Its provisions are so sweep
ing that they would practically, it is
charged, shut up the Chicago wheat pit,
the New Orleans Cotton Exchange, and
other institutions OF like character. A
strong oppoS ton was developed to the
bill in the senate, bnt there wasa still
stronger movement in its favor. Mr..
WaShburn, OF Minnesota, who had the
bill i'll charge, only consented to lay it
aside SO as 10 allow for an adjournment
Gf crpgrr s., then August had far advanc-
ud, o. condition that IL should be made
The first special Older for the rcXt session
and hnuld be fought out to a finish. The
senate has Il number of other important
rouse bills on its calander, including the
Free Wool BilI'' and other socaile i"pop.
gun" tariff repeal measures Of the house.
These have Slumbered hitherto in the
committee on finance, but determined
effort will no doubt be made to bring
them out and to send them up to the
President for his action. An opportunity
may possibly be given the house to re-
consider its action and to take up the
Senate'S free coinage of silver bill. The
silver men will try to bring this about
The appropriations for the coming year
will probably evoke little discussion, eX-
cept in one important respect. Secretary
of theTreaSuEy Foster, to whom the law
requires that all estimates shall be sent,
prior to the meeting of congress, has al
ready intimated that those estimates will
simply be duplication of the apprOpria
tiOnS which congress has already agreed
to be necessary for this year, and that no
recommendations will be made for any
increases OF expenditure or Of force. The
one exception, upon which a lively dis
cuSson may be looked force. The one eX-
cepton, upon which lively discussion
may be looked for, is that part Of the
Sunday civil bill which makes apprOpria-
tion for expenses of the United States
courts. commissioners and marShalS, and
0pDutV marShalS