Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1893-08-11

The condition of the financial affairs
throughout the country has forced
President Cleveland to call "a special
or extra session of the Fifty-third con-
greSs. This is the twelfth extra ses-
SION of the United States congress
called since the formation OF the gov
eminent.
The Constitution provides, Article |,
section 4, cause =, that 1.-The congress
shall assemble at least once in every
year, and such meeting shall be on the
first Monday in Decem Der unless they
shall by law appoint different day"
The Constitution also provides, Article
III. section 3, that the President ''may,
on extraordinary occasions, convene
both houses, or either of them"
The first extra session of con-
gress was called by President
John Adams, and convened on
Monday, May Is, 1897, and was
the first session of the Fifth
congress. 1t was called on account of
the suspect sion of diplomatic inter-
course with France on the preteXt on
the part of the French directory that
the JAY treaty was violation on our
part OF solemn compact in relation to
the French West India possessions.
Several important measures were
passed, including acts for the organi-
cation of the militia, and providing for
a naval armament, the session closing
on the 10th of July.
The next extra session was the first
session of the Eighth congress, which
was convened by President jefferson,
and met ON Monda-, Oct. II, 1903. The
extraordinary OCCASION necessitat-
ing, in the opinion of Mr.. jefferson, an
extra session of congress was the secret
cessiou of Louisiana by the king of
SPAN 10 France, the intendent of
Louisiana being instructed to make
formal dc livery, precisely as it was
held by France wnen coded TO Spain.
The treaty was successfully executed
with promptness. During this session
the unpopular bankruptcy act was re-
peaied and several important measures
passed.
The attack upon the Chesapeake by
the Leopard, and the seizure'Of alleged
deserters from the British navy under
the fright of search" claimed by Great
Brita II, together with unsettled differ
ences with Spain, induced President
Jefferson TO catl an extra session of the
Tenth congress, which was convened
on Oct. %, 1907. The earnest recon-
mendation of the President for the pas
sage of an "embargo act" the most
vigorous legislation affecting private
property ever yet enacted, was
promptly concurred in. Other import
ant measures, especially those making
hUeral appropriations for gunOoa's
and for coast and harbor defences, and
also those relating to the JUDICIAL and
public land systems, were passed dur
ing this session, Whdch closed April 20,
1oOo.
The fourth extra session was called
by President Madison, who convened
the Twelfth congress on the Attn day of
Novem Der, 1911, To consider questions
growing out of the condition of foreign
affairs, especially resulting from the
British orders IN council and the
French edicts, which seriously affected
our commerce. The President earnestly
Urged upon congress 1.-The duty of put
ting the United States into an armOr
ana attitude demanded by the crisis,
and corresponding with the national
spirit and expectations. The "war
spirit" of the day was strikingly mani
tested in the election of Henry Clay as
peace candidate, by vote of IS TO 80.
During this session many important
measures were passed in harmony with
the Presidents recOmmendations,p laEs
of iutern.l revenue were considered,
custom duties were doubled, treasury
notes bearing interest were authorized
to the amount of 1000, 900. and a per
cent loan of $1,000, 900 was granted,
81. =
against Great Brita n by the act of
june, 1872, the government was as
fully prepared for that emergency as
was possible.
The fifth extra session was called by
President Madison, TO meet on Sept.
10. 1914, and was the third session of
the Thirteenth congress. 1t was called
on account of the difficulty en-
countered in raising money to carry on
the war. The Presidents message re-
lated entirely TO the wants of the
treasury, but mentioned the fact that
negotiations were on foot for return
to peace. Congress sat continually
until its expiration, on March 4, 1915.
The next extra session was the first
session of the Twenty-dfth congress,
which was convened on the 4th of Sep
1901, Ny 'oh Dui Chs
The general and almost simultaneous
suspe nsion of specie payments in the
month of May was the occasion of this
session, which closed on the 10th OF
October.
The seventh extra session was that
of the first session of the Twenty
seventh congress, which was convened
by president William Henry Harrison
on the 3lst day of May, ls4l. The oc'
casion of this session was declared in
the proclamation to be sundry import
ant and weighty matters, principally
growing out of the condition of the
revenue and finances of the country.
The death of President Harrison, one
month after his Inauguration, and the
accession of Vice-President Tyler to
the presidency, with the complications
growing out Of the change of policy on
the part of Mr.. Tyler from that map.
ped out by his predecessor, produced
great bitterness in congress against
him, so that the session was barren of
any important legislation.
The failure of the Thirty-fourth con.
gress during its first session (which
Terminated Aug. Is, 1856, to make
provision for the army for the ensuing
fiscal year necessitated an extra SEES