The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-08-07
The Extra Session.

twelfth Of its kind It's, powers. by the
way, are not extraordinary or abridged
An extra session OF congress. unlike an
extra session Of a state legislature, may
transact any business coming properly be-
fore o regular session, whereas, an extra
session Of a legislature is restricted %
action upon the subjects for which il was
called. BY constitutional warrant, con-
Ercss assemblies at least once every year,
usually upon the first Monday ia Decem-
, Der. though IL is the Presidents
prcrogative to name another day.
The President may. furthermore,
ION extraordinary occasions, con-
vcne both houses of congress,
or either of them.n And the extraordi-
nary occasions, calling for extra sessions,
began to crop out almost as soon as CON
grcss had got into good working order.
President John Adams found it necessary
to convene an extra session of the Fifth
congress on May Is 1897, to consider the
matter of the expulsion of
Minister G. C. Pinckney from
France and the PRONUNCIATION by the
French government of orders for depre-
datiOns on American commerce. The
French pretext was that the Jay treaty
was violation of a compact in relation
to the French West Indian possessions.
The federalists controlled congress, and
promptly passed the Presidents recon-
mendations, including acts for the reor-
ganization of the militia, and providing
for a naval armament"
Eighth congress, called by President JEFF
ferson and convened Oct. II, 1903 The
cause of the call was the cession of Lou
isiana TO France by Spain. The Presi-
dent was authorized to take possession of
Louisiana under a treaty made with
France, and an act was passed dividing
the country coded into two territories
The third extra session was called also
by President jefferson. 1t was of the
Tenth congress and met on Oct. 90, 1907.
The extraordinary occasion was the at
tack upon the Chesapeake by the Leopard
under Great Britain's claim of the fright
of search" The embargo act" and lib
eral appropriations for gunboats and coast
defenses were the outcome.
The Twelfth congress was the next to
meet in extra session, on Nov. 4, 1911, up
on the call of President Madison, Its
business was to consider the disturbed
condition of our foreign relations, particu-
larly with England and France Henry
Clay was the speaker of the House. The
action of this extra session prepared this
country for the declaration of war against
Great Britain in June, 1912
To raise funds to carry on the "War of
1872 necessitated the calling of another
session by President Madison, and on
Sept. 10, 1914, the Thirteenth congress was
convened. The Presidents message
dealt almost entirely with the needs of
the treasury, but mentioned that negotia-
tions for a restoration of peace were be-
ing carried on.
Van Buren, called the next extra ses-
sion. 1t was of the Twenty-ffth congress,
and assembled on Sept. 4, 1887, ITO
consider the suspension of specie pay
ments in May. An issue of $40, 000, 900 of
treasury notes was authorized and
various measures of economy adopted.
The Twenty-seventh congress assem-
bled in extra session on May 81, 1S41, in
response to the call of President William
Henry Harrison, to act upon the reve-
nues and finances of the country. Harri-
son died one month after his Inaugural
ton, and the session was barren of i'm
portant features, except the rupture be-
tween President Tyler and the wings.
The first session of the Thirty-fourth
congress adjourned without passing an
army appropriation. To provide for the
deficiency, President Pierce called an ex-
ira session, which passed the appropria-
ton after considerable wrangling and a
deadlock of some duration
The breaking out of the civil war was
the occasion of the calling of the next ex-
ira session, which convened July 4, 1861,
upon the call of President Lincoln. Con
gress passed the bills advised by the
President and levied an income and a
direct tax.
An army appropriation bill was again
the cause of an extra session under Hayes.
The Forty-fomth congress failed to
pass the appropriation, so the Forthwith
was called upon to do it. The extra SEES
sion assembled in October, 1877. The
failure of the army bill, it will be remem-
Dered, was due to the political troubles
in South Carolina and Louisiana. The
extra session passed over the restrictions
the regular session endeavorel to put
upon the President, and passed the bill.
Hayes called also the latest extra session
before the one Of to-day. 1t was Of the
Forty-siXth congress, and was convened
for the purpose of passing appropriation
bills left Enacted upon by the Forty fifth
congress. Not only the army bill, but the
legislative, executive aud judicial bills
had been left over. These were all
passed by the extra session, besides
which, the Mississippi river commission
was created, quinine was placed upon the
free list, and an act to prevent the intro
duction of contagious disease into the
country, was passed.
These extra session facts, condensed
from a summary furnished to the Detroit
Free Press by Journal Clerk Smith, of
the House, show that heretofore extra
sessions have acquiesced in the views of
the President with regard to the matters
for the consideration of which they were
called Whether or not the present ex-
ira session will do likewise remains to be
seen.