The morning call., 1893-07-03
THE. EXTRA SESSION.

:: The reason assigned for the precipitate
summons to Congress TO meet in August is
the necessity for legisl alton on the silver
question, in order TO afford relief to bus
iness circles but when the body has as
sembled 1t may be question whether it
had*nOt better go on with its regular bus
mess and complete it before spring. The
present long session, lasting we'll through
the dog days, has unQuestionably afforded
:, opportunity for much pernicious legisla-
ton. As il draws to close, the House
rarely contains more than bare quorum,
and among these are many who chafe at
.:their detentio at the Federal capital, and
often vote for measure they do not quite
approve merely to get away.
-. The first Congress was called to meet on
Marcel 4, and really did assemb bic on a april
30 The first Congress to meet regularly
in the: first week of December was the
18TH, which assembled in 1921. Before that
date. Congress had met in May, Septem-
Der, October. November. as we'll as De.
*cember. The controlling idea was that
Congress should assemble at a season
when its deliberations would not be inter-
.:fered with by the weather. When Deem
; Der was chosen it was supposed that the
two sessions would he about equal in
length. and that the session which met in
the odd year, like the one which met in
the@eyen year, would adjourn before the
F.. hot spells began. This purpose wes
defeated by the growth of Congressional
business. OF the long sessions of the
.thirty-one Congresses which have met
since 1921, including extra sessions, nine
have tasted till May. eight till June, twelve
till July, twelve till August. two till Sep
TENDER and four till October. Thus the
practice b as been established that the bus
.iness session of Congress which meets in
the. odd years shall last into and through
the hottest months of the summer.
-: OF late years the average length of the
;. business sessions has been over seven
. months. Ii we assume that the season in
which Congressman shall be able to give
their. best work to the country ends on
May1, a session of seven months should
meet in the last week of September
From. that date till May day Washington
is a delightful place to live in, and no
Congressman need lose an hour on account
of the weather. The holiday vacation
would divide the session in the middle,
and would furnish Congressman a breath
! ingspell to1ortify them for the labors Of the
: last four. IN onths of the campaign. Such
an arrangement would be favorable for
the discharge. of business The Appro-
priations Committee and the other
routine committees would be able TO
. report between the middle of November
and the first of December. and the
measures required for the conduct of the
An biio hi n q 10 e uI6 honoma laue
Christmas. After the holidays purely
party measures might be taken up and
TREY might consume the remaining four
months of the session or less, according to
their Importance and to the:interest they
aroused. Such "a division of labor would
probably eonduce 20 efficiency in legisla-
:. ton and would minimize the number of
bills passed which would require to be
nuIlified by the Supreme Court or repealed
by Congress at-the ensuing session. r.