The Portland daily press., 1893-07-22
THE EXTRA SESSION.
Prompt Action Upon the Sherman
Bill Confidently Expected.

MIR. Crisp VIII Again BE Elected Speaker.
He Is Now Preparing Els Important
Committees-Nr. Blount Will Be Left
Out-Waecaasog Holman's Health.
Especial Correspondence
WASHINGTON, July 20.-After visit
to Washington and conference with
the administration Speaker Crisp mas re-
tired to the shades Of his home at Anieri-
Gus, Ca, to frame the important COM
nlittees of the house and to study i'm
provementS in the code of rules prior to
the converting Of congress. 1t is ordi-
narily considered little presumptious
for man to begin the appointment Of
places when he has not himself been
elected, but the selection of Mr.. Crisp is
such a foregone conclusion and barren
formality, notwithstanding the idle talk
of a combination of silverites, Populists
and Republicans against him as the
enemy of the white metal, that modesty
does not require any apology to be made.
Some people may remember that Mr..
Crisp paid visit to MIR. Cleveland last
winter in New York before the latter's
inauguration. A canvass of the house
soon to meet has just been made, indi
eating that Mr.. Crisp had a good major
ity of the Democrates behind him for re-
election. 1t is significant that since that
visit hardly word has been heard of
Democratic opposition to Mr.. Crisp as
the next speaker.
The committees will be made up on
lines that will insure harmonious work
ing between the house and the admins
tration on policy already outlined be-
tween the leaders so far as the principal
issues go. Congress having been con-
voked 6hough the constitution in one
of it's few mistakes in correct compost
ton says the president shall convene
congress) in extraordinary session for
the purpose of repeating the Sherman
silver bill, the two committees on finance
will be announced almost Immediately
after the organization of the house. Mr..
Crisp recognizes as well as Mr.. Cleve-
land that if it were well that the Sher-
man law were repealed it were well
that it be done quickly. So far as the
house is concerned the country will
learn very quickly its course as respects
financial affairs.
Two committees in the house have
charge of bills relating to the circulating
medium of the country. They are the
committees on coinage, weights and
measures and on banking and currency.
The precise limits of the jurisdiction of
each have never been defined. The con-
sequence is that there has been debat-
able ground which each committee has
claimed as within it's parliamentary ter
ritory and that each committee has
brought in bills resented by the other
committee as an invasion of its author
ity. The only things tho5 have been set
tied were that the coinage COMMITTEES
could not bring in bills relating ex-
clusively to notes or to banking and that
the banking committee could not report
measures dealing entirely with the coin
age. Each, however, has not hesitated
on some little financial kite it has had in
its possession or has made for the pur-
pose to string a long tail stolen from the
other committees preserves. The re-
suit has been that as rule the commit
tee whose measure at the time was the
most popular has carried the day. 'He
may take who has the power, and he may
keep who can." has been the motto.
The coinage and the banking commit
tees each consist of 13 members. They
will be named in advance of the general
list soon after the house meets. This
will be unprecedented, but it has been
decided to give the same answer to such
an objection that Napoleon is said once
to have given, eff there is no precedent,
we will make one." The chairman of
the coinage committee in the last con-
gress was Mr.. Bland Of Missouri, known
as ssSilver Dollar" Bland. It will look
queer to see Democratic coinage COM
mittee without the champion of free
coinage at the head of the table, but un-
less Mr. Bland consents not to obstruct
the prompt report of bill repeating the
Sherman law he will have to give way
to some one else, for, though Mr.. Crisp
dislikes to see his words within quota
ton marks, it is an assured fact that he
has decided to name a committee which
will promptly bring a repeal bill before
the house.
The chairman of the banking commit
tee in the last congress was Mr.. Bacon
of New York, hard money man who
will not be in this congress. This chair
manship being vacant, the speaker has
absolute freedom of choice. To the
banking committee will belong jurisdic-
ton of the repeal Of the state bank tax
made a part of the Democratic platform,
of an increase of the amount Of circula-
ton national banks may issue on bonds
deposited, and possibly of the repeal of
the Sherman law in case it be found
necessary, as now seems unlikely, to
couple the repeal of the Sherman law
with emollients to southern and western
members, who want an increase of Cir
culation.
The other committees which the speak
er is likely to announce early are the
ways and means committee, to whom
the framing Of the tariff bill is commit
L.