The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1894-11-20
SHORT SESSION.
What 1t May Do and How It
May Act.
Sixty-Fiye Days For Business-Regu.
lar Bills Will Sip Through Easily.

.NhN anu sum lAAApaoDiil ti1 lnNJ tdii cuIlr
on for the defeated TO stand the raillery
their political foes. And how will the
1ngress act and what will it do at this
hort session. Well. deducting the usual
hristmas recess, there will certainly not
e more than 65 days for actual business,
nd there may be fewer. one-half of those
90 least will be days when special commit
iees have the right of way, and much OF
Tho remaining time will be consumed In
struggles for the floor and flibustering,
50 there will not DO very much done Of an
extraordinary nature.
Nevertheless there will be many despcr-
ate struggles. and the majority will not be
so manageable as at the long session. 1t
rarely is, and this year the break will be
worse than common. Many members
have not been renominated, and many
more will hs defeated. so tAere will be at
least 100, possibly nearly twice as many,
who will realize that this is their last ses-
sion. They will be sslntic 10 rush through
special bills and private claims left over
from the long session. The reelected
members Will naturally be more conserva-
tive, and the committee on appropriations
will as usual, bc inclined 20 oppose special
ties There viii be deficiencies, OF course,
and the usual fight for bigger appropria-
tions. On an average some 40, 900 claims
are fled with tho committee on claims OF
each congress. A few hundred bills are
brought in by this committee, few Of
them are passed at the long session, and
on the rest comes the fight at the short
one.
few other bills are for crying neces-
stiles That for n new public printing
office, for instance, ought not TO be de-
layed one hour. The present building is
daily menace of death TO every one in and
about it. Yet the long standing quarrel
about the site has assumed the form Of
difference between senate and house. as
such things are sure to do II kept up long
enough With the prevalent bitterness
there is too much reason to fear that the
provision for new printing Office will go
ever TO the Fifty-fourth congress. The
Henderson award, giving damages In
lump sums so those who suffered in the
collapse OF the old Ford's theater building,
used as a government Office ought by all
means to have been enacted into a law at
the last session Yet IL may go over 10
the next congress.
Foreign af.iirs will be OF more interest
than for some time past. When the Fifty
third congress met, and for eight months
thereaftCr, there was absolute peace
throughout the world, for the first time
since the bogi Nling of Christondom. Last
summer not only was there worldwide
peace, but So far as tie congressional eye
could see there was no sign of early trcu-
Bile Hawaii was the only region the ad-
ministrauun opposition factions could
have fun about. The world has got bravely
over IT'S stafration. The opposition will
81 a H.. q
Secretary Gresham for waiting on Great
Britain in the matter of changed relations
with Japan, for their proposal to withdraw
influence in Samoa, for not being more
aggressive Ia dealing with Canada and for
divers alleged laches in Central America
and elsewhere. Chairman McCreary will
have more lively work to do in defense OF
the president, and Mr.. Boutelle will have
several now points for his annual speech
on the navy.
The whole matter Of reciprocity will
come up dc novo and have to be dealt with
substantially on new basis. Spain, Ger
many, Brazil and Hawaii will each present
us a different problem. The first is affect
ed by our new tariff and now gains little
or no special advantage as a return for ad-
mitting our -four to Cuba; the second
kicks vicioUsly at our special or differen-
tial tax on its bountied sugar and may re-
taliate by again excluding the American
hog; the third has given notice of intention
TO terminate the existing arrangement, and
with her Hawaii and possibly other coun-
tries matters must be readjusted to fit
our new tariff OF course this measure
itself will show defects by few months
operation-has already shown them in.
deed--which lous: be remedied, and means
must be voted for collecting the income
tax. The sugar growers are now suing
In the courts for the bounty on this years
crop and will besiege congress, of course,
for special relief And then there are tho
so called "popgun bills. !" So the tariff
will still be a toierably live issue.
tt Is tAken Tor granted That The regular
appropriation bills will slip through with
very little friction, rs everything is In
good shape for them. The Indian business
OF the nation was settled at the long scs
sion, so far as that business can be porma-
nently settled. All the tribes were located
where they want TO remain; all tho reser
vations given up were Professionally dis
posed of, and there Is really nothing par
ticular to do In that line Many of the
military posts lately in the Indian coun-
try are discontinued, and it is the avowed
policy of the government to station the
regular army near the great cities Gen
eral Schoheld, in his last report before re.
firing from the head of the army, repeats
with more than the usual emphasis the
old recommendation for larger establish
ment, but it Is as certain as anything in
legislation can be that this congress will
not heed him.
1t Is a safe prediction that tho scenes nt
the opening of the session will be less
rather than moro exciting than usual at the
short session. There will be heaps of flow
ers on the desks Of favoritos, cheers for
members who come back with increased
majorities notably Tom Reed, Bcctv1le a.
al, and chatting for the defeated, hut Their
are no officers 10 elect, no committees &
appoint, and business will be as II congres
had but adjourned overnight unless 4
has 10 wait ior the presidents message
The new rules will greatly facilitate busi
ness. The Democrats hated TO adopt them,
but the majority can 10 longer get OF
without them. The house Is now too large
and heterogeneous "a body TO go on the old
a