Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-12-29
: XTRA SESSION ~FAEk
1t is Considered Inevitable Unless Two
t"a sr7-ss
Bills Are Passed
These Are the Urgency Deficiency and
the Currency Neasures-FOrmer
Extra Sessions Recalled.

TIE talk of an early extra session of the
Flfty-fourth Congress has been revived at
the Capitol by the contingencies which
may arise growing out OF the failure OF
necessary legislation to pass at the pres
ept session. Upon TWO pending bills, IL is
generally believed, hangs the question OF
whether Mr.. Cleveland will cow oke the
new Congress soon after the death of the
Fifty-;hird on March !. Those two bills are
the urgent deficiency appropriation bill,
which contains the appropriation for carry
ing the income tax into effect, and which
is pending III the Senate, AID the Carlisle
currency bill, which is under debate in the
House. and the fate OF which viii be de-
clded soon after the House recOnS eneS,
January ). The opponents of the income
tax, led, ii is beieved, by Senators Hill
and Quay. will maze desperate hight in
the Senate, and wiil exhaust every par
liamentary eXpedient to defeat IL. Many
democratic members of the Senate. how
ever, affect to believe that the ultimate
defeat of the bill before adjournment is
impossible. II ii saould fail an extra SEES
sion would be imperative il the admln-
istration purposes TO make the income tax
operative The currency BILL offered by the
administration as a means of partially re-
hevlng the treasury, is regarded as OF par
amount Importance.
Treasury Condition Critical.
The condition of the treasury Is critical.
The gold reserve is dwindling rapidly, and
another bend issue is regarded as newt
able If nothing is done to prevent the
present drain of gold. Mr.. Cleveland, 1t is
understood on high authority. is very much
in earnest in his desire for some legislation
at this session to relieve the treasury, and
IL 1t is not forthcoming there are many
who believe he will Immediately convoke
the Fifty-fourth Congress and ask the
gI,xl IL
1t must not be forgotten, however, that
there are many OF the republican leaders
who are opposed to any tactics which ii
make an extra session Necessary They be-
lieve from political standpoint that it
would be bad policy, and will not encour-
age or even abet any move looking to that
end. Should MIR. Cleveland cali an extra
session he Will be the second President
since the war to convent Congress in eX-
traordinary session twice during his term
of office. Until Mr.. CleN Gland convoked the
extra session in August of last year no
extra session had been called since 1879.
when Mr.. Hayes called an extraordinary
session two weeks after his Inaugural ton
That session was forced by several riders
which the democrats, who had control of
the House, had placed on the army appro-
priation bill. One of them repealed the
law permitting soldiers at the polls.
A Notable Extra Session.
Although the democrats had elected
on that occasion the brief time allowed
by Mr.. Hayes for the Representatives-eiect
to reach Washington (two weeks) made it
almost impossible for them to organize the
House. The democratic national commit
tee, it will be remembered, on that occa-
sion ran a special train across the con-
tinent from Oregon to bring Representa-
tive Whitaker here in time to vote. There
was much excitement at the time, follow
ing as il did on the heels of the famous
Hayes-Tilden controversy, but the train
arrived in season, beating all records of
trans-con tinental travel up TO that time.
Another episode of that organization was
the dramatic and tragic entrance into the
House of Representative Lay of Missouri.
who was very i'll, and who was carried to
the Capitol on a. stretcber that he might
complete the vote necessary to make Sam
uel J. Randall Speaker.
He voted, but was carried from the
chamber never to Ie-enter ii again. OF
course, there would be no necessity for
such heroic means of procuring the at
tendance Of members from the remote cor
ners of the country If there should be an
EXTRA session CT the Fifty-fourth Congress
called Immediately after the sine die adj
journment OF the Fifty-third. as the repub-
Hcan majority IN the House is over
whelming. But as the Senate will be
close, there might be something dramatic
or exciting in the organization of the up
per house.