Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1894-11-16
NOT MUCH EXPECTED.
Congress Likely To Transact But Very
Little Business at the Coming
Session.
THE APPROPRIATION BILLS
Probably About All the Legislation Of
1mportance---Free Raw Mate
rial Bills.
THE APPROPRIATION BILLS

WASHINGTON, NOVELETTE, approach.
ing session of congress which will con-
vene on Dec. 5, is not expected by those
familiar with congressional methods to
be one of great activity or productive
of much legislation. The fact that it
will continue for only three months,
that it will be the last session of the
congress, and that it so closely follows
a general election, are all considered
as indications that but comparatively
little real work will be attempted and
still less accomplished. The greater
part of the session will in all probability
be confined to al exchange Of chatting
over the results OF the election, and the
session will become memorable more on
account of talk than work.
Nothing Before the Holidays.
It is probable that next to nothing
will be done before the Christmas holi-
days, and predictions are freely made
that it will be difficult to obtain a quo
rum previous to Christmas. After the
holidays there will be but two months
left for work and speech making. It
will Of course be necessary to pass the
usual appropriation bills, these bills
touching a variety of interests and
while upon occasion they can be dis.
posed Of with considerable celebrity,
they can always be SO manipulated as to
kill much time when there is any con-
siderable element which desires to so
use them.
Supplemental Tariff Bills.
When the last session adjourned the
measures attracting most attention
were the supplemental tariff or free
raw material bills. They had passed
the house and had been favorably re-
ported with material amendments by
the senate committee on finance TO the
senate. While a majority Of the Demo-
cratic senators appeared friendly to
those bills, there was a considerable
element in that party opposed to their
consideration, as We're practically all
the Republican senators. This element
was able to prevent the senate taking
1t remains to be seen whether the
friends of the bill will persist in this
policy at the forthcoming session, and
whether, if they do manifest this
disposition, they will succeed in
the face Of opposition Of a
few Democratic senators and the al
most solid Republican side Of the sen-
ate, who do not desire at this time fur
Their legislation in the direction of tariff
reduction. Representatives of the latter
class do not hesitate to declare that
whatever the policy Of the Democratic
majority, they will be able to prevent
serious consideration of these bills be-
cause OF the short session. They also
claim that if a vote on it should be
reached, there
Would Be a Majority Against Them.
1t should be stated, however, that
there is a division Of opinion among the
opponents of the free sugar bill. and
that some Republicans and some con-
servative Democrats have expressed a
willingness to allow this bill to become
a law, but the best indications are that
the fate of the bill will be determined
by that Of the others of the same class.
There are also those who predict that
there will be a renewal Of the agitation
OF the financial question on propositions
looking to the free coinage of silver
and for
Another Bond Issue.
The starting of the bond question
would depend upon the administra-
ton, and there appears now no reason
for the suggestion that it will be re.
vived, except in the imagination of
those who would oppose the measure if
it should be brought in. There is little
doubt that the silver question will be
raised in some form, but the ~probabili.
ties are that there will be no serious
united effort on the part Of n consid.
cradle element to push silver to the
front. The more general opinion is
that silver will be reserved for the lone
session Of congress, so as to make it al
issue in the presidential campaign o
1896.