Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-05-25
DIS TRICT IN CONGRESS
Not Much Prospect for Local Legislation
in the Senate.
No Meeting of the District Committee
TOday-Many Bills on the
Calendar.

A prospect for local legislation is not very
bright just at present in the Senate The
urgency Of the tariff situation is such that
nothing can be done now in the way of
committee meetings, for the Senate meets
daily at 10 o'clock, and remains in session
until 9 at the earliest The possibilities are
that night sessions will be ordered regular
ly, beginning with next week. and SO the
entire legislative day is to be taken up by
the discussion of the tariff bill in all its
features. The result of this concentration
OF attention upon the tariff was shown to-
day in the matter Of the regular meeting of
the District committee. AS the Senate
meets at 10 1t will be really necessary for
members of the District committee to
reach the Capitol on Friday mornings as
early as o'clock, an hour unheard of in
senatorial customs, in order to do any busi-
ness at all before the beginning of the
sion. In anticipation of this, Mr.. Harris
the clerk of the committee, last evening
made a poll of the committee, and ascer-
tanned in a very few minutes that II would
be utterly impossible to secure the attend
ance of more than one or two Senators at 8
O'Clock in the morning. Consequently, the
members OF the committee were notified
that there would be no meeting today and
this will probably be succeeded by similar
notices each Friday until the tariff bill is
disposed of.
There may be a few hearings on the SUBJ
is no disposition on the part of the COM
mittee to hasten In these matters as no ac-
ton can be taken legislatively and there
is no necessity for accumulating material.
Weeks Before Any Action.
The naval axiom referred to by Mr.. Hills
the other day in tariff speech that the
speed of the fleet is the speed of its slowest
vessel is applicable to this case. No mat
ter at what rate the House may consider
upon them for many weeks to come and so
the capacity of the Senate now regulates
the output of the congressional machine.
This is true. of course, of other matters
than local legislation, but the local calendar
of the Senate is now in fair way to rival
all the other matters on the calendar put
together. There are now upward OF two
dozen bills on the Senate calendar await
ing action. including some of the most i'm
portant matters before Congress affecting
the interests of Washington. Among these
are the tax sales bill. the Metropolitan rail-
read bill. that relating to reorganization of
the office of sealer of weights and measures.
the water supply bill and others of more or
less Importance.
In addition to all these there is of course,
the District appropriation BILL still in the
hands of the appropriation committee, or,
more properly, Of the subcommittee, consist
ing OF Senators German, Cockrell and ALI
son. The Illness of Senator German, which
now confines him to his rooms at Worm
ley's, added to his recent work on the tariff
bill. has necessitated his complete aban-
donment Of the District bill for the present
Nothing has been done upon II for upward
or two months. and there Is still a Preat
deal to be attended to in connection with it.
1t is quite likely that Mr.. German, when
able to resume work on the appropriation
committee, will not at once take up the
District BILL but will apply himself to other
appropriation measures OF more national
Importance
The House Committees Action.
The House committee on judiciary today
decided to lay on the table the bill intro
duced by Mr.. Morse of Massachusetts, to
punish seduction in the District of Column
bia. The bill authorizing the attorney for
the District of Columbia to administer
oaths was adversely reported.
The Bill Passed.
BY unanimous consent the House yester-
day afternoon passed the bill to incorporate
the Supreme Lodge of Knights Of PytfSias
of the District of Columbia