Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1894-11-12
LITTLE REAL WORK
Expected at the Last Session OF the Present
Congress.

i VVuytVSS'
WASHINGTON. Nov. 1.-THE approach
| ing session OF congress, which VIII con-
yene Dec. 5 is not expected by those iaihii-
| lar with congressional methods to be OF
great activity or productive of much leg
islation. The fact that it VIII continue
for only three months, that it Will be the
last session of the present congress, anu
| that it SO closely follows a general cleo
ton are all considered as indications that
but comparatively little real work VIII DE
attemptcd. and still less accomplished.
The greater part Of the session Will, IN all
probability be consumed in an exchange
Of chatting over the results OF the election,
and the session will become memorable
more on account of talk than work.
1t is probable that next to nothing will
he done before the Christmas holidays.
and predictions are freely made that 1t
will be difficult to obtain or maintain n
quorum previous to Christmas. After
the HOLIDAYS there will be but two months
left for work and speech making. 1t will,
of course be necessary to pass the usual
appropriation bills These bills touch n
variety of interests, and willie upon oc-
casion they can be disposed of with con.
siderable celebrity they can always he so
manipulated as to kill much time where
there is any considerable element which
desires to so use them.
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 reported with material additions
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 were practically all the Republican
senators. This element was able to pre-
vent the senate taking up the bills pre-
vious to adjournment. 1t remains to be
seen whether the friends of the bills will
persist in this policy at the forthcoming
session and whether, if they do manifest
this disposition, they will succeed in the
face Of the opposition of a few Democratic
senators and the almost solid Republican
side of the senate. who do not desire AT
this time further legislation in the direc-
ton of tariff reduction.
Representatives of the latter class do not
hesitate TO declare that whatever the
policy of the Democratic maioIity they
will be able to prevent serious conSidcra-
ton ofthcsc bills because OF the short SOS
sion They also claim if Il vote on them
should be reached. There would be
A Majority Against Them.
1t should be stated. however. that there is
a division of opinion among the OPP
ponentS of the bills on the free sugar bill,
and that some Republicans and some
conservative Democrats have expressed Il
willingness to allow this bill to bccom" n
law, but The best indications are that the
fate of the bill will be determined by tina:
of the others Of the same class.
There are also those who predict that
there will be a renewal of agitation of thu
financial question on propositions looking
TO the free coinage of silver and for an
other bond issue The starting of the
bond question would depend upon the al
ministration and there appears now no
reason for the suggestion that it will b.
revived except in the imaginations Of those
who would oppose the measure if it should |
be brought in. There is little doubt that
the silver question will be rails d in some
form. but the probabilities are that there |
will be no scrions united effort upon the
part of any considerable element to push
silver to the 'front.'. TIN more general
opinion is that silver will be reserved for |
the long session of the Nifty-fourth con /
grcss. so as to make it an issue in the
presidential campaign of lSg6.
A Point Overlooked
A point that has been overlooked in |
computing the political complexion of the |
next senate is the admission of Utah, with |
two United States senators. The act of /
the last session of congress admitting
Utah provides that in March. 1895, the
constitutional convention shall be held |
On the first Tuesday after the first Mon
day in November of that yearthe con sti-
tuition is to be voted upon by the people |
and, if carried the president will issue
proclamating admitting the state.
Two congressman and state officers, in
Guiding legislature, arc also to be elected |
at the same time New Mexico and Ari-
iona may also come in i'll time thus max
ing 81 senators in all, requiring 4s for
party control. 1t is therefore quite likely
that the battle for the control of the senate
will yet be fought out in Utah, New Mex
leo and Arizona next year