The herald., 1894-12-17
At THE NATIONS CAPITAL,
House and Senate Forecast
for the Week.
Efforts to Pass the Nicaragua
Canal Bill.
A Vote May Be Had OH 1t Before the
Holidays.
Exciting Debate Expected on the Ne
Currency Bill - Commercial War
With Germany-Grovcr Goes
Cunning.
By the Associated Press.

WASHINGTON, Dec. 16.-The Nicaragua
canal bill holds its place as the unfin-
ished business on the senate calendar
and the general understanding appears
t. be that it will continue to occupy the
attention of the senate, with few inter-
ruptions. and those by consent, until q
vote is taken upon it. The bill only
comes up on each day after the dis
posal OF the morning morning business,
and will surrender this place tempo
rarily on Thursday to permit the cere-
monies in commemoration of Webster
and Starke, on the unwilling OF their
statues, which have been placed in the
capitol. There is also q proba ability that
the committee on appropriations may
ask consideration OF the urgent de-
fciency bill toward the last of the week.
1t is understood that Senator Cockrell,
chairman of this committee, will lay
stress upon the choice of getting this
bill through before the holidays, and
that he will ask the senate to pass it on
Monday or Tuesday. There is little
probability, however, that any of the
other appropriation bills will receive
the attention of the senate during the
week.
The disposition among the senators is
favorable to an adjournment on Thurs
day until after the Christmas holidays,
but 1t is probable that the house will
not consent to this arrangement and
that the adjournment will be delayed
until Saturday. The programme there,
with reference to adjournment, go far as
one has been arranged, is to adjourn on
Saturday, the 22d instant. until Thurs
day, the Sd of January.
Some senators predict that the final
vote on the Nicaragua canal bill will be
reached this week, but the friends OF the
bill scarcely hope for this result. They
realize that the precedents Of the senate
are all against action 30 speedy on a
measure Of snch Importance and pre-
senting go many points for debate and
set speeches, and they are also prepared
to encounter opposition which has not
yet taken definite shape. Senator
Caffery's objection to an agreement for
vote on the bill on Wednesday next is
understood to have been made upon
constitutional grounds, and it is quite
likely that he. with several other eena-
tors, including Vest. Teller, George and
Villas. will desire to be heard in opposi-
tion to the measure before it shall be
disposed OF. Senator Cullom will to-
morrow open the speaking for the week
with speech on this question.
HOUSE FORECAST.
This week, the last before the holiday
recess. promises to be an exciting one in
the house. The banking and currency
committee has arranged to bring for.
ward the banking bill and will ask re-
port from the committee ON rules for q
special order which will set aside the
remainder of the week beginning Tues
day for debate on the Carlisle bill with
provisions for q final vote on Friday
next. The banking committee desires
10 prolong the session SO as to begin at
II a. m. and continue until 10:3O at
night, with a recess from 5 until 8 p. m.
The terms of the special order will be
submitted to the committee on rules to-
morrow.
There is considerable opposition
among the Democrats of the house to
the short limit it is proposed to set on
the debate. Many feel that such a
measure. contemplating "a it does, a
revolution in the entire banking system
OF the country. should not be crowded
through in haste. This feeling is shared
by some OF the most prominent Demo-
cratic leaders of the house, and there
seems to be large probability that the
banking and currency committee will be
overruled and that the special order will
give this week to debate With q provi.
sion for final vote after the holiday re-
cess.
Tomorrow the house will take up and
dispose of the army appropriation bill.
The adjournment for the holiday recess
will probably occur Saturday. The talk
of continuing the session without the
customary recess seems to be based on
very slight foundation.
COMMERCIAL WAR WITH GERMANY.
In view of the disinclination OF con.
gress to take up the sugar schedules OF
the tariff act and the consequent i'm
of any action such as was
recommended by the president looking
to the repeal of the duty of one .tenth
Of one cent on sugar produced under the
bounty system, the future action of the
German government ia being awaited
with some apprehension here.
The speech of the German chancellor
In the reichstag, in which he msde
strong point of the discrimination i'm
posed by the United States towards
German sugar, is believed to indicate
strengthening OF the policy which that
government has adopted, directed to the
sxclnsion or severe restriction of
American products sought to be
imported into Germany. At prss-
ant Mr.. Runyon, our ambassador |
to Berlin, is working hard to secure an
amelioration of the stringent order OF
exclusion in the case Of American cattle,
and Secretary Gresham is in almost
daily consultation with the German
here on the came subject. Up
70 this time no appreciable degree OF
,uccess has attended the efforts OF our
government. The character of the
negotiations appears to indicate pur-
pose ON the part Of the German govern
ment to procrastination until congress
iecieively announces its intention in the