The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-01-01
THIS WEEK IN CONGRESS-.
The Two Houses to Meet Wednesday,
But the Senate TO Do Little.

Lack of q Quorum Among the Proba-
bilities ofthe Upper House-A Total
of 1o4 Bills on Its CaIendar-The Bill
to Repeal the Federal Elections
Laws the Most Important - The
Tariff Bill to Be Taken Up in the
House-The Republicans to Push the
Hawaiian Matter.
Washington, Dec. 31.-In accordance
with its resolution of adjournment con-
gress will reconvene on Wednesday of the
present week. 1t is not probable that the
Senate will really get down to close busi-
ness application during the week, and
some of the most experienced observers
of the course of the Senate under circum-
stances similar to those which will sur
round that body when it shall reconvene,
predict that there will not be a quorum
during any part of the present week,
and that, therefore, no important business
will be undertaken until Monday, Jan. g.
Several senators will be absent in atten-
dance upon Senator Faulkner's wedding,
and many will not return from their
homes, or from other places to which they
have gone for the holidays, until the first
of next week.
Senators generally feel that there is
little that the Senate can do in the way
of promoting legislation until the House
shall act upon some of the measures be-
fore it.
BILLS ON THE CALENDAR.
The Senate calendar contains 104 re-
ported measures, but there are less than
half dozen of these that will require
any great amount of time for considera-
tion. There are a number of claims bills,
of which the McGarrahan and the Wood
bridge are the most prominent, which will
in all probability be disposed of at an
early date, but whether this week or
next or later still will depend altogether
upon circumstances.
The most important bill on the calendar
is the federal elections bills and it is pos
sible that it may be taken up for speech
making during the week, though it is not
likely that there will be an effort to pass
the bill during the week.
The bill increasing the bank circulation
to the full amount of bonds deposited, is
also still before the Senate, or in condi-
tion to be taken up at any time.
THE HAWAIIAN MUDDLE.
The Senate is not likely to discuss the
Hawaiian question again while the
foreign relations committees investiga-
tion is incomplete so that that subject
bids fair to remain in allegiance for some
weeks unless there should be unexpected
developments. The outlook for legisla-
tion in the Senate is not, therefore, very
good either for the present week Or for
the immediate future. The Senate will
do comparatively little until the House
sends the tariff and appropriation bills
over.
IN THE HOUSE.
The programme in the House for the
coming week has not been definitely ar
ranged, but it is probable that the tariff
and Hawaiian questions will both figure
The tariff debate will begin as soon as the
House reconvenes on Wednesday. The
democratic members of the ways and
means committee have not yet decided
the question of the limit which
will be set upon the debate,
but the democratic leaders seem
to believe that it ought not to run more
than two weeks, four days for general
debate and ten days for open debate un-
der the five minute rule. Whether Mr.
Wilson, who is to open the debate, can
speak on Wednesday will depend upon
whether the republicans insist upon the
full reading of the bill before the debate
begins Inasmuch as the formal reading
of the bill was dispensed with when the
Mckinley bill was considered, the demo-
Gratis do not believe that objection to dis
pensing with the reading of the Wilson
bill will be interposed by the republicans.
In that case Mr.. Wilson's opening speech
will be heard on Wednesday, followed by
that of Mr.. Burrows, who will reply to
MIR. Wilson's argument for the bill.
THE REPUBLICANS TO PUSH HAWAII.
At the very outset of the tariff debate,
however, it will be antagonized by the re-
publicans, who will come forward with
the Hawaiian matter.
Mr.. Boutelle, of Maine, served notice
that as soon as congress reconvened he
would call up the resolution which
he introduced and which he main
tanned was of privileged character.
THE QUESTION OF PRIVILEGE.
The question as to its privileged nature
was held in allegiance by the speaker, to
be decided when it came up formally be-
fore the House. In order to prevent en-
barrassment on this point it has practi-
cally been decided by the democratic
leaders to allow the Hawaiian
matter to be brought up in the
shape of the McCreary substitute
for the Hit resolution on Friday and to
give that day, and the next, Saturday,
for its consideration. Whether the Nc
Greary substitute, which condemns ex-
Minister Stevens, will be passed or not is
doubtful, the purpose at this time being
only to give both sides an opportunity TO
ventilate their views in order to get the
question temporarily out of the way so
that the tariff debate can proceed unin-
terruptedly.
1t is not probable that any attempt will
be made at the outset to set limit to the
tariff debate 1t will be allowed to run
two days perhaps, and then if the repub-
licans decline to acquiesce in the demo-
cratic plan a special order, fixing the
limit of the debate, will be brought in
from the committee on rules.
for the relief of the treasury may upset
present prospects in the House for the
present week. The surplus is at its low
est ebb, and some proposition for the re-
pletion of the national eXchequer may be
brought forward.
TrJnrEy OF THE SEgSTON