The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-12-17
THIS WEEK IN CONGRESS.
The Nicaragua Canal Bill the Un-
finished Business.

AAMA1uAW Uu1AHL11s
Senator Morgan Working to Secure q
Vote on It This Week - The Bank
ruptoy Bill to Be Given the Rieht-of-
WY Next-Two Statues to Be Pre-
sented on Thursday Appropriation
Bills and the Currency to Occupy the
Time of the House.
Washington, Dec. 16-The Nicaragua
canal bill holds its place as the unfinished
business on the Senate calendar. Mr.. Mor-
gan said yesterday that he intended II pos
sihle to have tho final vote taken before
the holiday recess comes on, and II he suc@
ceeds in this the vote will necessarily havs
TO be taken this week. II this important
bill should be disposed OF before the hoii<
day recess. the bankruptcy bill will probs
ably be given the right of way, until tho
appropriation bill begins to come owed
from the House. The prompt considera-
ton of these bills will not be interfered
with by the republicans. who assume the
attitude of favoring their early consideraS
tion, but permitting no serious discussiou
OF any Of the other subjects that have been
indorsed by the democratic caucus sava
perhaps the Nicaragua canal bill.
The routine proceedings OF the week villa
be broken on Thursday by the ceremonies
attending tho presentation to the United
States by the state of New Hampshire %
tho statues Of it's two distinguished elite
zens. Daniel Webster and John storks
both Of which will on that day be un~
yelled in Statuary hall. Mr.. Hoar will dee
liver a speech on this occasion and otheu
members from New England will also parS
ticipate.
The appropriations and the currency
promise to exhaust what time remains
to the House prior to the holiday recess.
Mr.. Heard. DEM, of Missouri, chairman
OF the committee on affairs Of the Districu
Of Columbia, desires to have business re-
ported from his committee considered to.
morrow, on the ground that the district
lost so many days last session which
were really due to Il under the rules, and
that another day will be lost by the holl-
day recess.
But Mr.. Outhwaite, chairman Of the
| committee on military affairs, will demand
consideration Of the army appropriation
bill, which will shut out the district COM
mittee. There are several propositions
Of new legislation in the army bill which
| will probe NV draw out considerable dis
cussion. Two OF these provide for a re-
| duction of the number of majors In the
pay department from Is to 90 and of tho
number Of captains in the subsistence de-
partment from u TO s. Both these changes
were strongly urged by Secretary Lamont
In his annual report. The cost OF pay
ing the troops in the last fiscal year was
2la per cent. OF the amount disbursed,
and In this connection the secretary said:
Already a number of posts are paid by
check, and with the mail, express and
banking facilities Of the present day and
the proximity Of troops to towns and
Cities this plan could well be extended to
cover the entire service, the actual dis
tributon Of the funds being devolved on
the commandants OF the garrisons and
their subordinates." The Secretary OF
War recommended consolidation Of the
quartermaster's subsistence and pay de-
partments Of the army into one bureau
and IL that scheme were carried out 10
would make quite reduction in the num-
ber Of officers in those three departments.
The committee on military affairs, ow-
ing TO the brief time allowed for invests
cation, did not deem It advisable to at
tempt TO follow that suggestion to its full
extent.
A third proposition is the transfer OF tha
military prison at Fort Leavenworth,
kdS.s 10 the control OF the department or
Justice for the Incarceration of federal
prisoners. The prison can accommodate
$50 convicts and is said to be in excellent
condition. Most Of the military prisoners
could be confined at the large military
posts, and the saving of expense to the
government by the proposed transfer
would be large, on account of both classes
of prisoners. Notwithstanding this un-
usual provocation to debate, however, It
is believed that the bill can be disposed OF
at one sitting of the House.
The military bill out oS the way II Is
expected that the rest of the week will be
devoted to discussion of the bill to pro-
vide a new system Of currency, to be re-
ported by the committee on banking and
currency The desire Of the advocates Of
the measure is to bring the bill to vote
this week, and it is believed the man
ayers of the House are inclined to aid
them in reaching that contamination OF
their work. There will be, il is an
nounced, opposition to the adoption of a
rule closing debate this week, but IL is
understood that the influence Of the adj
ministration will be exerted to this end,
and the apparent probabilities are that
rule to that effect will be adopted II re-
ported
1t was announced Saturday that an un-
derstanding had been reached by the Lead
ers of the two house of congress, that the
holiday recess should begin with the adj
journment on Friday next and expire
Thursday, Jan. g.
A DRIVING CLUB HARD UP.