The Portland daily press., 1895-02-25
CONGRESSIONAL FORECAST
A Hitch Liable to Occur on Ap'
preparation Bills.
SENATE WILL INSIST ON HAWAIIAN
sCABLE AMENDMENT

If That Is Refused the Diplomatic Bill
May Be KilIed-Tremendous Pressure
Brought on Speaker Crisp in the House
to Secure a Hearing on Various Bills.
Washington, February 24.-The situation
in the senate today is not more critical
than in the closing days Of the previous
short sessions of Congress. There is time
in which to dispose of all the pending ap-
preparation bills unless deliberate effort
is made to defeat some, but no such contin-
gency is deemed likely to arise. There is
| no time to spare. for the business to be
brought toIw ward during the present week is
of great importance. and is bound to lead
| to debate that may run through the day and
| night until the session ends. Only three OF
| thirteen great appropriation bills have re-
| ceiyed the approval of the Executive. and
six are in con ference. In some or them
| impor tant points of difference between the
two Houses are involved. Chief among them
ia the diplomatic bill, which carries the SEN
ate appropria tion of $50O,000 for the COM
mencement of the work of laying a cable
| between this country and the Hawaiian
Islands. The House refused to agree to this
amendment and the Senate by good
majority directed it's managers to insist up
on it. The Senators say that they are will
ing to permit the whole bill to fail rather
than allow this amendment to be stricken
out.
Mr.. Blackburn ole of the Senate con-
ferees, is authority for the statement that
the President would veto the measure if
this provision is left in the bill.
The Indian appropriation bill which went
TO conference yesterday. will be matter
hard to manage, for the Senate has en-
grated much new legislation upon it. -Four
appr op1lation bills remain TO be acted upon,
the sundry civil bill having been made un-
finished business for tomorrow morning.
The amendment to the sundry civil bill Ie-
ported by the appropriations committee for
The issue of treasury certificates TO meet the
current expenses of the treasury Will be
antagonized by the silver men.
Mr.. Mills proposed an amendment repeal
ing the authority for the issue of bonds in
the future, and it will be strongly opposed
by those who look upon the authority found
in the resumption act the only barrier
between the treasury and silver basis. The
sundry civil bill carries the Senate amend
ment appropriation of nearly five million
dollars for the ayment of the sugar bounty
earned prior to the passage Of the new tariff
law.
This one item. it is thought, will furnish
a serious stumbling block for the difference
committee. and the next bills in order will
be the executive and naval appropriation
bills. The friends of the navy will endeavor
to see to it, that the three battleships per-
mitted to remain in the bill by the House,
are not disturbed. The majority of
the Senate appropriations committee are
said to be against the construction of the
| three batlleships. and they may make re-
port to the Senate reducing the number
and thus precipitate fight. The advocates
| of the battleships will have the unanimous
| support of the Senate naval committee,
which endorses the bill as it passed the
| House.
| Night sessions will be ordered this week,
and the Senate will begin Tuesday, when
the unobjected bills on the calendar will be
| taken up for action. There is proba bility
that Saturday, March 2, that Senate may
remain in session all night, taking recess
| for few hours only y>uuring the middle of
the day Sunday. No programme is arranged
for the last weeks business of the session
| in the House, and none can be outlined in
| advance.
| The general deficiency appropriations is
still undisposed of and the manager of
| that measure. Mr.. Breckinridge of Ken
tucky will doubtless contest with the chair
man, the head of the committee. on affairs
of the District of Columbia for the right of
| way tomorrow. Under the rules of the
House the district committee is entitled to
the day. but the exigencies of the session
will probably induce the House to proceed
with the deficiency bill, yielding TO the dis
tIict another day. if it is SO desired
Beginning Tuesday, it will be in order in
the House to move the suspension of the
rules and the passage hereunder of any
bill on the calendar at any time until the
expiration of the session. The rule can only
De made effective by the cooperation of the
Speaker, whose acquesence must be secure d
| before member can be certain of getting
recognition. So far, Speaker Crisp appears
to have made no promises in this regard.
Tremendous pressure is being brought
| 10 bear upon the Speaker and committee on
rules for orders to permit the consideration
of the special measures, but no agreement
has been made respecting these. The indi-
cations are that with the exception of some
| private bills, for which cOnsid GRAFTON may
be had by unanimous consent. no further
| legislation will be accomplished this session
save the appropriation bills. Nearly all of
these are now or will be in the course of
the week. in conference. and the considera-
ton of the Republicans upon these will
occupy greater portion of the week.
TILE M;EDTllED