The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1895-12-23
ION TO WASHINGTON. !"
Santa Claus Must Go For States
mems Stockings.
CONGRESS- MOST UNUSUAL HOLI-
DAY PROGRAM.

The Plan OF Action-The Ways and Means
Committee VIII Get to Work at Once
Gossip of the Measures of Relief That
Will Be Reported-What the Senate
Will
/. Washington, December 22.-For the
first time since the short session of the
47th Congress in the winter Of 1923,
Congress will enter the holiday week to-
morrow with the intention of sitting
through the season usually devoted to re-
| cess.
The occasion for this unusual zeal and
devotion to public service was President
Cleveland's message of Friday, which
asked Congress not to take the usual
year, but to remain and provide the
legislation necessary to relieve the 6nan-
cial situation of the government The
House will enter upon this work prompt
ly tomorrow through it's committees an
nounced Saturday.
The ways and means committee will
meet at II O'Clock and will prooeed
rapidly as may be, with the consideration
and preparation of bill or bills to meet
the condition which confronts it. In the
measure of relief it is expected the COM
mittee will propose will include, either
in one bill or several, as may be deemed
most expedient brief amendments to the
tariff law, not involving general tariff
revision. Such amendments to expire, at
the end of thirty months. Also,
authority to the Secretary of the Treasury
to issue three per cent bond as a popular
loan, to maintain the gold reserve and
for no other purpose, with proviso that
the redeemed greenbacks shall not be
usedtO meet current expenses but be re :
tained Gs long as is necessary as part of
the redemption fund.
Also authority to issue to national
banks circulating notes up to par and
bonds deposited as security therefor and
reduce the tax on national bank circula-
ton.
Gates of Indebtedness to meet any TEN po-
rary deficiency.
1t is estimated that the proposed tariff
| changes will add from $50, COO. 900 to S35, :
000, 600 to the income Of the government.
| Although there is some criticism of this
scheme from the Republican side of the
chamber, the proposition will receive the
united support Of a majority. One
| suggestion was the Reed substitute for
the issne Ct gold bonds, made in the last
Congress, when financial scheDles were
being considered, should be reported and
passed.
While it is not probable that the COM
mittee will be ready to report to the
House before Wednesday or Thursday, at
bo d;o,1
for more than day or two at a time un-
til the proposed relief is enacted. Should
this be, accomplished this week, the
House will probably indulge in three
day recesses over the new year holidays.
In the meantime the committee on bank
ing and currency will be at work on a
bill to remodel the financial system of
the country in the hope it will be ready
for report to the House, when business is
regularly resumd in January.
Although the Senate will be nominally
in session this week, is 1t believed it
at no time have qourum
present A financial debate may be
precipitated in Tuesday, if Mr.. Vest
presses his resolution for which he asked
immediate consideration Saturday. This
resolution directs the Secretary of the
Treasury to coin the silver bullion in the
treasury, and apply silver dollars so
coined to the redemption of treasury
notes, issued in payment for bullion un-
der the Sherman act.
If the Senate should be in humor to
permit the resolution to come to a vote,
| it will surely pass, for the silver men are
| in the majority by at least dozen, and
| possibly fourteen votes.
The resolution of Mr.. Butler, Populist
of North Carolina, directing the Secretary
of the Treasury to meet obligations of the
government with silver whenever that
money is of less value than gold, is on
the table, and may be made the subject
of speech at any time
| 1t is likely that the Senate will meet
only at intervals for as all legislation re-
lating to finance and revenue must origi-
nate in the House, and until some meas
IRE is sent over from the House, there
will be little occasion for the Senate to
remain in session. Now that holiday
recesses has fallen through, the Republi-
caus may urge the Democrats to at once
| fill the committee list, but there is little
probability of this being done until the
new year is inaugurated. The coming
week in the Senate promises to be unpro-
ductive unless the unexpected happens.