Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1895-02-25
NO Time TO SPARE.
Ten Great Appropriation Bills
Still Before Congress.
Items in Each That May Prevent
Passage This Session.
Six OF the Ten Bills Still Hanging in the
Hands Of Congress.

Washington, Feb 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 a deliberate effort
is made to defeat some No contingency
is deemed likely to arise There is nc
time to spare, for the business to be
brought forward, during the present week
is of great Importance and bound TO lead
to debate that may run through day and
night until the session ends Only three
of the ID great appropriation bills have
received the approval of the Executive.
Six are in conference and in some of them
radical points of difference between the
two houses are involved.
The chief among them is the diplomatic
bill, which carries the Senate appropria-
ton of $500, 600 for the commencement OF
the work of laying cable between this
country and the Hawaiian Islands. The
House refused to agree to this amendment.
The Senate by good majority directed
it's managers to insist upon it. The sena-
tors say they are willing to permit the
whole bill to fail, rather than allow the
amendment to be stricken out. Mr.. Black
burn, one of the Senate conferees, is au-
thority for the statement that the Presi-
dent would veto the measure if this pro-
vision is left in the bill.
The Indian appropriation bill, which
went to a conference, yesterday, will be a
matter hard to manage, for the Senate has
engrafted much new legislation upon it.
Four appropriation bills remain to be
acted upon, the sundry civil bill having
been made unfinished business for tomor-
row morning. The amendment to the
sundry civil bill reported by the appro-
priations committee providing for an is
sue of treasury certificates to meet the cur
rent expenses of the treasury will be an
tagonized by the silver men.
Mr.. Mills proposed amendment, re-
pealing the authority for the issue of
bonds in the future, will be strongly OPP
posed by those who look upon the author
ity found in the resumption act as the
only barrier between the treasury and a
silver basis. The sundry civil bill carries
the Senate amendment appropriating
nearly So, 900, 900 for the payment of the
sugar bounty earned prior to the passage
of the new tariff law. This one item, it
is thought, will furnish serious STUN
bling block for the conference committee
The next bills in order will be the exc
cutive and legislative and naval appropria-
ton bills. Friends of the navy will en-
deavor to see to it that the three battle
ships, permitted to remain in the bill by
the House, are not disturbed. The ma
jority of the Senate appropriations COM
mittee are said to be against the construc-
ton of the three battleships and they may
make a report to the Senate reducing the
number and thus precipitate a fight
The advocates of the battleships will have
the unanimous support of the Senate
naval committee, which endorsed the bill
rs it passed the House.
Night sessions will be ordered this week.
The Senate will begin, Tuesday, when I'M
objected bills ON the calendar will be
taken up for action. There is proba-
hility that Saturday, March 2, the Senate
my remain in session all night taking a
recess for few hours only during the
middle of the day, Sunday.
No programme has been arranged for
the last weeks business of the session in
the House, end none can be outlined in
advance. The general deficiency appropria-
ton is still undisposed Of and the man
ager of that measure, Mr.. Breckenridge
of Kentucky, will doubtless contest with
Chairman Heard of the committee on
affairs of the District of Columbia, for
the right of way, tomorrow. Under the
rule 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 District another day, if it
is desired
Beginning Tuesday it will be in order
in the House to move suspension of the
rules and the passage Hereunder of any
bill in the calendar at any time until the
expiration of the session. The rule can
only be made effective by the cooperation
of the Speaker whose acquiescence must
be secured 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 to bear upon the Speaker
and the committee ON rules for orders to
permit the consideration of special meas
ures, but no agreement has been entered
into respecting these.
The indications are, that with the ex-
ception OF some private bills for which
consideration may be had by unanimous
consent, no further legislation will be
accomplished this session, save the appro-
priation bills. Nearly all these are now,
or will be in the course of the week, in
conference, and the consideration of the
reports upon these will occupy the greater