Kansas City daily journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1892-1897, 1896-12-21
CONGRESS CAN DO LITTLE MORE
BEFORE THE HOLIDAYS.
CAMERON RESOLUTION TO-DAY
1T MAY BRING ON a CUBAN DISCUS
SION AT ONCE.
Pettigrew's Free Homestead Bill to
He Pressed for Immediate Pass
age-LikeIy to Be No Quo
rum in the House
This Week.

washington, Dec. 2O-The senate will be
in session only two days this week, ana
comparatively little will be accomplished in
this time. Ordinarily, quorum would not
pc present with the holidays SO near, but
interest in the Cuban question will have
the effect of attracting good attendance
tomorrow, when the Cuban resolution, as
agreed to by the committee on foreign re-
lations will be reported to the senate. The
report will be written, and is quite Volum-
inous. Whether its presentation will be
used as a pretext for discussing the Cuban
question at this time is as yet uncertain.
1t is contrary to the policy of the commit
tee on foreign relations to have the matter
discussed previous to the holidays, but it is
possible that some senators not members of
the committee may want to express their
opinions at this time. There is. however,
no probability of any effort to secure action
on the resolutions now.
Senator Pettigrew's free homestead bill is
the unfinished business on the senate cal
endar, and the senator will make strong
effort to secure its passage before the ad-
journment for the holidays on Tuesday. Mr..
Pettigrew feels confident of success by
large majority and says that he will not
require more than an hour to get it through
when consideration is once begun. Senator
Platt and some other Eastern senators are
opposed to the bill.
Senator Gear will make an effort to get
up his bill authorizing the settlement of
the Sioux City and Pacific debt, but his
success in this will depend upon the diSpo-
sition of the free homestead bill.
There is very little probability that there
will be any change in the programme of
congress for an adjournment for the holi-
days on the 22nd inst, because of the
Cameron Cuban resolution, which will be
reported to the senate tomorrow morning.
The rules of the senate provide that in case
of a single objection to the consideration
of a bill or resolution reported, it shall go
over till the next day. Consequently, if an
attempt were made to have the resolution
considered tomorrow, this objection would
be Forthcoming. A great many senators
have made their preparations to leave the
city for the holidays. and it is thought
unlikely that q quorum can be mustered
on Tuesday by which business can be
transacted. and this point would be raised
if the Cameron resolution were brought
forward,
The house will adjourn on Tuesday for
the holiday recess, and as members are
leaving by every train it is very doubtful
whether quorum will be present again
until after the holidays. This being the
CSiSS, Whatever 10 uOIlS Will IlStNe 10 Dt uOLo
practically by unanimous consent. The leg
islative, executive and judicial appropria-
ton bill is still unfinished This bill and
the bill for the maintenance of the military
academy the leaders hope to pass before
the recess. The only thing which may
stand in the way of carrying out this pro-
gramme will be the fight which the library
committee viii wage against the provision
relative to the library in the legislative bill.
The library committee agreed oil bill for
the future government of the library, which
the appropriation committee rejected. They
will seek to have the house adopt this as
an amendment to the legislative bill, but
as a point of order will be made against it,
there seems to be no chance of its adoption
They can then, of course, if they so desire
| retaliate, in case a quorum is not present
and prevent the passage of the bill. The
provision in the bill will retain Mr.. Spof-
| ford as librarian and increase his salary
from 5000 to 5000. Their provision aboI-
| ishes the position of librarian and creates a
director of the library at $1,000.
| Tomorrow, under the rules, is suspension
| day, but 1t is probable that the appropria-
ton bills will consume the session.