The Saint Paul globe., 1896-11-30
CONGRESS NEED NOT BE IDLE
WHEN 1T MEETS NEXT
WEEK.
TARIFF HAS FIRST PLACE.
NEXT COMES LEGISLATION FOR
FUNDING THE PACIFIC RAIL-
WAY DEBT.
THE NICARAGUA SCHEME BoBs UP.
Friends of the Canal VIII Again
Seek Government Aid-Other
Important Bills.


not probable that the house at
the coming session of congress, which
begins a week from tomorrow, can
dispose of much of the proposed legis-
lation which encumbers its calendars.
Little is actually accomplished at the
short session beyond the passage of the
regular supply bills. Still, the house
with it's instrumentalities for the ex-
pedition of business can accomplish a
great deal in a brief time. The qestion
of legislation for additional revenues
for the government will depend on the
senate, to which body the house sent
the Dingley bill almost year ago.
Should it be impossible or deemed mex
pedient to press that measure through
the senate, there is, of course, a possi-
bility that the proposal to increase the
revenues by an additional tax on beer,
or the imposition of a duty on tea, cof-
fee, etc., may take tangible form, and
if so, such legislation must originate,
under the constitution, in the lower
branch Of congress.
There are on the several calendars
of the house 1,465 bills reported from
the various committees, and the pro-
session must be necessarily almost in
fnitesimal. The powers lodged in the
hands of the committee on rules, which
give the members of that committee
control of the house programme, will
make that committee the practical ar
bitter of what shall be submitted to the
house for it's action. That committee
is composed as at present constituted,
Of the speaker, Mr.. Henderson, of
Iowa; Mr. Dalzell, Of Pennsylvania,
and Mr.. McMillin, of. Tennessee. The
death Of ex-Speaker Crisp creates a
vacancy at the head of the minority of
the committee, which must be filled
by the speaker. The names principally
mentioned in connection with the va
cancy are Mr.. Bailey, of Texas; Mr..
Catchings, of Mississippi; Mr.. Turner,
Of Georgia; Mr.. Richardson, of Tennes-
see and Mr.. Dockery, of Missouri.
PACIFIC FUNDING.
The bill which in many respects Is
fraught this time with most interest
and which will press hardest for con-
sideration, is the Pacific railroad fund
ing bill. The bonds guaranteed by the
government are payable early in the
coming year, and ether an extension
or foreclosure stares the roads in the
face. For eight years funding bills
have occupied a good share of the at
tention of congress. The present bill
ofswhich Mr.. Powers, Of Virginia, is
the author, was reported shortly be-
fore the close of the last session
Everything will be done by those inter
ested in it to secure consideration.
The friends Of the Nicaragua canal
are also bending every energy to Sc
cure action on the bill reported by Mr.
Doolittle, which provides for a guaran-
tee by the United States of 100000, 00C
of bonds for the construction of the
canal.
The war claims committee, which
showed fight on several occasions al
the last session, promises to renew
their aggressiveneSs this winter, espe-
cially for the passage of the claims
awarded under the Bowman act and
the French spoliation claims. These
claims, the former amounting to $685.
459, and the latter to $2,70S,196, were
put on the sundry civil bill at the last
session as a rider by the senate, but
the bill was vetoed by the president
and they were then dropped.
Mr.. Mahon, who is chairman Of the
war claims committee, will also press
the Pennsylvania border claims, which
have been pending in congress for
years
The Loud bill, to cure the abuses o1
the law relating to second mail
matter, of which newspaper matter is
transmitted at one cent per pound
and which has been. the subject OF
much criticism by the postoffice de-
partment because of the advantage
taken Of the law in various ways fo1
the transmission of books and pamph-
let's, will also be pressed, as will the
Picker service pension bill, which oc-
cUpies a favorable position on the cal
endar as a privileged report Among
the other bills are the Wadsworth bill
for the creation of bureau of animal
industry, for the inspection of mea,
and the regulation of the transporta-
ton of live stock; the immigration bill
the Chickering bill for ascertaining the
feasibility and cost of ship canal
from the great lakes to the Hudson
several important land bills; the bills
for the admission Of the territories and
many others of special interest to par
ticular localities. There are also sew.
eral important measures in the senate
which might come over to the house
for consideration.