The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1896-06-08
THE LAST DAYSOF CONGRESS
House Members Anxious to Adjourn
This Week.
BUT SENATORS MAY PREVENT 1T
The Inability of the Two Houses to Com
promise on Important Measures May
Prolong the Session Until After the
National Party Conventions.

WASHINGTON, June s-The house man.
ayers have parliamentary machinery in
operation which will enable them to Sc.
cure prompt action on every proposition
submitted by the conferrees on the five re.
naming appropriation bills looking to an
adjustment of the differences between the
two houses. Instead Of ndiourning Satur.
day night the house took a recess until 1C
o'clock this morning. That action con.
tinues the legislative day Of Saturday
which, by special order adopted on Fri.
day, was made a suspension day and will
enable the house to vote on any proposition
after twenty minutes debate The differ.
ences between the two houses on the fou1
supply bills (the sundry civil, naval In
dian and District of Columbia) are radical,
but by mutual concessions the house lead.
ers believe the differences can be adjusted
so as to permit an adjournment tomorrow
or Wednesday,
In the sundry civil bill the house has
thus far persistently refused to accept the
amendments for public buildings at the
capitals of Utah, Idaho, Wyoming and
Montana and the additions for the public
buildings at Kansas City, Savannah and
Camdon, n. j. In the naval bill the house
has remained equally firm in its insistence
on four battleships and 1925 per ton as the
maximum cost of armor plate. To both of
these items the senate has declined to
agree, and on Saturday refused a compro-
mise. The senate insists on two battle
ships and reduction of the co st Of armor
plate to 1920 per ton.
In the Indian bill, which has no less than
four times voted for the immediate termi-
nation of appropriations for scctarian
Indian schools asagainst the senate's propo-
sition to allow them to run until 1898 the
house declined to accept rs a compromise
their termination in 1897. This same quas-
ton figures in the differences between the
two houses on the items in the District OF
Columbia bill relating to sectarian chari-
ties. Another troublesome question in the
Indian bill is the appropriation for the
payment Of the attorneys for the old set
tiers association. The senate declined
compromise on this question which would
postpone the payment Of these claims until
further legislative action was had at the
next session. On the question of sectarian
schools it does not seem probable that the
house can be induced to yield The prob.
abilities are that the other items viii be
compromised, saving and excepting the
bill, which it seems likely the senate will
eventually abandon.
The main difficulty in the way of an ad.
iournment by the middle Of the week seems
to lie at the senate end Of the Capitol.
where n single senator can Ohstruct mat.
ters if he chooses until the quorum fails,
when all chance of sine die adjourn,
ment before the st. Louis convention will
disappear. An intense desire of members
at both ends of the Capitol to get away.
however, will do much toward inducing
those who are disposed TO raise factious
opposition to yield their individual desires
to accomplish this result
1t is possible that if Senator HaTis and
Others who are represented as strenUOusly
insisting on the restoration of the south.
ern war claims in the new general def
cheney bill should carry their obstructive
tactics too far the leaders at both ends OF
the Capitol might decide to allow the def,
cheney bill to fail altogether 10 bring about
the coveted adjournment While the fail.
ure of this bill might embarrass the gov
ernment ~ would not stop any Of the gov
ernment machinery. The old bill was vc-
toed by the president on Saturday on ac.
count of the allowance of 81 O273l4O9 for
the French spOliatien claims and Sl74..
445.75 to Charles Chonteau on account of
claims arising out of the construction of
the irOnclad steam battery Elijah. The
veto was sustained by the house. and the
new general deficiency bill quickly framed
and passed with these items omitted.
Senator Harris makes no secret of his
intention to demand the restoration OF
these items to the bill, and says that he
will not consent TO its passage without
them except upon an aye and nay vote. If
he insists upon this a voting quorum will
be necessary Several senator's have an
nOunced their intention Of leaving the
city early in the week, and many others
will depart about the middle Of the week
for st, Louis. Under these circumstances
it is possible that adjournment may be
postponed until after the Republican
convention though there win be a very
general effort to prevent this.
If congress adjourns this week it will be
the shortest so called long session since
that OF the Thirty-hfth congress and one
of the shortest in the history Of the gov.
erument. This record is probably partly
due to the political difference between the
senate, house and president which have
forestalled agreements on many lines OF
legislation, and partly to the determine.
ton with which the Republican leaders in
the house have carried into effect Speaker
Reeds caucus prediction that the con.
gress would be a do nothing assemblage
There We're no conferences at tho Cap
itol yesterday on the different appropria-
ton bills in disagreement between the
two houses II appears to be only ques.
ton of which house will recede from the
position it has taken Never in the history
of the oldest mpm her. of conurass has