New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-04-06
FOR A SHORT SESSION.
BUSINESS IN A FORWARD sTATE-AN IN
EQUALI.ED RECORD OF DIlLGENCE-ONLY
EIGHT WORKING DAYS LOST SINCE
DECEMBER I.
fBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TR1BuNE.I

expressed by many Of the leaders in the House
Of Representatives. Democrats as well as Re-
pLbllcans. who are members of long experience
and men of conservative views. that the session
may. and probably WILL be brought to an end
as early as June l. Some Of them including
Chairman Dingley. of the Ways and Means Com
nittee are willing to hazard the opirion that
the end may be reached as carly as May H.
If the final adjournment should take place on
June |. however ii would break a record whch
has stood since 1890 when the session of the
XXNlst Congress expired on May 81. Oi course
this record does not include the short session
which ends with the expiration OF each Congress
on March J. 1t may be added tina, In 10 Pres'-
Dental year. since 1860 at least, has the ad-
journment of Congress annotated the holding "r
the Republican National Convention. although
the latter has been held earlier than the da'c
fixed for this year Ir 1872 the Republican Ma
tiona Convention was held on June .. and Con-
gress adjourned June 10.
The predictions of an adjournment as early as
June l are Of course mainly based on the pres
emf condition of business. which Is In more Tor
ward state than IL has been at this date IN
many years and also upon the fact that no legis-
lation affecting the revenues finances can
be expected the part of the Senate All OF
the general appropriation bills except four have
bill was recommtted after all the items had
been disposed of except those making appro-
priations in aid Of charitable institutions. the
total amount Of which items does not exceed
500 900: the River and Hlrbor bill has been re-
ported to the House. and may be disposed or
this week: the other two bills will be ready for
consideration soon as that and the DISTRICT
Of Columbia bill are out OF the way, so tha'
It seems probable that the last one VIII nave
passed the House before the end OF April. Ihe
Senate also is making better progress than
usual with the appropriation bills. and 1t does
not now seem likely that it will require an I'M
usually long time TO adjust whatever dinerences
may arise between the Senate and House OF
Representatives in regard to those measures
Four or five other important measures of gen.
eral legislation remain. which. if disposed OF at
this session. will be likely to provoke good deal
of discussion and occupy considerable time
One Of these is bill to refund the Indebtedness
of the Pacific railroads to the United states.
respecting which there wide and radical
differences Of opinion. The friends OF the meas
ure however hope and believe that this subject.
which has been pending SO long. will be disposed
OF in a satisfactory manner at this session. Inc
Nicaragua Canal bill is still pending in the Com
mittee on Interstate and Foreign commerce.
which recently decided to obtain more informa-
ton by means OF hearings pclOic icPOi''''S -
to the House. The subject of bankruptcy legs-
lation is still under consideration in the COM
mittee on the judiciary. The bill to amend the
Customs Administrative law has passed the
House and the prospect of action on II by the
Senate at this session is regarded as somewhat
doubtful one.
OF the thirty-two contested election cases. four
teen have already been disposed OF by the
House. and the committee having II In charse
has decided upon a recommendation III one
more case. Indications are that seven other
cases will be disposed Of. this week. so far as
committee action thereon is concerned It's the
expectation that all the cases Will be disposed
Of by the House before the end OF the session
There has been delay in the disposition OF some
of the cases on account OF the neglect OF the
parties, or their counsel. to furnish the data
necessary to facilitate the work Of the commit
tees which have Jurisdiction Of them, and II
there should happen 10 be failure TO dispose
of any of them the committee could not fairly
be held responsible for II.
While the foregoing survey Of important pend
ing business is by no means complete. 1t Is sum
Gent fairly to show where Congress stands and
TO Justify the hope that the session will not ex-
tend beyond June l. Since that body assembled
four months ago. sittings Of one or both branches
have been held ninety-six different days. or
excluding Sundays ana Mondays, tnere nave peeh
only eight working days on which one or both
branches have not been in session to do busi-
ness This is a record for diligence that mas
never been equalled in a long session OF Congress
Excluding Sundays, and Decoration Day. ana
including June !, there will be forty-eight work
ing days from this date, or exactly one-nalf as
much time as the active days OF the session
have thus far numbered. and 1t is an indubitabie
fact that much more than two-thirds of the work
that can or will be accomplished at the nrst
session Of this Congress has already been done III
the first two-thirds Of the session. and would
have been done, everybody knows, II the
Senate had not refused. point blank, TO consider
the most important measure sent TO IL by the
House OF Representa- tives, and had not supstitut-
ed for the measure next in importance one tna
everybody knew to be not only as Impossible
of enactment it would have been fatal II en-
acted.
II IL should 50 elect, the Senate might pro-
long the session far beyond June ], in fact IN
definitely but no disposition to do 80 has thus
far been evinced. On the contrary a PROPOSE
ton is now pending In that body for an ad-
fournment sine die on May ., which of course
would be impracticabe without neglecting many
important matters that ought TO be disposed or
ct this session. including the contested election
cases AS a rule and naturally. Representatives
are more DESTROYS than Senator'S Tor an carry
adjournment which relieves the former from
some embarrassments that the latter 90 not
feel This IL the year for the election OF new
House of Representatives. and the Congressman
who desires a denomination Is naturally anxious
especially II his political FENCES are In SOME
what shaky condition.. TO go home and personally
look after his interests. II he leaves his post OF
~ duty in Washington. however. his rivals for the
nomins ton are quick to seize upon ana max Len, L
most OF the fact that he H. In MS district cree
Pioneering In his own behalf when ne ought 70
he in Washington attending to the duties winch
ne was elected TO perform
In this respect the lot OF number OF southern
-