The evening tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 189?-190?, 1896-12-07
CONGRESS
In SESSION.
Nations Lawmakers Begin
to Labor This Noon for
the Public Good.
Appropriation Bills to Have First
Consideration of Both
Branches.
THE PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.
Speaker Read Called the House to Order
Promptly at the Stroke of IL, and at
Once Proceeded to Business.
THE PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.

Washington, Dec. THAT a new ses
sion of congress was on today was ap-
parent in this city, and especially at the
Capitol building, where senators and
representatives, re-enforced by the at
taches and lookers-on of congress, were
drifting into the lobbies, greeting one
another like schoolboys, after a vacation,
with much handshaking, "reminiscences
of the campaign and many explanations
OF how their reflections or defeats had
been brought about.
There was comparatively small inter
est in the work of the coming session it
self, apart from the presidents mes
sage, but clouds of speculation were
afloat. dealing with the policies of the
new administration TO be inauguroted
March 4, and with the personnel of the
cabinet. 1t was generally conceded that
the Republican program was to ignore
the Dfngley tariff bill and to summon
an extra session of the Fifty-fifth con-
gress for March Is. for the purpose of
passing a new tariff measure. so these
features of the situation, which have
absorbed the attention of the politicians
recently, had ceased to be of interest
Interest in the affairs of the Hawaiian
republic has been rekindled by the din
ner which was given Saturday night by
ex-Secretary of State John w. Foster
to Mr.. Hanna. The guests. who num-
bered a dozen, included the Hawaiian
minister of foreign affairs, Mr.. Cooper.
who Is In the city; Minister Hatch and
Secretary Hastings Of the Hawaiian le-'
cation, and a half dozen members of the
senate committee on foreign relations,
among them Senator'S Morgan, Hale and
Lodge, who are advocates of annexation.
1t Is believed that the movement for
annexation Is to be brought forward
again with the advent Of the next ad-
ministration, and ii is likely to be one of
the leading questions with which Presi-
dent Mckinley and the Fifty fifth con-
gress will have to deal.
Speaker Reed called the house to order
promptly at the stroke of II, and at once
proceeded to business, the usual commit
tees of notification being appointed.
The presidents message was the one
thing of interest, and when 1t had been
read and listened TO with an interest that
is unusual adjournment was taken.
Vice President Stevenson promptly
called the senate to order at noon. I'M
mediately after the opening prayer COM
fiulIcEo WcIt dHDOiHtcu W Dotlly tHe
president and the house of representa-
tives that the senate was organized and
ready to receive communications and
proceed with business. The senate then
took a recess until the message Of presi
dent was received. Immediately follow.
ing the reading, which was given the
closest attention. adjournment was
taken
The senate calendar presents a wide
range of material for cons 'derat.on in
case a disposition is shown to be busy
1t includes the immigration bill, which
is the unfinished business:" the Pacific
railroad refunding bills, the statehood
bills and the Dingley trlff and bond
bills, as well as the Cuban and Hawaiian
questions.
Senators Lodge and Chandler have an.
nounced their dete' .aination to press
the immigration bill. to vote as speedily
as they can. IT will be the first regular
business to be taken UP, and cannot be
displaced except by vote or unanimous
consent. They hope to get the bill
through before the holidays. 1t is also
possible that the presidents message
may suggest subjects for speeches, and
there are those who predict that the
Cuban question will receive vigorous at
tention from the beginning Of the ses.
sion.
The full text of President Clevcland's