Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-12-06
Regular Session Expected to
Have Quiet Opening, Today.
Having Been Organized at Special
Session, Is Ready for Business.
Forecast Of the important Work to Be
First Taken Up.

upon the period of it's duration, will
open at noon. tomorrow. The leaders
and large majority of the members
of both houses are here to participate
in the opening ceremonies, and Presi
dent Mckinley has made the journey
from the bedside of his dying mother
that his absence must not delay the
National Legislature at its assembly.
The extra session robs the opening Of
the regular session of the excitement
and the interest which usually attaches
to it.
On the eve of the regular session Or
dinarily Washington is wild with eX-
citement. The hotel lobbys surge with
place hunters in the wake of the vari
Gus candidates for Speaker, clerk. door
keeper etc. the members are strug
Cling for committee assignments, and
the air is full of rumors of plots and
counter-plots. But as the House was
completely organized at the extra ses-
sion and all the committee assignments
We're made then, beyond the natural
stimulus produced by the returning
statesmen, the regular hangers-on of
legislation and the outlining of
schemes by members of the third
house" or lobby, Washington. tonight,
is tranquil.
The programme at the House, to-
morrow, is very simple and beyond the
spectacular show which it offers to the
curious. has in itself little attraction.
The House will be called to order by
the Speaker. who. after the chaplains
invocation. will direct the clerk TO cal!
the roll. This having been accomplish
ed, and the presence of a quorum de-
monstrated, the clerk will be directed
to notify the Senate that the House
is ready for business and a committee
will be appointed to wait on the Pres
dent. After this will he a recess to
await the arrival of the Presidents an
nual message. which will be read upon
its reception. and be followed by an ad-
journment until Tuesday. This is the
regular routine. and unless something
unforeseen occurs will not he departed
from.
1t is the intention of the House leaders
to proceed with the business of the ses-
sion as rapidly as possible. The commit
tee will all begin their laborS. this week
and as all of them have more OF less bills
on hand which were introduced at the
extra session. there will be no lack OF
business for the House to go to work ON
after the committee hOppers have begun
to work.
The appropriation committee has been
at work for 10 days and Chairman Can
non expects to pass at least two of the
regular budgets before the holidays. the
legislative, executive and judicial and the
pension bills. One or the other of these
bills it is expected. will be reported by
Nnln nd nnd Of hn
promises to see the House down to bust
ness.
Among the early general measures to
receive consideration will be the bank
ruptcy bill. Whether it will be the. Mel
son bill. which passed the Senate at the
rey bill. depends on the temper of the
judiciary committee. which will submit
the measure to the House.
Beyond doubt there will be several reso-
buttons of inquiry during the first week,
which may be more or less sensational.
and .,orne of the radical pro-Cuba men,
bers will attempt to get consideration for
a Cuban resolution before the foreign af-
fairs committee can act. Congressman
Livingston of Georgia, is one of these.
But owing to the nature of the House
rules. all these hasty efforts will prove
abortive and they will probably take their
regular course.
There will be nothing except indsposi-
ton upon the part of the members to pre-
cent the Senate entertaining promptly
upon it's work upon converting. tomorrow.
as there is a calendar ready made for it
with about 800 bills reported from COM
mittees during the special session. #
any circumstance should prevent the re-
ceipt of the Presidents message. Mon
day. the probabilities are that the Senate
would adjourn over with without taking
up any other business until the message
could be received.
hn cayo in
for the Senate to decide whether it shall
enter seriously upon the work of the SEES
sion after Monday or. begin Il system of
delay intended to throw all important
questions over beyond the Christmas holi-
days. The Indications are now for a little
more activity than usual during the pre-
holiday session. This is largely due to
the fact that the supporters of the adj
and other advocates of an
neXation are very anxious to secure the
earliest possible consideration of the
treaty with Hawaii.
Senator Davis. chairman of the com
mittee on foreign relations. announces his
purpose of pressing annexation at the
earliest possible moment but it is prob !
able that the matter will be taken up
until the committee can have a !
meeting and decide upon details of pro-
ceedure. The committee will be called to- |
yether, Wednesday. for this purpose.
One point which the committee will be
called upon to decide is whether to pro-
Or to annex the islands by resolution. |
The annexationists have lost some votes
during the vacation and there is now
that the two-thirds vote !
necessary to assure the ratification can
not be secured. No satisfactory canvass
IS possible until all the senators arrive, |
and if it is then made manifest that the |
necessary two-thirds vote cannot be Sc /
sured, it is likely that the proceeding by
means of resolution, which would require !
)nly a majority VOTE will be inaugurated. !
Some members of the foreign relations
committee who favor annexation advo- |
cate this course because they say they |
see no reason for traversing the same |
ground twice. as they would be compelled !
20 do in case the matter should be first I
considered in executive session. fail there |
and then be taken up in the form of a |
resolution in open Senate and House.
The immigration bill. for which Senator
Lodge stands sponsor, is practically at |
he head of the Senate legislative calen-
lar and will be considered early in the /
session. Senator Lodge, today. repeated |
lis intention OF pressing the bill. but he
will not antagonize the Hawaiian treaty
With 1t.
The first bill on the calendar is Senator
Tears measure providing for the adjust
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