Omaha daily bee., 1897-02-22
SESSION HAS TEN MORE DAYS
0lamor for Passage of Pet Measures Will Be
Unusually Keen.
EFFORTS TO KEEP DOWN APPROPRIATIONS
Speaker Reed and House Managers
VIII Fight All Increases Made by
the Senate business for
wnshington's birthday.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 21.-Congress ad-
%journs sine die a week from Thursday, and
the rush and jostling which mark the clos
ing days OF d session will begin tomorrow.
Washington's birthday will be celebrated by
hard work. Members with pet measures.
the passage of which have more or less bear
ing on their political fortunes, will begin
their clamor for recognition, but they will
appeal in vain as long as appropriation bills
and conference reports are before the house
for action, as these, by the rules, have the
right OF way. Besides, the house managers
are anxious to put through with the least
possible delay the last two budgets, so that
the decks may be cleared for the final strug-
gle with the senate, over the ~latter's amend
ments to the money bills. Speaker Reed
and the house managers are using all their
power and influence to keep down the appro-
p~riations to the owest limit, as they al
ready promise to exceed these of the Fifty
first congress. and the increases which the
senate makes will be bought to the bitter
end. The influence of this purpose to keep
down appropriations to the minimum was
apparent yesterday, when the naval commit
tee, after agreeing to an appro-
p~riation for a new battleship and a training
ship for the Annapolis cadets, upon con-
sultation with the leaders, rescinded its ac-
ton and decided to report the bill without
any recommendation for an increase Of the
new navy. TIL general deficiency bill
which has been under consideration for two
days in the house, will probably be com
pleted tomorrow. An EFFORT will be made
to strike out the appropriation Of 81 $40, O0C
FOR the Southern Pacific, being the amount
withheld by the government, pending a deter.
mination OF the liability OF that road to the
Union and Central roads. 1t probably will
fail, however. The naval appropriation bill
VIII follow. Owing to the controversy over
the price to be paid for armor plate and the
numerous accidents to the vessels of the new
navy, this bill may lead to protracted dis.
%cussion, but IL 1t hangs fire until Friday II
can be put through under suspension of the
rules, as the last six days of the session are
suspension days.
Conference reports will probably begin tc
appear with a rush before the middle of the
week and be sandwiched in at every snare
moment. 1t is likely that before the week
IS over the house will find the pressure fol
time so great that night sessions will BE-
entered upon, and the daily sessions may alsc
be extended at the other end by fixing ar
earlier hour for meeting.
Two contested election cases remain undis.
posed of. and as these are matters of tho
highest privilege, all else must give way
II their consideration is insisted upon. But
as both of them are unanimous reports tht
committees resolution being for the sitting
MEMBER In the WatSon-Black case and the
Benoit-Boatner), they should not require
much time for discussion. The only meas.
ure of considerable further Importance which
seems to have a chance of running the
gauntlet during the closing days is the sen,
ate joint resolution for an international mon
etary conference looking to the adoption o.
International bimetallism. The resolution
was unanimously reported to the house yes
terday and its friends are very anxious Il
have 1t passed. Speaker Reed is said to be
friendly to 1t, and a special order may b.
brought in for its consideration during the
week. Little time, however, will be allowed
to debate, as the house has no time now tt
waste in a long financial debate over a reso
luton, the purpose and scope of which are
well understood.