The Portland daily press., 1897-02-16
MUST GET THERE EARLY.
If Yeu Would See the Inaugural
Ceremonies.
SEATS WILL COMMAND A VERY
HIGH PREMIUM.

The Expenditures of Present Congress Pill
ing Up in Spite of Efforts to Keep Them
Down.-Failure to Pass Tariff Bill Will
Seriously Embarass Administrations.
Especial TO THE rREss.'
Washington, February 15.-Althongh
the inauguration Is yet more than TWO
weeks away the material preparation for
the event are already beginning to be
visible in Washington. Along Pennsyl-
vania avenue. the great thoroughfare
from the White House to the Capitol
along which SO many great PROFESSIONS
have moved in peace and war, the frame-
work Of n u merous stands are already
rising. ALI the vacant spaces, around
statues and at the corners of intersecting
streets the se stands will be erected. Inc
concession for the stands are sold and ao-
missions are charged. The window
spaces in the houses and hotels are also
reserved, and on the day OF the parade
Will sell at good prices, ranging for 10
or 81 a seas up to many dollars. OF course
the great public will have an excelient
opportunity to see the parade without
purchasing seats. as many Thousands can
find standing room along the avenue and
the adjacent streets over which the pa
rade will have to move. Any who come
with the idea of seeing the inaugural
ceremonies in the Senate chamber and at
the east front of the Capitol should pre-
pare their minds for disappointment. Ii
Senator gets five tickets and member
of the House two tickets to the indoor
proceedings the distribution will have to
be fully as large as the accommodations
will all3w. AS the families of the Ssna-
tors and Representatives are generally
able to take care of this number OF
tickets there is not large supply left for
visitors. Of course the space in front of
the east front of the Capitol is several
acres in extent. but 1t will he crowded
early, and whoever witnesses the oere-
mony from that space will have to be
patient and long g-suffering. Ii it rains
the oath will probably be administered
within the Senate chamber and there will
be no show for those without. At least
this has been the case in some Of the in
augurations of the past.
The probabilities that the expenditures
of this Congress will be large in spite OF
every effort to keep them down, Ia the
cause of not little chagrin among the
leaders Of the House. The pressure upon
this Congress for appropriations of every
kind has been astonishing in its persist
ence and strength. The fact that the
government is likely to run Lehind this
year to the extent Of fifty or sixty
millions of dollars has not made the least
abatement in the demands. The situation
is therefore far from pleasing to the Re-
publican leaders. They believe that
| aariff bill will be passed at the extra
session. But what if it should fail? The
position of the incoming administration
would be very embarrassing. Ihis con-
tingency has caused the Speaker and the
| other leaders to set themselves against
the demands made upon Congress- and to
curb the wishes of the two Houses MS
much as possi BILE. This has made much
| ill-feeling among the members and at
course the rules throw into the hands OF
the Speaker and the chairman OF the
leading committees great power in the
way of checking expenditures. but this
power is always conditioned upon the
necessity that they shell yield enough to
keep a majority of the House in the
right frame of mind. The rules prevent
the increasing of appropriations bill by
| adding items not previously authorized
| by law, but there is never time when
a majority may not override this rule.
And so it is with most OF the other
break waters in the rules of the House.
| Of course in the Senate where the num-
ber of old members is large the necessity
| of self-restraint is better understood, and
| the task of the leaders is easier. But new
| members are not so likely to understand
the necessities aud are reader to join
any effort 20 break over the bounds. Still
the mem bership of this House has been
| very considerate, and in spite of the un-
| expected largeness OF the appropriations
deserve great credit for doing as we'll as
they have done. The House has not been
extra ravagant. 1t simply has not been so
successful as it hoped to be III keeping
down inevitable expenses.
The sundry civil appropriation bill,
which will come up in the House Mon
day and for which an effort may be made
to pass it under suspension the rules
is measure of some local interest for
Portland on account of the large amount
which it carries for the Improvements OF
rivers and harbor The river anu harnor
bill passed at the last session OF this
Congress authorized large amount of
contracts for improvements. Ihess con-
tracts now having been begun, 1t is lett
to the com mmittee on appropriations TO re-
port the appropriations for the contracts
rs they come along. Enough are now
underway to call for an appropriation Oh
about $40, 600, 600 in this Dill. VI ehls
sum s40O, QUO is Tor Portland harbor' ana
i SdDO OIn eox po.L1ond Thare IS no 00u DU