The record-union., 1897-12-06
Congress Will Convene at That
Time To-Day.
Leaders and Majority Of Members Of Both
Houses on the Ground.

dent lAcSSAHC OGAO4S AO~SSsA"
ing to Business-The Annexa-
ton Treaty Will Probably bo
Taken UP Early.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 5.-The regular,
Or long session of Congress, as 1t Is
called, because there is no constitution
al limitation upon the period Of its du-
ration, opens at noon tomorrow. The
leaders and a large majority OF the
members Of both houses are here TO
participate in the opening ceremonies
and President Mckinley has made the
Journey to Washington from the bed
side of his dying mother that his ab-
Eence might not delay the national Leg
islature at its assembling. The extra
session robS the opening or the reg
ular session of the excitement ana IN
terest which usually attaches to it. On
the eve of a regular session ordlnar-
sly, Washington thrills with excitement
The hotel lobbieS surge with place
hunters in the wake of the various can
didates for Speaker, Clerk, Doorkeeper,
etc, the members are struggling LOT
committee assignments and the AIR Is
full of rumors and plots and counter
plots. But as the House was COM
pletely organized at the extra session
and all the committee assignments
made then, beyond the natural slim
nlus produced by the returning states
men, the regular hangers on of legisla-
tion and the outlining of schemes by
members of the third house." or lob
by Washington tonight is tranquil.
The programme al 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 chaplain's
invocation, will direct the Clerk to call
the roll.
This having been accomplished, and
The presence Of a quorum demonstrate
ed, the Clerk will be directed to notify
the Senate that the House is ready for
business and a committee will be ap-
pointed to wait on the President. At
ter that there will be a recess to await
4he arrival Of the Presidents annual
nseseage, which will be read upon .ts
reception and be followed by an ad-
,journment until Tuesday.
1t is the intention of the House lead
ers to proceed with the business of the
session as rapidly as possible. The
icommittees VIII begin their labors this
week, and as all of them have more or
less bills on hand, which were intro
duced at the extra session. there will
be no lack of material for the House to
work on after the committee hoppers
have begun to grind. The Appropri-
Rtions Committee has been at work for
ten days and Chairman Cannon ex-
poets to pass at least two Of the reg
ular budgets before the holidays-the
legislative, executive and judicial and
the pension appropriation bills. One or
the other Of these bills, ii is expected,
will be reported on Wednesday. and the
end of the week promises to see the
House down to business. Among the
early general measures to receive con-
sideration Will be the bankruptcy bill.
Whether il will be the Nelson bill.
which passed the Senate at the last
session, or a modification of the Torrey
bill, depends upon the temper Of the
Judiciary Committee, which will sub
init the measure to the House. Be-
yond doubt there VIII be several reso-
buttons OF inquiry during the first week
which may be more or less sensational,
and some of the radical pro-Cuba lead
ers will attempt to get consideration for
a Cuban resolution before the Foreign
Affairs Committee can act. Congress
man Livingston. of Georgia, is one Of
these. But owing to the nature of the
House rules all these hasty efforts will
prove abortive and the measures prob
ably will take their course. There will
be nothing except indisposition on the
part of members to prevent the SEN
ators entering upon their work upon
convening of the Senate tomorrow, as
there Is a calendar already made for Ii
with about 800 bills reported from COM
mittees during the special session If
anv circumstances should prevent the
receipt OF the Presidents message on
Monday. the probabilities are that the
Senate will adjourn over without TAX
ing nm any other business until the
message could be received.
with the message read, ii Will re-
main with the Senate to decide as TO
whether ii shall seriously enter upon
the work OF the session after Monday.
or begin a system of delay intended to
throw all important questions over De
yond the holidays. 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 Administration
and advocates of annexation are very
anxious to secure the earliest poss7o
consideration of the treaty with Ha-
Ma4i. Senator Davis Chairman OF the
Committee on Foreign Relations. an
nounces his purpose of pressing annex
ation at the earliest possible moment.
but II is probable that the matter Will
not be taken up seriously until the
committee can have meeting to decide
on the details of the procedure. The
committee viii be called together on
"Wednesday for this purpose. One point
which the committee will be called upon
90 decide is whether TO proceed to rat
ify the treaty of annexation or to an
mex the islands by resolution The an
nexatsonists have lost some votes dur
ing the vacation, and there is now ap-
prehension that the two-thirds vote
necessary to assure the ratification
cannot be secured.
No satisfactory canvass is possible
until after the Senators arrive, and If
fl is then made manifest that the nee
essary twO-thirds vote cannot be Sc
cured 1t is likely that the proceeding