Omaha daily bee., 1897-01-04
TREMBLING In THE BALANCE
Fate of the Bill for Funding Debts of
Pacific Roads.
LIVELY DEBATE LOOKED FOR SOON
Friends and Foes of the Measure to
Lock Horns in the House
Senate May Postpone
Action.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 3.--The house will
get down to serious business as soon as 1t
reassembles after the holiday recess on Tues
day. Probably the two most important pieces
of general legislation to be acted upon at
the short session have been made special
orders, and will consume the entire week
They are the Loud bill to amend the laws
relating to second-class mail matter so as to
prevent the shipment of books and serial pub
licat!ons in connection with newspapers at
the cent per pound rate, and to cut off the
newspapers sample copy privilege and the
bill prepared by the Pacific railroads to eN-
tend their payments for fifty years at per
cent The funding bill has already been de-
bated one day, and under the orGer adopted
the debate will continue Tuesday and
Wednesday and the bill will be brought to
vote on the latter date.
The Pacific railroad bill will be taken up
on Thursday The general debate viii CON
tinue until Friday evening. On FRIDAY the
bill will be opened to amendment under the
fve-minute rule, and on Monday the vote
will be taken on the bill and pending amend
ments. The fate of the measure viii de-
termne whether the government viii fore
close it's mortgages on the Union and Central
Pacifcs. Both these roads have defaulted, and
President Cleveland served notice in so many
words in his message to congress that unless
some congressional action was taken imine-
diately, STEPS would be taken under the
authority of the present law to protect the
governments interest by foreclosure pro-
ceedings.
The friends of the roads realize fully that
this Is the last chance they VIII have to ac-
complish the funding of the debt for which
they have striven for ten years, and they
will Use all their influence in its behalf. But
the bill also has many bitter enemies In the
west and on the Pacific coast. Mr. Powers
of Vermont, chairman of the committee, VIII
be its principal champion on the foor, while
Mr.. Sulzer of New York and Mr.. Mcguire of
California will lead the opposition. Both
sides are now figuring on majority, and the
fate OF the bill is in grave doubt The de-
bate is expected to be of very lively nature,
and there may be some sensational incidents.
SENATE FORECASTS.
Beyond the fact that the bill providing for
free homestead of former Indian reservations
on the calendar Is the unfinished business,
the senate has no program for this week.
There is liable to be a sharp clash of in
terosts in the effort to secure consideration
and a possibility that this clash may de-
velop an interesting situation. The friends
of the Pacific railroad funding bill will
make an effort to get that measure up for
consideration, unless they conclude that in
doing they may impair its chances of
passage.
Until the past day or two II appeared GER
tain the CUBAN RESOLUTIONS WOulu De sprung
Immediately after the beginning of business
on Tuesday II is now possible, even prob
able, that both questions will go over, at
least for a few days. If the movement to
have the committee on foreign relations
again consider the question as to when it
shall be taken up prevails. the question can
not be raised until after the committee
meeting on Wednesday, and the advocates
of delay are becoming quite sanguine that
IL they succeed in preventing consideration
until Wednesday they will secure a still
further postponement.
Senator Gear chairman of the Pacific rail-
roads committee, is doubtful of the advisa-
bility of pressing for consideration his fund
ing bill until after the action OF the house
on the same measure, and may wait upon
that body. If he does not delay on this
account, he will make an effort to get the
bill up on Tuesday, or Immediately after
the homestead bill shall be disposed of.
If either the Pacific bill or the Cuban
resolution secures consideration, there will
be a sharp contest and much animated de-
bate.
The homestead bill will be opposed by
Senator Platt and others. while Senator Pet
tgrew will take the lead in its advocacy.