The herald., 1897-02-15
The Appropriation Bills Call for
Attention
THE ARBITRATION TREATY
Likely to Be Left a Legacy to President
Mckinley
A Bitter Fight Expected In the House over
the Sundry Civil BiII-A Coup
Is Promised
Press Snecial Wire

will be given up to the consideration ol
appropriation bills by the senate. Ihere
has been no accumulation OF these pliis
on the calendar, and with only little
more than two weeks of the session re-
naming, it is not intended by the SEN
ate managers that there should be. Ihey
will insist that the appropriations shall
take precedence whenever they are
= ready to proceed. The only approprla-
tion bill not on the calendar is tnat
providing for the expenses Of the lndlan
service. but it is expected the con1er-
ence report on the executive, legislative
and judicial appropriation Dill Will oe
presented tomorrow, and bills making
appropriation for District of Columbia
and Notifications will soon follow. IL is
the nurpose of Senator Pettigrew, who
has charge of the Indian BILL to call IL
I'D Tuesday. 1t is expected that seVerai
r,rovisionS will lead to animated oe-
bate. notably those providing TOT the
introduction of radical reforms IN the
Indian Territory and for the disposition
of the unallotted lands in the Uncoln
pahgre reservation in Utah. These are
questions which have been before the
senate in various forms on several oc-
casions. and they have always eXclted
more or less debate. The legislative plil
will not consume much time, LOT the
reason that the house conferees nave
conceded most of the senate amend
ments.
Notice has been given that the Apen
Pacific railroad resolution would be
called up by Senator Thurston during
the morning hour tomorrow, and SEN
ator Chandler has given notice OF
speech on bimetallsm for the same date.
Lodge has secured unanimous agree
ment for vote upon the acceptance OF
the imml2ra-
ton bill at 4 o'clock on Wednesday. The
vote on this bill will be preceded by
debate of uncertain length. some OF the
opposition to it has ben removed by the
changes made in the last conference, pul
there are still senators who will oppose
the bill, among them being Carter anu
Gibson. Senator Carter was not present
when the agreement to vote on Wednes
day was entered into, but 1T is under
stood that he will make no effort to
break the agreement, though regretting
it's existence.
1t is impossible to say how much Of the
senate's time during the week will be
given up to the consideration of the ar
bitration treaty in executive session, Dut
all the indications are unfavorable to
any prolonged discussion Of the sub
ject, and the chances now seem to be
that not to exceed one or two more ses-
sions will be devoted to it.
1t is barely possible that it may not
be taken up again at all, but the prob
ability is that it will come up some time
during the week and be formally post
poned until after the 4th of March.
If the appropriation bills and the ar
bitration treaty permit, Senator Hoar
will call up the bankruptcy bill and
make an effort to secure vote upon it.
IN THE HOUSE.
In two weeks from Thursday the con-
gress expires by limitation, and from
this time forward all things legislative
will have to give way to the appropria-
tion bills, which must be passed before
the final adjournment. Cannon, chair
man of the appropriations committee,
pointed out on Friday the necessity for
expedition. Although the house has dis
posed of ten of the thirteen regular ap
preparation bills, two of the three which
remain, the sundry civil and the general
deficiency, are those containing the mis-
cellaneous items. which provoke the
most bitter opposition by both their sins
of omission and commission. 1t is into
these two bills that members seek to
crowd appropriations which have been
pigeon-holed throughout the session,
and heroic measures are sometimes re-
quired to avoid having them made the
vehicle for carrying through appropria-
tionS and legislation which the leaders
have resolved to kill.
The senate has usually made prac-
tice of loading up these two bills espe-
cially, and debate in the two houses over
them is generally prolonged until al
most the hour of final adjournment The
refusal of those in control of legislation
in the house to give time for the conSid-
GRAFTON of public bills, more than 100 of
Which have been favorably reported
from the committee, so angered some of
the members that they gave up trying
TO secure these appropriations in the
sundry civil bill. Those who are inter-
ested in the river and harbor projects
authorized by the last river and harbor
bill, for which no provision is made in
the sundry civil bill, including Whining
ton, Del; Kentucky river dams Nos 2
and of the Ohio; Oakland, Cal. and
Yaquima, Or, are bristling with fight.
The friends of the free home bill, as
amended by the senate would like TO
saddle this measure also on the sundry-
civil bill, as the only means of resurrect-
Ing 1t. There are antagonismS but the
opposition is utterly unorganized and it
has been decided by Speaker Reed and
Mr Cannon, who have been working
IKE TroJans to keep down appropria-
IONS 10 try coup tomorrow, by which
the expect to take advantage of the ia ct
that tomorrow is suspension dav ana
Put through the bill under suspension of
the rules. Inc general debate on the
measure closed yesterday and if the hill
can be passed tomorrow under slsDen-
sion, it will not only save the three to
five days which it would require to CON
slder II under the five-mnute rule. but
IT would cut off the danger of amend
ments carrying large sums. to- which II
would be subjected if members sue
ceeded in effecting a rolling combina-
tion.
Acting on the supposition that the hin
Will be passed tomorrow under suspen
sion, the leaders have decided tn eiI,a
tomorrow and Tuesday evenings for
private pension Legislation. The three
remaining contested election cases VIII
occupy the time until the naval bin is
brought forward toward the close Of tho
week. VIZ
AS the session draws to a close nav
tisanship is creeping out as il did vas
terday, and there will be some very livc-
ly debates. The preparation Of the gen
eral deficiency bill will be begun tonnnr-
row and be ready early next week. Tbo
crowding toward the close will be grear.
ly relieved by the rule which makes tna
last six days of the session SUSPENSION
days. This will enable those in CHARGE
Of the imperative bills and conference
reports to secure q direct vote on anv
proposition with two Commute debates
en side.
TELLERS REASONS