The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1897-12-06
NOW FOR CONGRESS-.
Regular Session Opens at Noon
Today.
HOUSE AND SENATE READY TO GO
TO WORK.
Expedite Matters Greaty-Prospects
of the Hawaiian Tceatx in the Sonata.


Expedite Matters Greauy-Prospects
of the Hawaiian Treaty in the Senate.
Washington, December 5.-The regular
or long session Of Congress, as it. is called
because there Is no constitutional .limita-
tion upon the period of it's duration,
opens at noon tomorrow. The leaders
and q large majority Of the IN embers of
both houses are here to participate in the
opening ceremonies. The extra session
robs the opening of the regular session of
the excitement and interest which usually
attaches to it.
The programme at the House tomorrow
to order by the Speaker, who, after the
chaplain Invocation, will direct the
clerk to call the roll. This having been
accomplished and the presence of a
quorum demonstrated the clerk will be
directed to notify the Senate that the
House is ready for business and q COM
mlttee will be appointed to wait on the
President. After this there will be re-
cess to await the arrival of the President s
annual message which will be read upon
its reception and be followed by an ad-
5ournment until Tuesday. This is the
regular routine. 1t is the intention of the
House leaders to proceed with the busi-
ness of the session as rapidly as possible
The committees will all begin their labors
this week and as all of them have more
or less bills on hand which were intro.
dueed at the extra session, there will be
no lack of material for the House to work
on after the committee hoppers. have be-
gun to grind. The appropriation commit
tee has been at work for ten days and
Chairman Cannon expects to pass at least
two of the regular budgets before the
holidays, the legislative, executive and
judicial, and the pension appropriation
bills. One or the other of these bills, it
Is expected viii be reported by Wednesday
and the end of the week promises to see
the House down to business.
. Among the early general measures to
receive consideration will be, the bank
ruptcy bill. Whether it will be the Nelson
bill which passed the Senate at the last
session, or modification of the Torrey
bill depends on the temper of the
judiciary committee which will submit
the measure to the House.
Beyond doubt there will be several reso-
luton of inquiry during the first week,
which may. be more OF less sensational
and some of the radical pro-Cuba mem
bers will attempt to get consideration for
a Cuban resolution before the foreign
affairs committee can act. Congressman
Livingston Of Georgia is one Of these.
But owing to the nature of the House
rules all these hasty efforts will proveraba-
tive and they probably will take their
regular course.
There will be nothing except indisposi
tion.upon the part of the members to pre-
vent the Senate entering promptly upon
its work upon eonvening tomorrow, as
| there Is calendar ready made for5it with
about three hundred bills reported from
committees during the special session.
If any circumstance should prevent the
receipt of the Presidents message on
Monday the probabilities are that the
Senate would adjourn over without
taking up any other business until the
| message could be received.
With the message read it will remain
for the Senate to decide whether it shall
enter seriously upon the work of the
session after Monday or begin a system
of delay intended to throw all important
questions over beyond the Christmas holi-
days. 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 admin
istration and other advocatesEof annexa-
tion are very anxious to secure the earliest
possible consideration of the treaty with
Hawaii. Senator Davis, chairman of the
committee on foreign relations announces
his purpose of pressing annexation at the
earliest possible moment, but it is
probable that theanatter will notIbe taken
seriously until the committee can have a
meeting and decide upon details of pro
cedure. The committee will be called to.
gether on Wednesday for this purpose
| One point which the committee will be
called upon to decide is whether to pro.
ceed to ratify the treaty of annexation OF
to annex the islands by resolution. The
annexationists have lost some vote:
during the vacation, and there Is now ap
rehension that the two-thirds vote neces
sary to assure the ratification cannot b,
secured. No satisfactory canvass i,
possible until all tho Senators arrive ant
| if it is then made manifest that the
| necessary two-thirds vote cannot bt
secured it is likely that the proceeding by
means of resolution which would require
only a majority vote will be inaugurated
Some members of the foreign relations
committee who favor annexation advocate
this course because they say they see nj
reason for traversing the same groun
twice, as they would be compelled to d.
| II the matter should be first considered
in executive session, fail there and ther
be taken,up in the form Of resolution II
| open Senate and House.
The immigration bill forswhioh Senator
l r a., H.. Al.