Evening star., 1897-03-06

session of the Twenty-seventh Congress
and stated his reasons as. follows:
Whereas. sundry important and weighty
matters. principally growing out of the
condition of the revenue and finances of
the country, appear to me to call for the
consideration Of Congress at an earlier
day than it's next annual session, and thus
form an extraordinary occasion, such as
renders necessary, in my judgment, the
convention of the two houses soon as
may be practicable, l do. therefore, by
this procls nation, convene the two houses
of Congress to meet In the Capitol at the
city of Washington the last Monday,
being the 31st day of May next
Just one month after his inauguration on
April 4, 1s41. President Harrison died, and
on April 4 Vice President John Tyler was
sworn in by William Cranch. then chief
judge Of the Circuit Court of the District
of Columbia. He concurred in the call for
the extra session, saying that "he did not
feel that it would be becoming in him to
disturb what had been ordered by his pre-
decessor.' AT this session of, the Twenty
seventh Congress "a bill was presented by
Thomas Ewing, Secretary of the Treasury,
providing for the incorporation of the "Fis-
cal Bank OF the United States" The two
points of difference in this bill from those
which had created the former banks of
the United States were: First, 1t proposed
bank to be incorporated in the District of
Columbia; second, 1t was to have power
to establish branches only with the con-
sent of the states. Many provisions were
were known or alleged to have crept into
former banks. The capital stock was to
be $:.0OOO,OOO. The bill was altered ma
terially from the original presented by
Mr.. Ewing and passed as a compromise
measure, it being believed that the Presi-
dent would accept it. The bin went to the
President on the 9th OF August 1S41, and
he held it until the 18th END returned 1t
with a veto message, giving four principal
objec tions, three of which applied equally
to the original bill Of Mr.. Ewing. The
acts passed at this session were: Repeal
ing the subtreasury law, bankruptcy law,
authorizing a loan of $12,N0.OO0 and sew
eral minor acts, in all twenty-five acts and
five resolutions.
From the adjournment OF the Twenty
seventh Congress extra session fourteen
years passed. covering the administrations
Of James K. Polk and Zachary Taylor.
Then President Franklin Pierce issued a
proclamation convening the Thirty-fourth
Congress on August u, 1856. The necessity
for this session arose from the fact that
Congress had adjourned without having
made any appropriation for the mainte-
nance of the army and navy. Three pub
lie acts, including the appropriation bill,
four joint resolutions and twenty-seven
private bills were passed at this session,
which adjourned on August 30, having been
in session rine days.
For Civil War.
The next special session of Congress to
be called grew out of the necessities of the
civil war and convened on the. Fourth of
July, 1861, pursuant to a proclamation is
sued by President Abraham Lincoln. His
reasons for calling the session stated
in the proclam ton and read as follows:
Whereas the laws of the United States
have been for some time past and now are
opposed and the execution thereof OBJ
structed in the states of South Carolina,
Georgia, Alabama, Florida, Mississippi,
louisiana and Texas by combinations too
powerful to be suppressed by the ordinary
course Of judicial proceedings or by the
pc owers vested in the marshals by law. 80
President of the United States, in virtue of
the power in me vested by the Consrftu-
tlcn and laws. have thought fit to call
FORTH and do hereby call forth. the mill ia
of the several states of tina. Union to The
aggregate number of 5000, in order to
suppress said combinations and to cause
the laws to be duly executed
The proclamation appealed to loyal citi-
Zens, commanded the dispensing of the
combinations and called Congress to con-
slider and determine such measures as -he
public safety and interest might demand.
At the session which followed Galusha A.
Grow of Pennsylvania was Speaker Of .he
House, and sixtysiX public acts, the most
important Of them relating to the better
organization of the land and naval forces
and the suppression of the rebellion, were
passed. Five joint resolutions and seven
private acts were also passed. The act
to create the metropolitan police force of
the District of Columbia and a confisca,ion
act were put through during the fifteen
days or the session, which adjourned on
July 19, 1861.
The Fortieth Congress.
The extra session of the Fortieth Con
gress convened on March 4, in accordance
with an act of the Thirty ninth Congress
Andrew johnson was President at the time
and Schuyler Colfax was Speaker of the
House. Congress met on March 4, 1867,
was in session twenty-six days and ad-
journed on March 30, to meet July 3, when
session of seventeen days was held, adj
jcurning again on July 20 to meet No
vember q, finally adjourning sine die ON
December 2. Thirty-four public acts and
thlrty-0ne joint resolutions were the pro-
duct or this session or Of the three ses-
sions as they are sometimes called. The
most important was supplementary to the
reconstruction act
During President Grants first term the
Forty-frst Congress met In special ses-
sion on March 4, 1869, passing thirty pub
nc acts and twenty resolutions and ad-
journing on April 10, 1863 ]. The extra ses-
sions of the Fortieth and Forty-first Con
crosses were made necessary by condi-
tons which grew out Of the civil war, as
was also the extra session of the Forty
second Congress, from March T. 1871 to
April 20, 1871.
By Hayes and Cleveland.
d.
D, 1871, called an extra session of the For
ty-ffth Congress. to meet on October 15
1877, because the previous Congress had
adjourned without passing the army ap-
preparation bill The session lasted until
December 3, 1877, and many bills we're
passed in addition to the appropriation bill.
The Forty-sixth Congress was called in
extra session on March 18, 1879, by Presi-
dent Hayes, on account of failure to
make appropriations by the previous Con-
gress. The session was a short one.
Every one will remember, the next spe-
cial. held August Z, 1893, to November 2,
1888. as the Congress which Mr.. Cleveland
had on his hands, The repeal of the pur-
chasing clause of the Sherman act was
the purpose for which the session was
called, and it took three months to effect
its object.
what MI. keKinley's extra session will
DO Is thing that remains vet to be seen.
Queens Who smoke.
From the st. James Budget.
Many women will wonsaer atuthe account