The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1897-03-15

WASHINGTON, March 14.-Vice-
President Hobart will rap the Senate
to order at noon tomorrow for the be-
ginning of the work of the Eiftyhfth
Congress.
The week does not now promise to be
a busy one in the Senate, except in the
event that the arbitration treaty be
tween this country and Great Britain
is considered. Senator Davis, Chair
man of the Foreign Relations Commit
tee, said he would force the question
of ratification to as speedy a determi-
nation as it would be possible to do.
The treaty Will be considered in exec
utive session. There will be cOnsid-
cradle opposition to it, even in its
amended form, but the friends of the
treaty assert that there Will not be
exceeding twenty opposing votes when
the final result is announced.
Some nominations are expected on
Monday and there may be brief eX-
ecutive secession to permit their refer
ence to committees. A number of
bills, d majority Of which viii be those
which failed in the last Congress, will
be introduced during the week, but as
none of them can be taken UP until
they receive committee action, there
will be little or no Legislative work.
The Presidents message is expected
Monday
Considerable time during the week
viii be spent by the committees of the
various parties in the Senate in an eff
fort to reach a harmonious adjustment
of the Senate committees. There is
" oil no
vacancies except those existing in the
committees of Finance and Appropria-
tons Both these committees are fortu-
nately quite equitably adjusted and 1t
is feared that an effort to supply the
vacancies might result in bad feeling
and an ENHANCEMENT which the Repub-
liCans desire to avoid i'll the tariff fight.
There is only occasional reference to
changes in the elective offices in the
Senate and there is no prospect of a
controversy over this point at the pres
ent time.
1t is expected that the credentials of
Messrs. Corbett and Henderson, ap-
pointed to fill the Senatorial vacancies
from Oregon and Florida respectively,
viii be presented Monday. They will
be referred to the Con@ittee on Priv
ileges and Eelections.
The Fifty-fifth Congress meets in eX-
traordinary session tomorrow at noon
in pursuance of President Mckinley 9
proclamation. The work before it
the passage of a tariff bills pretty
Well cut out in advance, but the indi-
cations are that it Will be a stormy
session and its length and scope as yet
are mere matters Of speculation. The
present Secretary of State, Sherman,
remarked several years ago on a mem
orable occasion in the Senate that the
President. like Aladdin, could rub the
lamp and cause the genii to appear,
but that once they had appeared they
were masters of their own destinies.
So that Congress once in session may
go much farther. or not so far as the
President may wish.
So far as the House. which will be
organized tomorrow, is concerned. the
present determination of the leaders is
to direct the energies of the lower
branch 10 the accomplishment of the
task before it with all expedition and
throw all responsibility for any COM
plications which may arise out of de-
lays in the Senate upon that body. This
was made manifest by Speaker Reed 5
speech at the Republican caucus last
night. He spoke of the necessity of
bringing the work Of the session to a
speedy close. Whether the leaders
VIII emphasize any inaction by the Sen
ate when the bill reaches that body by
a programme Of three day recesses, re-
mains to be seen, hut il is likely that
the Speaker, for the present at least,
VIII refrain from appointing any save
the usual committees necessary for the
transaction Of business on hand.
This win prove an effective bar to
the passage Of miscellaneous or general
bills, as the rules Of the House are such
that such legislation must come
through the agencies of committees.
But even this is not absolutely neces-
sary. as the Committee on Rules can
be invoked to furnish special orders.
And it is by means Of special orders
that the appropriation bills which
failed TO receive Mr.. Cleveland's APP
prevail are to be put through at the ex-
traordinary session. Consideration in
committee will involve more delay. and
result beside in almost intermina bic
debate in the House, as it is the pecu-
liar character of d new House to use
y
the Chairman of the Appropriations
Committee, said the bills as they went
to Cleveland were all right, and ne
favors their repassage under special
rules without the formality Of again
putting them through the regular chan
nels This Will be the plan followed
and all the time before the actual de-
bate on the tariff bill begins Will be
devoted to the appropriation bills.
The new tariff bill. upon which Re-
publican members of the Ways and
Means Committee have been WORKING
laboriously for three months. is com
plete and viii be formally introduced
tomorrow. 1t viii then be printed
and submitted to the Democratic mi
nority and receive consideration by the
full committee. 1t is not expected tina;
this viii require more than three OF
four days at most, although the Demo
Gratis may, and probably Will protest
vigorously against such expedition. Al