Omaha daily bee., 1897-11-29
TIE MEETING or CONGRESS-

The regular session of the Fifty-tifth
congress will begin one week from to-
day The organization of both branches
being complete the work of legislation
can be entered upon at once instead of
waiting until after the holidays. as is
usually the case. With this gain of time
and the tariff question out of the way.
it appears probable that the session will
be less prolonged than usual, though
there are questions to be considered
which may easily keep congress to-
gether until midsummer or beyond. An
extended debate on the currency is by
no means improbable. AS now indi.
Gated, the president intends to make II
very earnest effort to secure currency
Legislation, il only to the extent of re
pealing the provision of law requiring
the reissue of greenbacks and the sub
stitution of legislation providing that
when those notes are redeemed by the
government they shall be reisSucd only
in exchange for gold 1t is thought pos
sible that the house will approve a rec
ommendation of this kind without
much delay, but the free silver element
in the senate will undoubtedly oppose
vigorously and persistently this ana
every other currency proposition from
which silver is omitted. so that weeks
and even months may be consumed IN
the discussion of this subject in the sen
ate.
1t seems certain that the Cuban Ques-
ton will not be allowed to rest. The
senate, at the extra session, passed II
resolution for the recognition of the in
surgents as bellgerents and this rcsolu-
ton is in the hands of the house com
mittee on foreign affairs. 1t is not
likely that the house will concur, or will
take any action in regard to Cuba, but
it is reported that II number of senator's
will introduce resolutions favoring ac-
ton on the part of this government
looking to the independence of Cuba.
profess confidence that there will be an
early ratification of the annexation
treaty, but 1t is quite possible that they
will find n more vigorous opposition
than they are now counting on. 1t Is
said that Senators Dubois and Petit
grew, who have been investigating the
situation in Hawaii. are convinced that
the Hawaiians do not want annexation
and therefore they will oppose it in the
senate. Both these senators were an
neXationstS when they went to Hawaii,
but having mingled with the people they
found an entirely different condition
there from that represented by Senator
Morgan, who got his information largely
il not wholly from the promoters of an
neXatiOn.
There are numerous questions of do
nestle legislation that call for careful
consideration and thorough discussion.
Not the least important of these relates
to II policy for the building up of the
merchant marine. The plan of IA dis
eliminating duty in favor of American
shipping will again be urged and will
elicit more or less extended debate.
Then there are the questions of uni
form bankruptcy law, restriction of inn
migration, Il postal savings bank sys-
tenn, legalized pooling, the increase of
enlisted men in army and navy, regu-
laton of second class mail matter, de-
velopment of coast defense and others
of less Importance, The question of gov
ernment aid to the Nicaragua canal will
come up during the session though prob
ably not before the new commission has
reported the result of its Investigations,
which will not be done until several
months after the assembling of con
gress.
1t will thus be seen that there is
plenty of work before congress and
while 1t may be confidently expected
that there will be no unnecessary delay
upon any of it in the house there is no
assurance that there will not be in the
senate. At all events, the country can
regard the assembling of congress with