Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1897-12-22
WASHINGTON
Holiday Adjournment Of Congress-
The President Back in the
White House.
(From our regular Correspondent
WASHINGTON. Dec. II. ,97.

NAAhlNtION, Dcc' -, ".
President Mckinley has resumcdh his duties
and, although he naturally does not feel in
clined to work, the hard work into which he
has plunged is about the best thing he could
possibly do to take his mind off his grief, He
looks five years older than he did two weeks
ago, owing to his anxiety and loss of rest
while watching at the bedside of his dying
mother. His first work after returning to
Washington was to forward to the Senate the
large batch Of recess appointments, He has
had few Congressional callers, owing to the
general respect for his grief, the general dis
position amongSenators and Representatives
being to defer their business with him until
the reassembling Of Congress after the Holt
day recess.
Congress will take an old fashioned recess,
adjourning from tomorrow, the 18th, until
Wednesday, January 5. No time will really
be lost, as the members of committees will
make use of the long recess to familiarize
themselves with the various bills before their
respective committees and in deciding Just
what business outside of the regular appro-
priation bills shall be taken up at this ses-
sion.
The caucus of the House Democrats, held
this week, was afraid to carry out the will Of
the sugar trust lobby and try to make oppo-
sition to the annexation of Hawaii II party
question. They could easily have done So, as
about three fourths Of them oppose anneXa-
H., ,,,l., -, .,l,,,. g Al. I-ll,. I,A
among those who favor annexation are men
| whom the others did not dare to attempt to
bind by a caucus decree. They, of course,
declared themself against the Presidents fl
nancial recommendations, and in favor of the
recognition of Cuban belligerency. They also
adopted an ambiguous resolution in favor of
a 'iust and wise" bankruptcy law, which
leaves them free to oppose any bankruptcy
bill.
Hon. Al Greeley, Acting COMMISSIONS of
Patents, who made a reputation as a fearless
and honest judicial ana executive officer y
his able conduct of the investigation, that
lead to a partial purging Of the Patent Office
bar and many reforms in practice before that
Office, is now making another investigation,
the object of which is to break up that class
of crooked patent attorneys who rob invent
ors by making a pretense of obtaining and
selling foreign patents on their inventions,
knowing that no valid foreign patents can be
obtained for them, and that they can not be
sold.
The designation Of the committee chosen
by the conference Of Republican Representa-.
tives, "The committee on reform in the ad.
ministration of the civil service law" who
oppose a continuation of the present rules
and classiflcatiOns under the civil service
law, to draw up bill to meet their objec'
tons, is of itself sufficient evidence thai
these gentlemen are not opposed to real re-
form in the civil service. 1t is only the shan
reform they wish to abolish. This commit
tee, composed of Representatives Hepburn
Of Iowa; Pearson, of N. c., and Evans, o
Ky, believe that they can construct a bill
that will be accepted by a majority in boil
branches of Congress and by President Me
Kinley. The same conference also appointed
Representatives Tawney, of Mimi; Steele
of Indiana, and O'Dell, of n. Y, a commit
tee to investigate the administration of tn,
civil service law and rules for the past ly
years, and their report will be used as an ar
gument for the proposed change. The moder
ton Of these gentlepen has greatly strength
ened their position.
Secretary Gage tumbled over a pile of lie
as high as the Washington monument whel
he appeared before the House Committee OIL
Banking and Currency, this week, and sub
mitted a single bill embodying all the flnan
clal recommendations of his annual report
together with a statement in their favor. Tn
committee will consider this bill during tn
blos in January, it will be able to determin
whether any agreement upon a bill is likel
to be reached by the majority.
A gentleman, who has, he says, made
complete poll of the Senate says a maiorit
of that body is opposed on principle to grant
ing the Governor of a State the right to ap
point a Senator to fill vacancies in case
where the State Legislature has had an op
portunity to elect a Senator and has failed t
do so. If this be correct, Mr.. Corbett will nc
be seated, although it is practically certai
that the Committee on Elections and Priv
leges will report in favor of seating him, an
Mr.. Corbett expresses absolute confidence i
his success. The report Of the committe
will not be made until January.
Speaker Reeds well deserved reputatio
for level headedness should have been a suil
cicnt answer to any intelligent person, 10th
cock and bull stories sent out from Washing
ton as to his intention to include in the me-
House rules, which are to be reported afte
the holiday recess, one against theSenate al
taching ''riders" to appropriation bills
The present House rules, those of the las
House, do not allow riders to be attached t
appropriation bills by the House, and tn
new rules will probably contain the sam
prohibition. But the House would have a
much right to say what the British Parlio
mcnt should or should not do, as to make
rule to govern the Senate. Any school DO
ought to know that.
EIGHTH DISTRICT.