Semi-weekly register. (Brookings, Brookings Co., S.D.) 1894-1898, 1897-12-07
Opening Of Congress Not Ac-
Companied by the Usual
Excitement.
HOusS Organized at the Extra
Session and All Positions
Are Filled.
Intention Of Leaders Is to Push
Business as Rapidly as
Possible.

or long session of congress as it is
called, because there is no constitu-
tional limitation upon the period Of it's
duration, opened at noon. The extra
session robbed the opening of the regu-
lar session of the excitement and inter-
est which usually attaches to it. At
the opening Of regular session or.
dinarily Washington thrills with ex-
citement. The hotel lobbies surge with
place hunters in the wake Of the vari-
Gus candidates for speaker, clerk, door,
keeper, etc., the members are strug-
Cling for committee assignments and
the air is full of rumors and plots and
counterplots But as the house was
completely orga nized at the extra ses-
sion and all the committee assignments
were made then Washington is now
tranquil.
House VIII Push Business.
1t is the intention Of the house lead
ers to proceed with the business 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
duced at the extra session, there will be
no lack of material for the house to
work ON after the committee hoppers
have begun to grind. The appropria-
tions committee has been at work for 10
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. Among the early
general measures to receive considera-
ton will be the bankruptcy bill.
Whether it will be the Nelson bill,
which passed the senate at the last ses-
sion or modification of the Torrey
bill, depends on the temper OF the
judiciary committee, which will submit
the measure to the house.
Annexation in the Senate.
There will be nothing except indis-
position on the part of members to pre-.
vent the senate's entering promptly
upon it's work, as there is calendar
already made for it with about 800 bills
reported from committees during the
special session. The indications are
now for little more activity than usual
during the pre.holiday session. This is
largely due to the fact that the sup
porters of the administration and advo-
Gates of annexation are very anxious to
secure the earliest possible considera-
ton of the treaty with Hawaii. Sena.
tor Davis, chairman OF the committee
on foreign relations, announces his pur-
pose Of pressing annexation at the
earliest possible moment, but it is prob
able that the matter will not be taken
up seriously until the committee can
have meeting and decide upon details
of procedure.
Lack of Votes Apprehended.
One point which the committee will
be called upon to decide is whether to
proceed to ratify the treaty of annexa-
ton or to annex the islands by resolu.
ton. The annexationists have lost
some votes during the vacation and
there is now apprehension that the two
thirds vote necessary 60 assure the rati-
fication cannot be secured. No salts.
factory canvass is possible until all
the senators arrive, and if it is
then made manifest that the nec-
essary two. thirds vote cannot be
secured it is likely that the proceeding
by means of resolution, which would
require only majority vote, will be
inaugurated.
The immigration bill, for which Sen.
ator Lodge stands sponsor, is practically
at the head of the senate legislative
calendar and will be considered early in
the session. Senator Lodge repeats his
intention of pressing the bill, but he
will not antagonize the Ha waiian treaty