Evening star., 1897-03-06
THE EXTRA SESSIONS
That Have Been Called Since the Be-
ginning Of the Republic.
4 q NDRED YEARS AGO
When and Why the Congresses
Were Called Together.
INCOLN IS PROCLAMATION
LIN coin IS PROCLAMATION

Of the Senate and House of Representatives
i'll leaving their families and private af-
fairs at this season Of the year are so OBJ
vious that / the more regret the extraor-
dlnary occasion which has rendered the
ct invention of Congress indispen nsable''
These words formed the Introductory
paragraph Of the proclamation of John
Adams, second President of the United
States. which called for an extra session of
the Fifth Congress to convene on May 16
1871 almost 100 years ago. The necessity
for this session arose from difficulties be-
tween this government and France, which
had eliminated in the expulsion of Charles
c. Pinckney, the American minister, from
French territory, and to the passage on
March 2, 1907. by the executive directory
OF that power Of a decree contravening in
part the treaty Of amity and commerce of
IT'S which was more unjust and injurious
TO our commerce than any former decree.
The President thought the situation de-
manded the immediate attention of Con-
gress. and issued his proclamation, which
called for the first extra session of the
American Congress. Although the First
Congress had held three sessions they had
been considered as regular sessions. These
three sessions were held from March T.
1853, to September %, 1879; January !,
1880 to August Il, $780, and December g.
1880. to March 3. 1871. President Adams
stated the purposes for which he called
Congress in extra session in the liowing
words
''The depredations on our commerce. the
personal injury to our citizens and the
general complexion of our affairs render it
my Indispensable duty to recommend to
your consideration effective measures of de-
fense.' The message proposed an increase
of the navy and of the regular artillery
and cavalry arms of the service, and also
revision of the laws providing for the
organizing, arming and disciplining of the
militia.
The Provisions.
At this session acts were passed prohibit
ing American citizens from fitting out or
employing privateers; prohibiting the ex-
portation Of arms and ammunition and en-
couraging their importation; authorizing
the President to call out the militia to the
extent of $4,000; to provide an increase of
the naval force "a small one only) To
provide means to defray the extra expenses
incurred duties were imposed on STAMPED
paper and parchment used for business
purposes, and an additional duty was laid
on salt. The stamp act proved an unpopu-
lar measure, however, and was repealed in
a few years. Jonathan Dayton of New
Jersey was Speaker of the House during
this session, which adjourned on July 10,
1897, after being in session fifty-five days.
The Eighth Congress was convened in
extra session by Thomas Jefferson on Oc-
tober II, 1903. to provide for carrying into
effect the Louisiana treaty, but this was
only three weeks in advance of the date Set
by the previous Congress for the regular
session.
During Madison's Terms.
During the administration of James Mad
ison, the fourth President, an extra session
of the Elevepth Congress, which had been
provided for by an act of the previous Con-
gress, in consequence of the critical state
of the nation and the apprehension of war
with Great Britain or France. convened
on May 2, 1909. At this session the nom
intercourse act with Great Britain and
France, which had been substituted by the
Tenth Congress for the embargo, was con-
tinued. with some slight notifications. No
important alterations were made in the
law. nor was any other important meas
ure adopted. The session lasted about five
weeks, and terminated on June 2S 1909.
John B. Varhum was Speaker Of the
House.
On the oath day of May, 1913, while Madi-
son was serving his second term another
extra session, also provided for by act of
the previous Congress, was held. The prin-
cipal business transacted was the provid-
Ing of means to pay the interest on loans
already authorized and other matters Incl
dent to the war with Great Britain. Acts
were passed for the assessment and col
lection OF direct taxes and internal duties:
imposing duties on refined sugars, sales at
auction, retailers licenses, carriages Ii
censing distilers. The direct tax was So
OO.O annually. The extra session of the
Thirteenth Congress adjourned after about
two months.
For Twenty-FOur Years.
From the adjournment of the special ses-
sion of the Thirteenth Congress in 1918 a
period of twentyfour years elapsed in
which only regular sessions were held
During this time .Jauea Monroe caryad tx,-o
terms as President; John Quincy Adams
one; Andrew Jackson, two; but during the
first year of Martin Van Buren's adminis-
tration the eighth PresidenO an extra ses-
sion of the Twenty-fifth Congress was con-
vened on September 4, 1887 The message
called because of the great financial en-
barrassment Of the people, advanced
| the doctrine that all the government could
| do. or was designed to do was to take care
| OF itself. and that it could not be expected
| to legisiate with reference to the monetary
| concerns of the people. President Van
Buren set out with great clearness and pre-
! cision the actual condition of the govern
ment in relation to its financial concerns
The most important recommendation of the
| message was the place which the anti-ad-
| ninistrationists called the subtreasury
| scheme, but known to its friends as the in
| funds of the government were in the pos
| session of banks, all of which refused to
pay specie, and the use of their circulating
| notes was a violation Of the resolution Of
| Congress of 1916. Van Buren, had been
elected under a pledge against national
! banks. and he recommended that the treas
| ury of the United States should be kept by
| public officers, and that there should be an
entire and total separation of the business
| and funds of the government from those
| of the banks. The scheme created great
| excitement in Congress and among the
people. The wings and conservatives op-
posed it as a direct attack upon the banks
/ and what was called the credit system.
| They insisted that prostration and destruc-
| ton of all banks would be inevitable. and
| that it would result in a metallic currency,
/ the volume of which would be wholly in
adequate and that a fatal and ruinous re-
duction of prices would follow its adoption
| A bill was reported and passed the Senate
| 28-26 hut was laid on the table in the
House, 121N107. An act was passed provid-
ing for the issue OF $4,000. 600 of treasury
| notes. and that practically constituted ali
the business transacted. the extra session
of the Twenty-fifth Congress adjourned Oc-
tober 10, 1897 having done nothing to re-
| lieve the people or the administration
Under Harrison and Tyler.
President William Henry Harrison. or
March II. 1S4l. thirteen days after his