Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1897-12-09
CONGRESS CONVENES
The Long Session Of the Fifty Fifth
Congress Commences.
HOUSE LEADERS READY FOR WORK.
The Committees VIII Begin Their Labors
ON the Bills Introduced at the Extra
sessIOn-About 800 BIlls on
the Senate Calendar.

or long, session of congress, as it is
called, because there is no constitu-
tional limitation upon the period of its
duration, opened at noon to-day. The
leaders and a large majority of the
members of both houses were here to
participate in the opening ceremonies,
and President Mckinley had made the
journey to Washington from the bed
side of his dying mother that his alb
sence might not delay the national
legislature at its assembling. The
extra session robs the opening of the
regular session of the excitement and
interest which usually attaches to
it. On the eve of regular
session, ordinarily, Washington
thrills with excitement. The hotel
lobbies surge with place-hunters in
the wake of the various candidates for
speaker, clerk, doorkeeper, ETC.; the
members are struggling for committee
assignments and the air is full of. ru-
lnors and plots and counter-plots. But
as the house was completely organized
at the extra session and all the COM
mittee assignments were made then,
beyond the natural stimulus pro-
duced by the returning statesmen, the
regular hangers-on of Legislation and
the outlining of schemes by members
of the third house." or lobby, Wash
ington last night was tranquil.
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 hoppors
begin to grind. The appropriations
committee has been at work for ten
days and Chairman Cannon expects to
pass at least OF the regular budgets
before the holidays-the legislative,
executive and judicial and the PEN
sions appropriations bills One or the
other of these bills, it is expected, will
be reported by Wednesday and the end
of the week promises to see the house
down to business.
Among the early general measures
to receive consideration will be the
bankruptcy bill. Whether it will be
the Nelson bill, which passed the sem
ate at the last session, or modifca-
ton of the Torrey bill, depends on the
temper of the judiciary committee,
which will submit the measure to the
house. Beyond doubt there will be
several resolutions of inquiry during
the first week which may be more or
less sensational, and some of the radi-
cal pro-Cuba members will attempt to
get consideration for a Cuban resolution
before the foreign affairs committee
can act. Congressman Livingstone, of
Georgia, is ono of these. But owing to
the nature of the house rules, all these
hasty efforts will prove abortive, and
they probably will take their course.
There will be nothing except indis-
position on the part of the members
to prevent the senate's entering
promptly upon it's work, as there is
calendar already made for it with
about 800 bills reported from commit
tees during the special session. With
the presidents message read, it will
remain for the senate to decide
whether it shall enter seriously upon
the work of the session after TODAY.
or begin system of delay intended to
throw all important questions over be-
yond the Christmas holidays. The indi-
cations are now for little more activ- |
ity than usual during the pre-holiday
session. This is largely due to the fact |
that the supporters of the administra-
ton and advocates of annexation are
very anxious to secure the earliest
possible consideration of the treaty.
with Hawaii. Senator Davis, chair
man of the committee on foreign rela-
tons, announces his purpose of press
ing annexation at the earliest possible
but it is probable that the
matter will not be taken up seriously
until the committee can have a meet
ing and decide on the details of pro-
,edure. The committee will be called
together on Wednesday for this pur-
pose. One point which the committee
will be called upon to decide is whether
10 proceed to ratify the treaty of an
lexation or to annex the islands bv
The annexationists have
ost some votes during the vacation,
md there is now apprehension that the
'wo-thirds vote necessary to assure the
cannot be secured. Some
MEMBERS of the foreign relations com
nittee who favor annexation advocate
his course, because they say they see
10 reason for traversing the same
'round twice, as they would be com
'elled to do in case the matter should
'e first considered in executive session,
all there, and then be taken up in the
orm of a resolution in open senate and
louise.
The immigration bill, for which SEN
tor Lodge stands sponsor, is practi-
ally at the head of the senate legisla.
i've calendar and will be considered
arly in the session. Senator Lodge
esterday repeated his intention of
ressing the bill, but he will not an
agonize the Hawaiian treaty with it.
he first bill on the calendar is Sena-
or Gears measure providing for the
djustment of the Pacific railroad debt,
ut the sale of the Union Pacific doubt
eSS will have the effect of cauSino the | {