The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1897-12-06
CONGRESS OPENS AT NOON
THREE HUNDRED BILLS READY
FOR SENATE'S CONSIDERATIONS.

Among the Early General Measures to be
Taken Up is the Bankruptcy Bill-sena-
torDavis VIII Press the Annexation of
Hawaii and Senator Lodge VIII do Like
wiso with the Immigration Measure.
Washington, Dec. 5.-The regular or
long session of congress as it is called,
because there is no constitutional limi-
tation upon the period of its duration,
opens at noon tomorrow. The leader s
and large majority of the members
Of both houses are here to participate
in the opening ceremonies and rresi-
dent Mckinley has made the journey
from the bedside Of his dying mother
that his absence 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.
The programme of the house is very
simple and beyond the spectacular show
which 1t offers to the curious, has in
itself little excitement. After the chap
lain's invocation the clerk will call the
roll This having been accomplished
and the presence of a quorum demon
strated the clerk will be directed to not
ify the senate that the house is ready
for business and a committee will be
appointed to wait on the president.
After this there will be recess to
await the arrival of the presidents an
nual message, which will be read upon
its reception and be followed by an ad-
journrnent until Tuesday. This is the
regular routine and until something un-
foreseen occurs will not be departed
from.
1t is the intention of the house to
proceed with the business of the ses-
sion as rapidly as possible. Among the
early general measures to receive con-
sideration will be the bankruptcy bill.
Whether it will be the Nelson bill
which passed the senate at the last ses-
sion, or a modification of the Torrey
bill depends on the temper of the judi
ciary committee, which will submit the
measure to the house. Beyond doubt
there will be several resolutions of in
quiry during the first week which may
be more or less sensational and some
of the pro-Cuba members will attempt
to get consideration of Cuban reso-
luton before the foreign affairs commit
tee can act. Congressman Livingston
of Georgia is one of these.
There will be nothing except indispo-
sition upon the part of members to pre-
vent the senate's entering promptly up
on it's work upon convening tomorrow,
as there Is calendar ready for
it with about 300 bills reported from
committees during the special session.
The indications are now for a little
more activity in the senate than usual
during the pre-holiday session. This is
largely due to the fact that the sup
porters of the administration and other
advocates of annexation are very an
xious to secure the earliest possible
consideration of the treaty with Ha-
wall Senator Davis, chairman of the
committee on foreign relations, an
nounces his purpose of pressing anneXa-
ton at the earliest possible moment.
The annexationists have lost some
votes during the vacation and there is
now apprehension that the two-thirds
vote necessary to assure ratification
cannot be secured. No satisfactory
canvass is possible until all the senators
arrive and if it is then made manifest
that the necessary two-thirds vote can
not be secured it is likely that the pro-
ceeding by means Of resolutions which
would require only majority vote will
be inaugurated.
The immigration bill, for which Sena-
tor Lodge stands sponsor, is practically
at the head of the senate legislative
calendar and will be considered early
in the session. Senator Lodge, to-day
repeated his intention Of pressing the
bill, but he will not antagonize the
Hawaiian treaty with it. The first bill
on the calendar is Senator Gears meas
ure providing for the adjustment of the
Pacific debt, but the sale of the Union
Pacific doubtless will have the effect of
causing the temporary withdrawal OF
this bill and the substitution Of others.
OF the 800 bills on the calendar, about
200 are private pension bills and all of
these probably will be disposed of at
one sitting when taken up. There are
also several hundred recess appoint
ments to be considered in executive ses-
sion.