The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1897-12-06
GETTING READY TO WORK
The Present Session Lacks the
Usual Excitement.
NO LACK OF MATERIAL
The Hawaiian Treaty Will Be Pushed for
Consideration in the Senate -Appro-
priation Bill May Be Passed
Before the Holidays.

Washington, Dec. 5-The regular, or
long. session of congress, as it is called.
because there is no constitutional limi-
tation upon the period eff its dura ton,
opens at noon tomorrow. The leaders
and a large majority of the members
of both houses are here to participate
in the opening ceremonies and President
Mckinley has made the journey to
Washington from the bedside of his
dying mother that his absence might
not delay the national legislature at its
/. assem embling.
II The extra session robs the opening of
the regular session of the excitement
and interest which usually attaches to
1t. On the eve of a regular session or
dinarily Washington thrills with ex-
element. The hotel lobbies surge with
place hunters in the wake of the rari-
Gus candidates for speaker, clerk, etc.
the members are struggling fer COM
mittee assignments and the air is full of
rumorS and plots and counter plots. But
as the house was completely organized
at the extra session and all the com
mittee assignments made then, beyond
the natural stimulus as produced by the
returning statesmen, the regular hang
ers-On and the outlining of schemes by
means of the third house" or lobby,
Washington tonight is tranquil.
The programme at the house to-mor-
row is very simple and beyond the
spectacular show which it offers TO the
curious, has in itself little attraction.
The house will be called to order by the
speaker who, after the chaplains in
vocation, will direct the clerk to call the
roll. This having been accomplished
and the presence Of a quorum demon
strated. the clerk will be directed to
notify the senate that the house is
ready for business. and a committee Will
be appointed to wait on the president
After that there will be n recess to
await the arrival of the presidents an
nual message, which will be read upon
its reception and be followed by an adj
iournment until Tuesday. This is the
regular routine and unless something
unforeseen occurs Will not be departed
from.
1t is the intention of the house Lead
ers to proceed with the business Of the
session as rapidly as possible The COM
mittee will begin their labors this week
and as all of them have more or less
bills on hand which We're introduced at
the extra session there will be no lack
of material for the house to work on
after the committee hoppers have began
to grind. The appropriations commit
tee has been at work for 10 days and
Chairman Cannon expects to pass at
least two of the principal bills before
the holidays-the legislative, executive
and judicial and the pensions bills. one
or the other of these bills. il is expect
ed. 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 is 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 upon the temper Of the ju-
dietary committee which will submit
the measure Ia the house
Beyond doubt there will be several
resolutions of inquiry during the first
week which may be more or less sensa-
tional: some Of the radical pfo-Guba
members will attempt to get eonsiaefa-
ton for a Cuban resolution before the
foreign affairs committee can act. Con-
gresham Livingston of Georgia is one
of these. But owing to the nature of he
house rules, all these hasty efforts will
prove abortive and the measures prob
ably will take their course.
There will be nothing except in dispo-
sition on the part of the members TO
prevent the senate entering promptly
upon its work upon convening to-mor-
row, as there is a calendar already
made for it. with about 100 bills re-
ported from committees during the spe-
cial session If any circumstances
should prevent the reception of the
probabilities are that the senate will
adjourn over without taking up any
other business until the message could
be received. With the message read it
will remain with the senate to decide as
to whether it shall seriously enter upon
the work of the session after Monday,
or begin system of delay intended 10
throw all important questions over he
yond the Christmas holidays. The in
dications are now for little more ac-
tivity than usual during the pre-holi-
day session.
This is largely due to the fact that
the supporters of the Administered ton
and advocates Of annexation are very
anxious to secure the earliest possible
consideration Of the treaty with HaM ali.
Senator Davis. chairman of the conuit-
tee on foreign relations, announces his
purpose of pressing annexation al 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 on the de-
tails Of the procedure. The committee
will be called together Wednesday for
this purpose. One point which the com
mittee viii be called upon TO decide is
whether to proceed to ratify the treaty
of annexation or to annex the islsnas
py resolution. The anneNationists haa.t
lost some votes during the vacation aid
there is now apprehension that the two
thirds vote necessary To asUre the rats
hcatinn cannot be secured. No satisfac-
tory canvass Is possible until all the
senators arrive ana If Il is then made
manifest that the necessary tN0-thirds
vote cannot be secured II = likely that
the proceeding by means Of resolution
which would require only a majority
vote, viii be inaugufated Some MEM
bers of the foreign relations committee
who favor annexation. advocate this
course. because they say they see u@
reason Tor going over the same ground
twice. as they would he compelled to da
in case the matter should ne FIRST con
sidered in executive session fail there
and then he taken up ia the form II a
resolution in omen senate and house
The Immigration bill far which sen
atar Lodge stands sponsor. Is practi-
eally at The head Of Il he senate lHgISla-
tiye calendar, aud Ns4 be- considered
early in fhe session. Senator I.f5EfZts ttlz