The San Francisco call., 1897-12-13
Bills to Be Considered
in the House and
Senate.
There Is a Promise of a Red
Hot Assault on the
Civil Service.
No Action on the Schema to Annex
Hawaii Can Be Taken Before
the Holidays.
Special Dispatch to The CALI.
CALL OFFICE RIGGS HOUSE,
w NASnrN-CrON- noa 10

NALL OFFICE RIGGS HOUSE,
WASHINGTON Dec. -
If the present programme is carried out
Congress will adjourn for the holiday
recess next Saturday. The week in the
House promises to be made memorable
by the formal Inauguration OF the war
against the civil-service law. The legis-
lative. executive and judicial appropria-
tion bill. which will be taken up or Tues
day, contains the regular appropriations
for the Civil Service Com mission, and
whether or not all the members who
favor the repeal or the modification of
the law unite to strike down the pro-
vision for its maintenance as the quickest
and most direct method of Gripping it's
operation undoubtedly some will advo-
cate this course, and the whole civil
service question will be dragged into the
arena of de bate.
How long the debate will last il IS
impossible TO predict, but as this is the
only item in the bill which will attract
much of contest Chairman Cannon
hopes and believes the bill can be passed
before Saturday. This latter day, under
an order made on Th ursday, has been set
aside for paying tribute TO the memory of
the late Re preventative Cooke OF Illinois.
Tomorrow Chairman Hit of the For
eign Affairs Committee will again seek to
secure the passage of the bill to prohibit
pelagic sealing by citizens of the United
States. There is some very strong oppo-
sltion to the passage of this measure in its
present form, and the whole question of
the Bering Sea negotiations may be pre-
clpitated when it is called up. Hopkins
of Illinois, and other members, favor a
limitation on the period of the operation
of the act, if it is to be passed, so that in
case Great Britain refuses to restrict SINH
larly her citizens. our citizens may not be
placed at a disadvantage. Others, like
Johnson OF North Dakota, think the
exiting of the seal herds in the
near future is certain. and are not dis
posed to favor any legislation looking to
their preservation.
The WORK of the Senate 80 far as it has
been mapped out for the week includes
the consideration OF the Immigration bill,
which stands on the calendar as the un-
finished business, the probable debate
OF the census bill. and the pronouncing of
eulogies upon Representative Holman OF
Indiana. The general opinion of the
friends OF the measure is that there will
be no very strenuous opposition to the i'm
migration bill, and that it may be passed
alter brief debate. When similar bill
was before the Senate last session, it had
its principal opponent in Senator Gibson
OF Maryland, and as he has retired from
the Senate the friends of the bill are hope
ful that no one will be found who will
champion the opposition.
They rem membe-, however, that when IL
was necessary, in order to have the bill
become law, to pass 1t over the Pres-
dents veto, the two-thirds vote re quisite
for that purpose could not be secured.
Hence, while they are hopeful of the
speedy and favorable consideration of the
bill, they realize the possibility of delay
on account OF opposing speeches. There
appears to be no reason to doubt chat
when the vote shall be reached that the
bill will pass.
By special arrangement between Sena-
tors Carter and Lodge in charge, respect
lively, of the two bills, the immigration
bill will be temporarily displaced on Tues
day, IN order 10 give Carter an oppor-
tunity TO call up the bill providing for the
next census. When this agreement was
made on last Thursday, Senator Carter
expressed the opinion that very brief de-
bate would be necessary TO get the bill
through, but there are now some indica-
tons that the civil-service question will
be raised in this connection, and il it
should, prolonged debate may be in
augurated,
The friends of annexation of the Com
mittee on Foreign Relations are now ex-
pecting to ask the Senate to axe up the
treaty during the week, though quite we'll
aware Cf the impossl bility of securing
hnal action before the holidays. They
are decided also upou taking the treaty
up as such instead of atte mpting to secure
legislation on q joint resolution. They
may postpone their request for considera-
tion until January.
The Senate leaders express themselves
as agreeable to the House programme for
adjournment for the holidays on Satur-
day. The Senate euIogies upon the late
Representative Holman will be delivered
on Friday.