Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1898-03-28
55th CONGRESS.
The Board of Inquiry Report to
Be Presented, Today.
Will Be Referred to Foreign Affairs
Committee, Without Debate.
To Await Spain's Answer Plenty Of Excite.
ment Promised This Week.

Washington, March 27-The largest
crowd that has attended a session of
Congress IN years, IS expected at the
capitol. tomorrow, when the official re-
port of the board of inquiry on the
Maine disaster will be given to the
country. Extra instructions have been
issued to the attendants and admission
to the reserved galleries will be strictly
by card. Not one-tenth of the people
who storm the doors are expected to
gain admission The members of the
House await the report with the same
feversh anxiety the public manifests
and there were not likely to be dozen
vacant seats on the floor
The scene when the report is read.
probably will be intensely dramatic,
but these who go TO the Capitol, to-
morrow, expecting to see it's presenta-
ton followed by Wild Juror of oratory
probably Will be sorely disappointed.
The report and the accompanying mes
sage will be brief and after being read
Will be referred to the committee ON
foreign affairs without discussion
Nj Hit Of Illinois. chairman of the
f reign affairs committee, will be recog-
nized by the Speaker to make this mo-
llpu. ne ulpllpH Is Iol ucDdtdDie. II
is the wish of the President. expressed
to the leaders of both parties, that this
course be followed. and the programme
has been acquiesced by all irrespective
of party. Should any single member
attempt to interfere with it demand
for the previous question will take him
off his feet.
once in committee the findings of the
board viii remain there until report
is made by the committee which will
certainly he not until SPANS explana-
tion and positions are made known to
the administration.
Meantime the precipitation of the Gu
ban issue between Spain and the United .
States is likely to throw the Maine dis
aster. which the administration intends
to deal with as a separate and distinct
incident into the background. as sub
icct for future settlement. unless Spain
should take a position, not now antici-
pated, that would compel immediate
action.
Wednesday, the President probably will
transmit a message asking for an appro-
priatiOn to relieve the starvation in cuba.
The appropriation probably will be voted
with almost as much unanimity as was
the soo,000,000 for the national defence.
but the debate may bring out some crit
icism of the administrations policy by
those who believe that radical and ag
gresSivc intervention should at once be
taken. The administration is assured.
however. of strong majority for the
policy it has so far mapped out to the
Republican and Democratic leaders.
The members are so completely alb
sorbed by the questions of the hour that
during the remainder of the week they
are likely To inject debate upon these
questions into the proceedings at every
opportunity. But the rules as at present
enforced are rigorous and the outcrop-
ping of passion and patriotism is likely to
be confined largely to the debate upon
The naval appropriation bill Every effort
will be made to dispose of this bill as
quickly as possible in order to remove
opportunity for innammatory speeches.
rhe Republican leaders believe they are
justified in exercising restraint until the
line for action arrives.
After the Maine report is read, tomor-
row, the death of Representative Simp-
lins will be announced and the House i'm
nedately will adjourn as mark of re-
'peCt.
Tuesday and Friday are private bill
lays and q contested election case could
re thrown into the House to consume the
of the week. Under the rules
my attempt to discuss the Cuban ques-
ION, except during the consideration of
he naval bill and then only by subter-
uge, can be prevented.