The record-union., 1898-12-12
Senator Morgan VIII Call II Up
To-Day.
Opponents Of the Bill Will Pros
pose to Defer Consideration Of
Holidays appropriation Bills
Will Have Right of Way in the
House - Army Bills in Both
Houses Likely to Provoke De-
bate.

WASHINGTON, Dec. 1.-THE course
of proceedings in the Senate this week
Will depend upon the disposition that is
made of the Nicaragua Canal bill. 1t
is Senator Morgan's intention to call
up this measure Monday and he has
expressed the hope that he will secure
action at the Monday session. Few of
his most Sanguine co-workers agree
with him in this opinion and the best
indication is that unless agreement cam
be reached for postponement, several
days at least will be consumed in it's
consideration. The opponents of the
measure will meet its supporters with al
proposition to defer consideration until
after the Christmas holidays, and they
will give as their reason for this re-
quest the fact that the report of Ihe
Government Commission appointed to-
investigate the feasibility of the canal
has not yet been made, urging the I'M
portance of receiving the information
which the commission will be able to
furnish before acting upon so important
a question. If the bill is taken up in
earnest it will consume the greater por-
tion of the Senate's time until finally
disposed of.
the anti-scalping bill, which Senator
Cullom has informed the Senate he
will seek to get up at an early day,
but he will meet with opposition il he
makes the effort and is not likely to
succeed thus early in the session.
The special order for Monday at .
o'clock is the bill providing for the reg
istry of foreign built ships, but if the
Nif.a IL
up the registry bill would not be al
lowed to consume much time. Senator
Morrill, has given notice of a motion
Tuesday to consider the bill providing
for the purchase of a site for the Unit
ed States Supreme Court, but the pro-
ceedings with reference to this meas
ure will be confined to speech by the
Vermont Senator
The urgent army deficiency bill will
receive attention early in the week. The
Committee on Appropriations will meet
Monday and it is not believed more than
one meeting on the bill will be neces-
sary. Senator Allison, Chairman of
the committee, hopes therefore, to get
the bill before the Senate for considera-
tion Tuesday.
LII has been prophesied that the army
bill would be used as a pretext for dis
cussion of the Spanish war and the fear
or such course has not entirely SUBJ
sided
Beyond the first three days there is
no program mapped out for the House
tnlS week. Tomorrow will be devot-
ed, under the rules, to the consideration
OF business relating to the District of
Columbia and on Tuesday the District
OF Columbia appropriation bill will be
taken up. This is in pursuance of the
determination of the leaders to give the
appropriation bills the right of way
whenever one is ready There is noth-
ing in the district bill this year to at
tract opposition and unless the unex-
pected happens, the bill ought to pass
Tuesday or Wednesday at the latest.
The Appropriations Sub Committee on
Pensions will commence work on the
pension appropriations bill Tomorrow.
but it can hardly be ready before next
week. 1t is confidently expected how
ever that the bill will be passed before
the holidays. 1t is possible that Chair
man Hull of the Military Affairs Conn
mittee will be able to bring in the army
reorganization bill as soon as the dis
trict appropriation bill is out of the
way. He is exceedingly anxious to get
the bill into the House at the earliest
possible moment, as he is particularly
solicitous that it should pass the
House before the holidays. If it should
follow the district bill a very interest,"
ing debate would be precipitated. The
future policy of the Government is out
lined in the bill for the increase of The
standing army and the whole subject
will be opened up. The Democrats are
divided upon the question of increasing
the regular army, but how far the OPP
position will go in antagonizing the
measure it is impossible to forecast.
Only last week during the debate on
the urgency deficiency bill, De Almond
(Mo), one of the leaders, evaded ii-
rect reply when the question was put
fairly at him by Cannon, Chairman Of
the Appropriations Committee. If the
army reorganization bill does not come
up the various committees under the
call will probably be allowed to clean
up business which they have on the
calendar.