The San Francisco call., 1898-01-03
Will Soon Consider the Hawaiian Annexation
 Treaty.
COrbett'S Claim to a Seat in the Senate Will Be Con-
 tested.
In the House the Battle on Civil Ser vice Appropriation Is to Be
 Renewed.
Special Dispatch to The Call.
Call Office, Riggs House,


 Washington, Jan. 2.
 The prevailing opinion among Sem ators is that very little legislation will be attempted during the present week. The fact. that Congress will not recon vene until Wednesday will probably be taken by the absentees to mean that nothing will be attempted until the following week, and, as a consequence, it is doubtful whether there will be a quorum present in the Senate on Wed nesday, in which event there will prob ably be an early adjournment and then an adjournment until Monday. In any event it is not probable that any impor- tant questions will be raised during the present week.
 The general understanding is, how ever, that the work of the session will begin in real earnest after this week, and that henceforth there will be no justification of the complaint of dull ness in the proceedings. Among the questions which will engage early at tention are: The Hawaiian annexation question, the claim of MT. Corbett to a seat in the Senate from Oregon, the immigration and the financial ques- tionS.
 In all probability the Committee on Privileges and Elections will meet dur ing the present week, and the chances are that an early report on the Corbett case will be ordered, even though it may not be favorable. The Republican side Of the chamber will not be a unit in MT. Corbett's interest. Senator Bur rows of the committee that has charge of the case is preparing an exhaustive speech antagonistic to Mir Corbett, and the opposition is counting upon the aS- sistance of still others from that side of the chamber. It is not believed that there will be any serious antagonism to the immigration bill, but there may be considerable time consumed in speeches on the subject.
 It is probable that Senator Davis. chairman of the Committee on For eign Relations, will make an effort during the present week to get a day fixed for taking up the annexation treaty, and there is no apprehension of any objection to naming a day in the near future. The plan of the SUD- porterS of the treaty is to take the question up in executive session on q resolution of ratification, and to de- bate the treaty for a few days in ex- ecutive session, pursuing this course long enough to determine their strength and commit those who pro- fess. to be with them.
 If they find that they have the ne
 
 tion, they will press on to the end, but if they discover themselves to be de- ficient in voting strength they will change their policy and take up the question of annexation on Senator Morgan's resolution to that end. There is no doubt that majority of affirma- tive votes can be secured and that a resolution of this character can be passed if vote can be reached. The present indications are that the treaty as such will fail of ratification by from | two to six votes, but friends of the agreement have by no means lost hope that they will succeed in securing the entire sixty votes necessary to ratify They claim that they have been mak- | ing headway in securing votes during | the recess, and are hopeful of still add | ing to the number. They now assert | that solid vote may be expected from the Republican side of the chamber and that several Democrats who have | been claimed by the opposition are on i the fence and liable to come to them 1 The circumstance which has done | most to improve the chances of the | treaty is the conduct of the European | powers in apparently preparing for | the partition of China. Many Senators 1 feel that this is an event which calls | for prompt action on the part of this country in the Hawaiian matter, and | lhClC 10 lO utLylIS lIldL llllS NlcN Has | made some impression upon Senators who have heretofore been classed as | doubtful.
 The promised explanation by Senator | Wolcott of the result of his bimetallic mission to Europe is expected when made to open up the discussion of the attitude of the administration on the ! silver question and the debate may even be sprung in advance of his 1 speech. The pronounced free silver ad- vocates are determined to secure a test vote during the session on the silver ] question, and Senator Teller has decid- ed to introduce the Stanley Matthews resolution of the Forty-fifth Congress 1 declaring for the payment of bonds in silver, with this end in view. Senator i Wolcott will, in all probability, make a simple, straightforward statement avoiding all controverted points as far as possible, but there are other Sena- tors who will not be contented to allow the matter to drop there and they will seek to open the entire question of the position of the administration toward international bimetallism. MT. Wolcott does not expect to be able to present his statement before the 18th of the month.
 The time of the House this week, after It meets on Wednesday, will | probably be entirely devoted to the de- bate on the civil service question. By general consent the appropriation in the executive, legislative and judicial bill for the maintenance of the com mission, upon which the debate will be based, went over until after the holi- days. It is intended by the opponents of the civil service law that the de bate shall cover the whole question and they expect to develop and exploit some very interesting facts The de lenders of the law have made elaborate preparations to meet these assaults and some highly interesting. if not sen sational, incidents are anticipated The records of individuals are likely to be very much in evidence. It is not ex- pected that the debate will be conclud. ed this week as Saturday has been set aside for paying tribute to the memory of the late Representative Wright o1 Massachusetts.
 Tn