The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-12-19
Opposition In the Senate Is Less
Pronounced.
EARLY ACTION PROBABLE
MAY BE RATIFIED DURING
PRESENT SESSION.
Some Senators Will Insist Upon
Lengthy Debate, But There Is a
Strong Feeling Against An Extra
Session - Anti-expansion Petit
tons Carry But 1000 Signatures.

washington, Dec. 1S.-The week in the
senate will be opened with a speech by
Senator Platt of Connecticut on the ques-
ton of expansion. He has given notice of
an address to begin Immediately after the
conclusion of the routine morning bust
ness Monday. Mr.. Plat will reply to the
speech of Senator Vest, made last Mon
day and as he has given very careiQI at
tentfon to the extension oil our terrltorlal
area no little interest is maul1eS, ed among
senators in his presentation OF the mat
ter, and it is not improbable, unless the
Nicaragua bill prevents, that the speech
will precipitate more or less general de-
bate upon this question. Whether 1t does
or not, number of speeches on the same
subject will be made after the Christmas
holidays, preparatory to the consideration
of the peace treaty.
1t is hoped that the treaty will be taken
up for discussion early in January. AL
ready there is talk of the probability OF
disposing of the treaty during the present
session. and the impression favorable TO
the result is growing. A few senators
manifest a disposition to debate the treaty
at length, and some profess. unalterable
opposition but the feeling is so strong
against an extra session and in favor of
the postponement of the settlement OF the
come into our possession, that It now
seems that even the minority will con-
sent to the treaty's ratification without
material delay.
The friends of the treaty, who are CIV
ing attention to the closest details of OPP
position as they develop themselves, have
taken the pains to have enumerated the
names of the signers to the memorials
against annexation which have reached
the senate, and they find that there are
fewer than 1000 of them, distributed
among the states as follows: Massa-
chusetts, 1,495; West Virginia. 101; In
diana, "a; Ohio, so: Florida, a; New York,
As; Virginia, 80; Vermont, 20; Maryland
16 Pennsylvania and Illinois, each 15;
Rhode Island, u: New Hampshire. 6; Cal
ifornia and Missouri, each; Wisconsin
RADIO, Iowa and Nevada, l each.
NICARAGUA BILL.
Senator Morgan said today that he
meant to press the Nicaragua canal bill
as vigorously as possible, and he eX-
pressed the hope that he might get a
vote before next Wednesday, the probable
day of the Christmas adjournment; the
| indications are however, against such an
early disposal of the subject and it may
be accepted as quite certain that even if
Senator Turpie's motion for postpone
ment until Jan. 10 should not prevail, the
bill will be naturally thrown over beyond
the holidays. It is evidently the purpose
of the opposition to prevent action during
the few remaining days prior to adj
journment. Mr. Morgan today indicated
his willingness to accept the Berry
amendments in modified form and the
bill as the Arkansas senator proposes to
change it has been printed for informa-
ton
The bill concerning the registry of for
eign built vessels wrecked or the Ameri-
| can coast is still on the calendar as a
! special order, and Senator Elkins will
probably make another effort to secure
consideration. Senator Cullom has also
expressed q desire to get up the anti
scaIping bill. Both these measures will
be antagonized and most probably thrown
/ over until January.
There will be no effort to gel. up any
more appropriation bills until after the
resumption of business in January.
HOUSE FORECAST.
The holiday recess, by the terms of the
resolution reported by the ways and
means committee, is to begin Thursday
and extend until Wednesday, Jan. 4. 1t
is likely however, that the resolution
begin Wednesday, instead of Thursday.
! The appropriation bills are further ad-
vanced now than they have been for
many years at the short session. AL
ready the naval and army deficiency, as
! special bills. and three of the regular
| bills-the pension, District of Columbia
and Indian-have passed the house. The
agricultural bill was reported yesterday
and will be taken up on Tuesday. Four
of the regular money budget out of thir-
teen will, therefore. have passed the
( unprecedented thing in legislative annals.
The military academy bill could have
been added to this list had it not been
that Chairman Huh. of the military af-
fairs committee, declined to allow the
attention of the committee to be drawn
from the bill for the increase of the
army, even for the limited time required
to prepare the academy bill. The latter,
! however, will be reported before the re-
cess.
The friends of the naval personnel bill
and the bill for the Philadelphia EXPOSE
/ ton of 1899 have been urging the commit
! tee on rules to grant time for their con-
| sideratiop. Time will be allotted for the
( former bill soon after the house recon
] venes after the holiday recess. 1t is
bill may he called up and placed upon its
| passage tomorrow. as tomorrow, under
| the rules, is suspension day. The bill to
/ extend the navigation laws of the United
I States over Hawaii, which WAS pending
/ when the house adjourned, may also be
voted upon under suspension of the
/ rules