The San Francisco call., 1898-12-19
FAVORABLE RESULT EXPECTED
RATIFICATION IS PREDICTED
 WITHOUT DELAY.
Interesting Debates Looked For on the Question of the Nicaragua Canal and Territorial
 Expansion.
Special Dispatch to The Call.

WASHINGTON, Dec. 1S.-The week in the Senate will be opened with speech by Senator Platt of Connecticut on the question of expansion. He has given notice of an address to begin inn mediately after the conclusion of the routine morning business Monday. Platt will reply to the speech of Sen ator Vest, made last Monday, and as he has given very careful attention to the extension of our territorial area no little interest is manifested among Sen ators in his presentation of the matter and it is not improbable, unless the Nicaragua bill prevents, that the speech will precipitate a more or less general debate upon this question.
 Whether it does or not a number of speeches on the same subject will be made after the Christmas holidays, preparatory to the consideration of the peace treaty. It is hoped that the treaty will be taken up for discussion early in January. Already there is talk of the probability of dispOsing of the treaty duFng the present session, and the impression of a favorable result is growing. A few Senators manifest a disposition to debate the treaty at 
 opposition, but the feeling is so strong against an extra session and in favor of the pOStpOnement of the settlement of the postponement of the settlement of the disposition of the Philip pines until after they come in to our possession, that it now seems that even the minority will consent to the treaty's ratification without material delay. The friends of the treaty, who are giving attention to the closest details of opposition 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 2000 of them, distributed among the States as follows: Massa- chusetts, 1435; West Virginia, 101; Indi ana. "A: Ohio. 50; Florida, 47; New York, 45; Virginia, 39; Vermont 20; Maryland, 16; Pennsylvania and Hi nois. each 15; Rhode Island, 12; New Hampshire s; California and Missouri, 3 each; Wisconsin and Tennessee, 2 each, and Maine, Colorado, Iowa and Nevada, 1 each.
 Senator Morgan said to-day 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 Wedne day, the prob able day of the Christmas adjourn ment. The indications are, however, against such an early disposal of the subject, and it may be accepted as quite certain that even if Senator Tur pies motion for pOstpOnement till Jan uary 10 should not prevail, the bill will be naturally thrown over beyond the holidays.
 The holiday recess by the terms of the resolution reported by the Ways and Means Committee is to begin Thursday and extend until Wednesday, January 4. It is likely, however, that the resolution will be amended so as to make the recess begin Wednesday in stead of Thursday. The appropriation bills are further advanced now than they have been for many years at the short session. Already the naval and army deficiency, as special bills, and three of the regular bills-pension, Dis trict 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 budgets, out of thirteen will therefore have passed the lower house before the holiday recess, an un- precedented thing in legislative annals The military academy bill could have been added to this list had it not been that Chairman Hull of the Military Affairs 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 re- quired to prepare the academy bill The latter, however will be reported before the recess. The friends of the naval personnel bill and the bill for the Philadelphia exposition of 1899 have . been urging the Committee on Rules tC grant time for their consideration Time will be allotted for the former bill soon after the House reconvenes after the holiday recess. It is possible that the Philadelphia exposition bil may be called up and placed upon its passage tomorrow, as tomorrow under the rules, is suspension day. The bill to extend the navigation laws o1 the United States over Hawaii, which was pending when the House ad' journed. may also be voted upon under suspension of the rules.