Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1898-02-03


Hr 't~s srsptiatias sa ias si': sHss' e1sr 1s
to the Senate. They carry S162, 100000.
Eleven others are to follow. These ap-
preparation bills are the essential of leg
islation. Without them the Government
is blocked. When the differences concern
ing them have been settled by conference
committees, and they have passed both
houses and received the signature of the
President, Congress will be ready to ad-
journ.
1t is evidently the intention of the lead
ers in the House to scale the general ap-
preparation bills as closely as possible, and
to force an adjournment at an early date.
Under the rules other bills carrying APP
preparations can be buried without allow
ing them to come before the House. An
appropriation bill is privileged measure,
and it is frequently used to shunt offen-
sive legislation from the track. 1t has
the right Of way at all times, except when
confronted by contested election case
or by special order from the Committee
on Rules. An appropriation bill can
switch a contested election case from the
track at any time by vote of the House.
but it requires unanimous consent to set
aside n special order after ii has once
been sanctioned by the House.
Bearing this in mind. the question of the
annexation of Hawaii becomes interest
Ing. If the Senate fails to ratify the
treaty by two-thirds vote, bill pro-
vding for its annexation will undoubted-
ly pass that body. If the leaders of the
House are opposed to such bill they can
easily prevent its consideration by the
House. 1t may be buried in the Commit
tee on Foreign Affairs; and If reported
from that committee, there is no way in
which the House can consider it, except
by special order from the Committee
on Rules.
The Cuban question is in a similar sit
uation. The House is held up by an ap-
plication of its own rules. If three-quar-
ters of the members favor the recognition
of Cuba, they would have no opportu-
nifty to vote for it. The Senate resolu-
ton is still buried in the House Commit
tee on Foreign Affairs. If this commit
tee should report 1t favorably to the
House it is in the condition of Lord Low
ellis wife. who jumped into box that
closed with a spring. 1t could not come
up for consideration without the usual
special order. Once on the calendar, it
might be called up on suspension day, pro-
vided the Speaker would consent to rec
ognize a member of the committee for
this purpose. Then two-thirds vote
would pass it.
Bankruptcy and Currency.
There is much talk about bankruptcy
bill. The Committee on the Judiciary has
reported bill practically the same as the
Torrey bill Gen. Henderson of Iowa is
q 81, V,,I, I,asa
He is also a member of the Committee on
Rules. The bill will probably be brought
before the House by a special order. If
this is done the friends of the Nelson bill
will offer that rs substitute, unless pre-
cluded by the terms of the special order
another spring in the box. At all events,
it seems safe to say that if the House
passes any bankruptcy bill whatever this
season it will be the bill reported from
Gen. Henderson's committee. There is
no probability. however, that such a bill
will pass the Senate. 1t can be amended
in that body so as to make it entirely un-
acceptable to the leaders in the House.
The differences between the two bodies
are apparently so great that they cannot
be settled in conference.
The same is true Of financial or a cur
rency bill. Men of experience in both
houses agree that there is no probability
of the passage Of any such measure this
session. If necessary, the appropriation
bills may be used to send them awry. At
all events, there will be no Sabine assimi-
lation. The situation was aptly' describ-
ed by Senator Thomas III. Carter of Mon
tana, who said that to ask the Senate to
pass financial bill based on the plan Of
the monetary commission would be like
Squirting water against the wind"
The Committee ON Rivers and Harbors
is in session and giving hearings to those
interested in such appropriations. 1t is
clear that an effort TO pass n river and
harbor appropriation bill will be made be-
fore the end of the session. Such q bill
has the same privilege, under the rules,
as the other appropriation bills, and Is
usually so framed that it can pass the
House by a two-thirds vote on suspension
day, without debate. This was the case
in the last House. and this House is equal
ly as eager on the question of internal inn
provements.
Another bill of Importance is what is
known as the anti-scnlping bill. 1t was
brought before the House in the last Con-
gress under n special order from the Com
mittee on Rules. In the Fifty-fourth
Congress IL was put TO sleep in the Senate.
Its opponents had the benefit of the short
session. when appropriation bills were
crowding each other to the wall They
used these bills to defeat il. They will
have no such opportunity in this session,
for II is the long session, and Congress is
not compelled to adjourn by the 4th of
March. In strong contrast with this
stand what are known as the letter car
riers' and postal clerks bills. Both have
reached the calendars in previous Con-
gresses, but their friends have never been
able to get a special order for their con-
sideration.
Another bill attracting considerable at
tention Is what is known as the Loud bill.
II revises the rates for second-class mat
ter in the mails, making stringent limita-
xi.-. sefocfins tho neusnanars AID ALI