The daily morning journal and courier., 1898-12-05
CONGRESS OPENS AT NOON
FORECAST OF THE WORK TO BE
 sACCOMPLISHED.

Passage of Money Budgets and Dispo-
 sition of Army Increase and Hawaiian
 Government Questions - Sentiment
 Against Legislation, at This Session,
 Regarding New Possessions-The In-
 tense Interest in McTxinIey's Message
 -Nicaraguan Canal BiII-Efrort May
 be Made to Have 1t Passed,
 Washington, Dec. 1.-The curtain will ring up tomorrow at noon upon the closing session of the Fifty-eighth con- gress. The war and the fruits of the American victory carry in their wake many problems which the national leg 1slature must solve, but though many questions may press for solution, the brief space covered by this session, which expires by limitation March 4, precludes the possibility of much being accomplished beyond the passage of the regular money budgets, the legislation for the increase of the regular army which the administration deems neces- sary to meet the obligations imposed upon the country by the result of the war, and probably the enactment of law to give permanent territorial gov ernment to the Hawaiian Islands.
 This covers all the important legisla- ton which the congressional leaders ex- In fnI ct Jt is almost the unanimous sentiment of the leaders that no attempt should be made to legislate concerning the posses sions acquired by the war with Spain at this session. There are earnest ad- vocates of the Nicaraguan canal bill who will strive to secure it's passage now, and they may possibly be success full, but neither it nor any one of the measures like the pooling bill, anti scalpers' bill, etc., which have strong friends, will be allowed to interfere with the bills, the passage of which is deem- ed absolutely necessary to prevent an extra session. The lea aders of both par ties at the capitol have put their heads together and the work of the session is to be entered upon with the idea of avoiding an extra session. With this purpose in view the appropriation bills are to be given the road at both ends of the capitol and put through with all possible haste.
 Two sub committees of the appropri- ntions committee of the house have been at work for a week. The defcien- cy bill to meet the extraordinary eX penses of the army and navy during the six months from January 1, 1898, to July ], is ready to submit to the full commit tee tomorrow, and the regular District of Columbia appropriation bill will be ready by the end of the week. It is necessary that the former should be- come a law before the holiday recess. which this year is to be shorter than usual, and Chairman Cannon hopes to see it through the house and into the senate before the end of the present week. The democrats of the house have not disclosed their position, but it is believed they will seek to obstruct an appropriation bill necessary for the maintenance of the army in the field. Should there be disposition to open up and prolong debate upon the conduct of the war upon this bill, it is safe to assume that the committee on rules will be invoked to bring in an order to cloge debate
 Intense interest is manifested in the presidents message, which will be sub mitted to congress tomorrow, on ac- count of the great importance of the message. The reading of the message will occupy probably about two hours. The first thing in order after Speaker Reed calls the house to order to-mor- row will be call of the roll to deter mine the presence of a quorum. Con- corning this there is little doubt as the members are arriving by every train and the hotels are already thronged. A quorum having been developed com- nittees will be appointed to wait upon the president and senate to inform them that the house is ready to proceed to business. Pending the arrival of the presidents message several new mem bers elected to fill vacanciee caused by deaths or resignations, will be sworn in and immediately after the reading of the message is completed the house will adjourn out of respect to the memory of Messrs. Love of Mississippi ana Northway of Ohio, who died during the recess. On Tuesday or Wednesday at the latest, the house will plunge into ifs work. Chairman Cannon will have inc deficiency bill read and it will oc- cupy the attention of the house to the exclusion of everything else for the re- rnainder of the week.