The San Francisco call., 1898-04-25
Formal Declaration the First Duty of Each
 House.
Dingley's Revenue Bill May Meet Considerable Oppo-
 SitiOn.
Will Finally Be Passed, Though Dem ocrats Say They Should Have
 Been Consulted.
Special Dispatch to The Call.
Call Office. Riggs House,


 Washington, April A.
 It is the expectation that the Senate work this week will begin with the re- ceipt of a message from the President asking that Congress shall make a formal declaration of war and that there will be quick response to the request. There has been some appre- hension that there might be a renewal of the effort to secure a recognition of the independence of the Cuban in surgents In connection with the war declaration, but the best information now is that this will not be undertaken and that there will be practically no opposition in the Senate to war reso- lution. It is suggested on the part of some of the members of the Committee on Foreign Relations that it will not even be necessary to refer the PreSi- dents message to the committee when received, but that a resolution can be immediately introduced and passed. If this suggestion should not prove prac- ticable the committee will report promptly
 The Senate will resume consideration of the naval appropriation bill at the earliest possible moment. The only disputed point undisposed of in connec- tion with the naval bill is the provision in relation to the price of armor, which Senators Tillman and Butler are mak- ing an effort to have reduced from $400 to $500, after the three battleships now building are supplied. Both these Sen ators and probably others will make speeches in support of this amendment and the debate will in all probability be quite sharp. It does not appear probable that the amendment will be accepted by the Senate.
 The Senate also will take up the army reorganization bill as soon as it can be reached after it is reported from the Committee on Military Affairs, by which it will be given prompt consider ation. The committee will also take cognizance of the supposed defects in the volunteer army bill with a view to correcting them if found as serious as reported This bill has been investi- gated by some of the best lawyers of the Senate and most of them express the opinion that it is not defective.
 It is not believed that the war reve- nue bill will receive consideration from the Senate this week, owing to the probability that it will meet with suffi- cient opposition in the Finance Com mittee to delay IL there TOT some time. The Democrats will seek to eliminate the bond features of the bill and they may attempt to incorporate provision for an income tax when the bill reaches the committee, and a stubborn contest is promised both in the committee and Senate. Whether the bill is amended in the committee or reported as it comes from the House, the indications are quite positive that it will be made the basis of a prolonged discussion in the Finance Committee.
 If the President sends a message to Congress tomorrow calling for decla- ration of war, as is now anticipated, the response will be prompt and em- phatic Now that war has been entered upon even those Congressmen, like MT. Johnson of Indiana and MT. Loud of California, who have hung lack pro- testing to the last, have sunk their in- dividual ideas in the common cause, and all are now anxious to give to the President a united support in every measure deemed essential, or neces- sary to prosecute the war to speedy and successful conclusion. In order to show the world that all facti Jnal divi- sions have ceased and that the repre- sentations of the American people are arrayed in solid and imposing pha-