The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1898-11-27
NO NEED Of AN
EXTRA SESSION
Congress Can Complete
Its Work on Time.
ARRANGING APPROPRIATIONS
SUB-COMMITTEES CONSIDERING
EXTRAORDINARY EXPENSES.
Representative Cannon Thinks It Is
Useless to Attempt to Labor
During the Holiday
Recess.
ARRANGING APPROPRIATIONS
SUB-COMMITTEES CONSIDERING
EXTRAoRDINARY EXPENSES.
Special Dispatch to The Call.

WASHINGTON, Nov. 26.-Represen-
tative Cannon of Illinois, chairman of
the Appropriations Committee of the
House, has arrived, and to-day the
b-Committee on Deficiencies began
the consideration Of the estimates for
the extraordinary expenses of the army
and navy growing out of the war, also
the preparation of a bill covering these
deficiencies from the period from Janu-
airy 1. 1899, to July l, 1899. Mr.. Cannon
will push the preparation and consid-
Grafton of the regular appropriation
bills as rapidly as possible, but he sees
no reason now why any Of them should
fail and thus necessitate an extra ses
sion.
He expects that the urgent deficiency
and the District of Columbia bills will
pass before the holidays and that work
on the other regular bills will have pro-
pressed so far during the recess that
they can be brought into the House
after the recess as rapidly as that body
is ready for them. The committees
having jurisdiction over the bills not
prepared by the Appropriations Com
mittee, agriculture, consular and diplo-
matte, army and navy, etc, will also
get to work Immediately after the ses-
sion begins.
Mr. Cannon thinks it is useless to at
tempt to work during the holiday re-
cess There have been two occasions
during the last twenty years when the
House has refused to adjourn for the
customary recess, but on each 1t was
impossible to keep quorum OF MEM
bers in town, and little was accom-
plished.
Both he and Mr.. Dingley, chairman
Of the Ways and Means Committee,
share the opinion that to try to hold
the House here during the recess would
be impracticable and Improbable. With
the enactment of the regular money
bills necessary to carry on the govern
mental machinery at this session OF
Congress Mr.. Cannon sees no occasion
for an extra session, SO far as legisla-
ton for our new possessions is con-
cerned. He believes unripe or hasty
legislation for the government of the
islands would be infinitely worse than
military rule Under military gov
ernorship there is perfect elasticity.
Changes can be made to fit new condi-
lions as fast as they may arise.
A years delay before attempting
permanent legislation would give ample
time for the study of all the conditions
surroundir~ the government OF the
islands, both by the military authort-
ties and commissions which might be
provided by Congress. Congress could
then, Mr.. Cannon says, deal intelh-
gently with the subject.
The grand total of the appropriations
for the fiscal year ending July 1. 1898,
including the deficiencies for extraor-
binary expenses from January TO July
1, 1899, is 1898, PSI SIS. There are no fig
ures as yet upon which the appropria-
lions for the coming session of Con-
r-ress can be based but Mr.. Cannon
says they will be considerably below
the figures of the last Congress.