The record-union., 1898-03-21

WASHINGTON, March 20.--No pro-
gfamme has been prepared for the Sem
ate for the present week and the course
OF events is liable to be Influenced
largely by developments from the out
side
The quarantine bill is the unfinished
business on the Senate calendar and
If opportunity offers Senator PettigreW
will get up his public land bill. 1t is
| expected the sundry civil appropriation
bill will be reported Wednesday or
Thursday, and if it should be it may
be taken later in the week. The Sem
ate Committee is making many changes
in this bill and it will consume several
days of the time of the Senate when
considered. 1t is also understood to be
Senator Davis intention to bring up
the Hawaiian treaty, in order to get a
vote on the Bacon amendment. 1t is
still Mr. Davis intention to move to lay
the amendment on the table as soon as
Senator Bacon concludes his speech in
its support. All these plans are liable
to be changed if the report of the Court
of Inquiry into the Maine disaster
should be received. The receipt of this
document would inevitably have the
effect of springing a Cuban debate
which would side-track all other queS-
tionS.
Whether the report of the Naval
Board of Inquiry on the Maine disaster
goes to Congress this week with a spe-
cial message from the President, call
ing for Congressional action, relations
with Spain and the proximity of war,
as viewed from the standpoint of en-
ergency preparations now going on to
place the country in a state of defense,
probably will be exhaustively debated
! in the House in connection with the
naval appropriation bill, the consider
alton of which will begin on Tuesday.
The many emergency items in the bill,
the large increase in the enlisted force,
the liberal provision for battleships,
| torpedo boats and dry-docks, will bring
| the whole subject for the necessity for
these preparations directly before the
House.
| While the conservative leaders doubt
| less will seek to prevent inf1ammatory
| expressions under the recent ruling of
the Speaker, which practically places
no limit upon the latitude of debate in
| Committee Of the Whole on the state
| of the Union, the leaders, except by
their example, probably will be unable
| to repress sensational speeches. An eff
fort is likely upon the part of some
of the radicals to force from those in
the confidence of the administration a
/ declaration of the policy of the admin
| istration regarding Cuba. This they
( hope to do by taunting them with
some of the rumors which have been
| floating about in the newspapers dur
| ing the past few days. Altogether 1T
/ is likely there will be a general express
| sion of the sentiment in the House on
| this question before the bill is passed.
Should the President transmit the
report of the Board of Inquiry with
request for Congressional action dur
! ing the week, everything else will give
way to it. Any action that might be
decided upon would be in the complete
control of the Republican leaders, as
to the limit to be put upon debate. If
the report of the board does not go to
| Congress this week the naval bill will
probably consume all the time after
! Tomorrow But if it should be passed
before Saturday, which seems unlikely,
the bill for the reorganization of the
army and authorization for recruiting
it to footing aggregating 1O4, 900 men
in time of war. will be taken up. To-
morrow the bill for the relief of the
! victims of the Maine will be called up
| Immediately after the reading of the
! journal under the arrangement made
last week. 1t is not expected to con-
sumo much time, but probably will be
made the occasion for several patriotic
speeches in eulogy of the heroism of
| the sailors who went down to their
| tragic death The rest of the day Will
be occupied in the consideration or
private bills, in pursuance Of the order
of last Friday. Altogether it promises
to be an exceedingly eventful, if not
sensational week in the House.