The evening times., 1899-01-27
GENERAL WASHINGTON
NEWS AND GOSSIP.

Can an Extraa Session BE Avoideds
Although the members of the Admins
tration circle Nave for more than ten days
looked upon an extra session as unavoid-
able, they believe today that there is a
fair prospect Of escaping it. The fixing of
date to vote on the Peace Treaty and the
almost certainty that it will be ratified
when the vote is taken have brought mat
ters to focus. 1t appears that Speaker
Reed is more anxious not to have an extra
session than Mr.. Mckinley or any Of his
friends. He has mapped out a great deal
of private work next spring and summer,
which would be seriously interfered with
IL there should be an extra session OF the
Fifty-sixth Congress 1t is said that Mr..
Reed has during the past few days been
conferring with the friends of the Presi-
dent with reference to fastening matters
up SO that an extra session will not be
necessary. Mr. Reed has promised, it is
understood, to see to it that there Is no
unnecessary delay in the House on the
important matters in which the Admins
tration is interested. The s20,OOO,O0O in
demnity to be paid to Spain. as stipulated
in the Treaty, has been added to the sun
dry civil appropriation bill in the Senate.
Mr.. Reed will use his influence TO have
the House concur in the amendment
promptly when the bill goes back to that
body. He will also. it is stated, let the
Nicaragua Canal bill go through the
House.
Mr.. Reed is still opposed to expansion"
said one of his friends today, but he real
ICES that there is nothing to be gained
by butting ones head against a stone wall;
that We are already expanded and that
the real problem before the country today
is the future government and disposition
of our new possessions. He knows that
the Treaty cannot be defeated or amended
and that il would be better TO have it
ratified at this session if possible. | do not
believe that Mr.. Reed has been actuated
by desire TO retain the Speakership OF the
next House in making known his position
to the Administration and expressing his
Willingness TO help push matters along,
but of course the Administration is rot
likely to oppose Mr. Reed so long as be
manifests disposition to cooperate with
the President in the carrying out of his
policy"
The Army Reorganization BIil.-
H.is conceded that the army reorganiza-
ton bill is the most serious obstacle at
present to clearing the road to avoid
extra session. Some kind of bill can be
the Senate is extremely dubious. The Ad-
ministraton is almost as anxious to have
the army reorganization bill passed before
Congress expires on March 1 as he is to
have the Peace Treaty ratified. Il is said
by persons close to Mr.. Mckinley that IL
no army reorganization bill is passed al
this session be will feel constrained
10 convene an extra session in the spring
if only to attend to this matter. II will be
impracticable and almost impossible, they
say, to continue the volunteer regiments
in the service long after the ratification
of the Treaty of Peace. The volunteers,
or at least, great majority of them, have
been clamoring to be discharged ever
since the signing OF the Peace protocol
last August. Nearly every volunteer has
some political influence and the pressure
on the Administration from this source
has been tremendous. After the ratifca-
tion of the Treaty of Peace of course it
will be increased.
If Congress adiourns without making
some provision for increasing the size of
the regular army the Administration will
be in a very awkward predicament par
ticularly in the event of serious trouble
with the Filipinos. II is pointed out that
the President might issue proclamation
calling for volunteers, but call for vol
unteeTs in time of peace, merely 10 do
garrison duty would be a very humiliat-
ing spectacle. Constitutional experts too
say that the President has no authority to
call for volunteers except after a formal
declaration of war. 1t is the best Judgment
of the members of the Administration cir
Gle that there will be an extra session OF
the Fifty sixth Congress forthwith, If the
army reorganization bill fails of enact
ment at the present session.
Senator Quay's Prospects.-The sit
uation at Harrisburg seems 10 be settling
down for prolonged deadlock Senator
Quay's efforts to capture Democratic sup
port have apparently failed and many OF
| his close friends here have about reached
the conclusion that Mr.. Quay cannot be
reelected. However. no result is row
looked for at Harrisburg by Pennsylvan-
ians in Washington for some time The
report that Quay intended throwing his
support eventually to Governor William
A. Stone is not seriously credited here
In the first place, the anti-Quay people
object to Governor Stone almost as much
as to Quay. 1t is believed that the sue
| cessful dark horse must first show some
strength with the opposition 1t is on
this point that the friends of Representa-
tive Charles W. Stone are banking a great
deal They claim that their man is in a
better position to receive the votes of both
sides and heal the breach in the party
than any other man whose name has been
mentioned in connection with the Sena-