The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1899-02-27
LAST WEEK OFCONGRESS
Much Work to Be Done in the Clos
ing Hours Of the Session.
AIL-NIGHT SESSIONS IMMINENT.

The Desire OF Both Senators and Rep
resentatives TO Avert an Extra ses-
sion WIN Doubtless Lead Opponents
OF the Army BIZ to Yield.
Washington, Feb. 27.-The honse will
devate practically all Of the closing week
Of the session TO the appropriation bills
and conference reports, and the prospects
are that every minute Of the time will
be required 90 get them through before
noon on March g. An order has been
made 20 meet at II o'clock each day,
but in addition to this night sessions
viii be held. and il would surprise none
IN one or more all night sessions should
be necessary. Everything else except
the appropriation bills and the army or
ganization bill will go by the boards In
the final crush. 4 few minor bills may
20 through by unanimous consent, but
there is no longer any time for the con
sideration OF important general business.
The bill for the government Of Hawaii
has been abandoned, but the friends OF
the public buildings bills still cherish a
lingering hope that time will be given
for their consideration in the house. The
chance is so insignificant that it is barely
worth mentioning. Hundreds Of bills
will die on the calendar.
Although the fear Of an extra session
practically disappeared with the agree.
ment in the senate upon the army re-
organization bill it will require the most
arduous labor to get through the ap-
preparation bills and conference reports
before the curtain falls next Saturday.
The actual physical work of engrossing
eight extra big appropriation bills dur
ing the last iS hours will necessitate a
large temporary addition to the clerical
force. The engrossment OF bills is done
at the government printing office when
no special eXigency exists, but by a spe-
cial resolution passed last Friday per
mission to engross by hand during the
remainder Of the session was given.
In the first adjustment OF differences
between the two houses the house is en-
abled to bring every proposition to
vote quickly under suspension OF the
rules, motion to suspend the rules be
ing in order at any time during the last
week of the session. This gives the
house a distinct advantage and enables
it at the fag end Of the session to trans
act an enormous amount OF business in
a very short time. The state of the ap-
propriations bills is such that the situa-
tiOn might well cause alarm were it not
for the almost universal desire on botn
sides of the house to obviate the neces-
sity OF an extra session of congress.
Only three of the fourteen supply bills
have gone TO the president-the pension,
military academy and consular and dip
lomatic
Most of the bills in conference have
problems which will be difficult to solve,
but none Of these differences, veXatious
and serious as they may be, promise a
deadlock which might result in their
failure, with the single exception of the
river and harbor bill, and its loss would
not neceSsitate an extra session. The
fight over the Nicaragua canal bill
amendment which the senate placed up
on this bill as a rider will be bitter, and
to the death. Although the canal propo-
sition undoubtedly would command a ma
jority of the votes in the house against
1t is arrayed the opposition of the ap-
propria ton committee and the ablest
tacticians Of the house, who do not be-
lieye legislation authorizing such an
enormous expenditure should be hastily
passed during the dying hours Of con-
gress, Every strategy known to parlia-
mentary law will be employed to defeat
the proposition, and if necessary prob
ably to kill the bill should the senate
prefer its death to its enactment with
out the canal amendment.
The week opens in the senate with the
compromise army bill still before that
body but it is impossible to say how
long it may continue to demand the at
tention of that body. The best opinion
is to the effect that a vote will be secured
before adjournment this evening, but
this depends largely upon the temper OF
Mr.. German and his friends, who insist
upon the amendment Of the army bill so
as to further control the size of the army
in 1901. 1t is not, however, believed that
they will press their opposition to the
point of entering into an extended con-
troversy over the merits of the measure,
and the friends Of the bill count con-
fidently on a vote today.
II the debate should be continued to
any considerable length the action would
be generally accepted as indicating a
purpose to force an extra session, as all
admit that with as many appropriation
bills pending as are pending it is inn
practicable to give very much more time
to the army bill and still pass the supply
bills before the 4th of March. There is
as yet no danger of failure on either the
army bill or the appropriation bills No
senator can be found who avOws himself
desirOus of forcing called session.
Hence the general belief that all these
measures will become laws and that
when congress adjourns for the session
next Saturday legislation will be in such
shape as to render it safe to permit the
legislators 10 remain at their homes until
next December