The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-10-22

to Cuba and therefore there VIII be little
debate Oh that subject Congress will be
urged to dispose Of the matters relating to
Hawaii and Porto Rico at once as the needs
of these Islands make III impera-sye that
such should be done. The best opinion IS
that congress will frame laws for the Phil
ippines It the same time laws are framed
for Porto Rico and Hawaii. This will bring
on a heated debate and doubtless pro-
t.-c.ed one in the senate where the oppo-
s1aon can consume as much time as 1t
desires, according to the rules of that body.
Must be Gone Over
As all bills not passed die with the con-
gress in which they originate, every bill or
rnea sure even If II should have been pass
ed in one branch of the last congress, will
have to be passed by both the house and
senate In the Fifty-siMth. The fight over
the anti-scalping bill will have to be made
over { ain and the fate of that measure
DIS doubtful
Another question which will excite little
interest in the public mind, but which will
consume a great deal of time in debate is
that relating ITO the various reciprocity
treaties These treaties are of the utmost
Importance, and each paragraph will be
I thoroughly debated, though there will be
little politics enter into the discussion.
K There will be tremendous fight over the
proposed subsidy shipping bill. Party
Hines Will be drawn closely on this meas
ure and the debate will be heated and ex-
citing. The democrats will use, every legis-
lative device in their power to defeat 1T
and every political point possible will be
scored.
Senator Morgan has served notice on the
country that the senate will push the Mica
rauguan bill again at the coming session,
and there will be made vigorous effort to
authorize its construction.
Another bitter fight will ensue when the
made increase
army to one hundred thousand men or
more. The present army is merely pro-
visional one and ceases to exist in July,
1901, unless congress passes bill making
it permanent. The effort was made in the
last congress to make the increase perma-
nent, but the opposition was able to force
congress to accept a compromise, which re-
suited in what is now known as the pro-
visional army.
There will also be an effort made ito in
crease the navy and considerable time will
be consumed over the proposition to make
more liberal provisions in the matter of
pensions. This latter question will come
up and politics will figure very largely in
the debates The Grand Army will ask
that certain restrictions be removed and
the laws be made plain on the subject of
pensions.
Financial Legislation
Much thought and attention will be given
to the subject of financial legislation The
two committees appointed by the house and
senate at the last congress to agree upon
some currency bill have been at work all
summer While the details of the meas
uresk have not been made public yet, 1T is
known that the committee have not agreed
and that each has a separate scheme to
propose. The committee from the house
has agreed upon bill which will declare
in open terms that gold is the legal stand
ard lit provides for the redemption of
greenbacks in gold and breaks the much
talked-of ''endless chain" by permitting
the greenbacks to be reissued only for gold.
The bill allows the national banks to In
crease their circulation to the par value
of the bonds deposited. Any proposed