Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-11-18
NEXT SPEAKER HERE
General Henderson Arrives and
Receives Many Callers.
TALK OF COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS
Preparing for a Most important
Session.
PROPOSED CAUCUS RULE

General Henderson. who. with his fam
lily, arrived in Washington late yesterday
afternoon. taking quarters at the Norman
die for the winter was kept busy last night
| and for while this morning with a multi
tude of callers Nearly every one in the
city especially Interested in the approach
ing session Of Congress sought occa sion to
ray resp 'cts to the coming Speaker As
Yet there but few members Of the
House or senators in the city, and there
fore the callers were for the most part
people not I'm Congress who have a pleas
ant acquaintance with General Henderson
OF his family. but about every member Of
the House who IS here called After 10
O'Clock this morning the general was en-
gagged In visiting the departments and the
Capitol business missions.
He refuses to talk politics or TO discuss
the outlook of me approaching session nor
is he committing hnsSlf rs 40 the details
Cf committee assigr ments During the $ v
cral months since il hecamc definitely de-
cided that hc would have no opposition for
the SpeakcrShip about all the members #
the House have made known To- him what
are their preferences Of committee places,
ana his familiarity with the general situa-
ton mas probably enabled him 10 make a
nearly complete outline of assignments. Tut
II Is understood that he has mad ii clear
self by making any promises i'm advance,
and this has tendency to relieve the pres
Committee Assignments.
The general understanding is that to a
very great extent old committee assignments
Will be taken as a basis for the new. and
there is likely to be itric more II an ur-
heaval than there would have been had AIr.
Reed continued as Speaker The large
number OF vacancies. however. afford COM
siderable opportunity for the advancement
Of members who's old assignments are not
satisfactory. There will be some c'utasts.
but by no means as many as usual when
there Is change in the Speakcrsnip.
Proposed Caucus Rule.
Gen. HENDERSON. in common with all the
leading men in Congress. recognizes that
The coming session promises To be one Of
the most important In many years. and
careful consideration is being given TO the
matter Of policy of legislation. some very
important things are 10 bc done and "A pro-
gram IF procedure viii have TO be- decided
on. L is expected that the majority caucus
will be relied On for ne determination OF
questions OF legislation to q far greater eN-
tent than during the oSiue Of Air. Reed.
Rules OF the House.
Whether there viii be change Of conse-
quence in the rules Of the House is uncer-
tain. Gen. Henderson's colleague, Mr.. Hep
burn. Il active in advocacy of such changes
as would Increase thu indiviaual power Of
each member Of the House and of placing in
the hands Of a committee organized by the
House itself. and not by the Speaker, the
decision as TO the order Of business. Many
members, however, are rather slow TO adopt
this suggestion. and it is apparent that ;he
question viii depend much upon what the
new Speaker desires in the matter. There
will be little disposition to take from the
IL