The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-02-27
CANAL THE ONLY OBSTACLE.
NOTHING ELSE CAN BRING ABOUT
AN EXTRA SESSION.

Strategy WIN BE Employed
Against It-EIev.n of the supply
Bills to he Finished This Week.
Conference May Prevent a strug-
gle over the Army.
Washington, Feb. 26--The House will de-
vote 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 to get them through before noon
on March A.
An order has been made TO meet at II
O'Clock each day, but in addition to this,
night sessions will be held, and it would
surprise no one if one or more all-night
/ sessions should be necessary.
Everything else except the appropriation
bills and the army reorganization bill will
| go by the boards in the final crush. A
few minor bills may go through by unani-
nous consent, but there is no longer any
time for the consideration of important
| general measures.
The bill for the government of Hawaii
has been abandoned; and. although the
friends of the public building bills favora
bly, acted upon in committee of the whole
ten days ago, still cherish a lingering hope
that time will be given for their consid-
| Grafton in the House, the chance is so in
significant that 1t is barely worth mention
ing. Hundreds of bills will die on the cal
endar.
Extra Session Not Likely.
Although the fear of an extra session
! practically disappeared with the agree
ment in the Senate upon the army reor-
ganlzatlon bill, 1t will require the most
arduous labor to get through the appro-
priation bills and conference reports be-
fore the curtain falls next Saturday.
The actual physical work of engrossing
eight or ten big appropriation bills during
the last forty-eight hours will necessitate
a large temporary addition to the clerI-
| cal force. The engrossment of bills is
done at the government printing office,
where no special exigency exists, but by
special resolution passed Friday permission
to engross by hand during the remainder
| of the session was given.
In the final adjustment of differences
| between the two houses the House is en-
abled to bring every proposition TO a vote
| quickly under suspension of the rules a
| motion to suspend the rules being In order
at any time during the last week of the
session. This gives the House a distinct
advantage and enables it at the flag end
of the session TO transact an enormous
amount of business In very short time.
Bills That Must BE Passed.
The state of the appropriation bills is
such that the situation might well cause
alarm were II not for the almost universal
desire on both sides of the Hous. to obvi-
! ate the necessity of an extra session of
Congress. Only three of the fourteen sup
ply bills have gone to the President-the
pension, military academy and consular
and diplomatic
Six of the appropriation bills have passed
| both houses. Five of these, the iegisla-
tive, executive and judicial, the postoffice,
the agricultural, the District of Columbia
and Indian are in conference, where the
representatives of the two houses are
seeking to adjust the differences. The
| other the river and harbor, has been re.
| ferred to the river and harbor committee
| of the House.
The sundry civil has passed the House,
and is under consideration in the Senate.
| The naval bill has passed the House, but
has not yet been reported to the SEN
ate. The army bill is being considered
| IN the House and Two of the bills, the
fertilization and general deficiency are
yet to be acted upon by the House.
Big Fight on the Canal.
Most of the bills in conference have
problems which viii be more or less diff
ficut to solve, but none of these differ.
ences, vexatious and serious as they may
be, promise a deadlock which might re-
| suit in their faiiure-with the single ex
| ception OF the river and harbor bill ana
| its loss would not necessitate4 an extra
| session.
The fight over the Nicaragua canal
amendment which the Senate placed upon
the river and harbor bill as a rider win
be bitter and to the death. Although the
| canal proposition undoubtedly would COM
| mand a majority of the votes in the
| House, against it is arrayed the opposi-
| ton of the appropriations committee ana
! the ablest tacticians of the House who
do not believe legislation authorizing stlcb
| an enormous expenditure should be hastily
passed during the dying hours of Cor
gress. Every strategy known to parIfa-
| mentary law will be employed to defeat
| the proposition, and IL necessary nrohahl,,
TO kill the bill should the Senate nrefer
| its death to its enactment without the
| canal amendment.
| Strategy That VIII He Used.
After the committee considers the se,-
ate amendments, Chairman Burton win
probably come into the House with a mo-
| ton for a disagreement upon all amend
ments and an agreement in the senata,s
request for a conference Mr.. Hepburn
| chairman of the interstate commerce corn,
mittee, will move concurrence in the canal
amendment which motion is In order ara
/ will take preference. But as the amend
ment carries an appropriation, 1t must be
| considered in committee Of the whole first
and here Its opponents will make their
first fight. Obstructive tactics can be en-
| ployed, but it lies in the power of the ma
| jority to win in the end and II Is proha-
bic that upon vote The House may agree
| TO the amendment.
But this will not end the contest by any
means. II can be transferred to ali con-
ference reports upon the BILL and pro-
longed to the jeopardy of the appropria-
ton bills TO such an extent that Il wo1l1d
seem that in the final issue the friends az
the canal amendment viii be efrectusllv
! hacked unless thew can connr,ana -.