The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1899-02-20
Congress Must Do Some Great Hust.
ling This Week.
EXTRA SESSION WILL BE AVOIDED
WITH DIFFICULTY.


Washington, February Ie.-The week
Will be a busy one In the Senate. With
only twelve days of tho session left. all
Senators appreciate the necessity Of very
strict and close attention to business In
order TO get through the bills, which all
admit must become laws In order to pre-
vsne an extra session Of Congress.
Very rarely has 10 occurred that there
have been 70 many Important measures
on the Senate calendar so short . time
before she nnal adjournment of the last
session Of . CongresA There are, how
eve. only comparatively few of these
biBs. outside the appropriation bills
wkich must necessarily be acted uron be-
fos4 adjournment and II the Senate shall
diepose Of these with the same facility
thet 1t has used In getting rid Of other
important bills during the past week, the
seN1ion will b closed up In good order
au1 with time to spare. The army reor.
gatksation bill and the census bill are In
re8nsy the only two measures, aside from
thu appropriation sbiils, upon which final
aotiou would seem absolutely necessary.
Tts census bill has passed both houses
sna IL now In conference and is reaso ma
bly sure of enactment In some shape.
Ths army bill Is yet to reoeive the atten-
tion Of the senate. Other measures
which viii be pressed to certain extent
are she Alaskan code bill, the Hawaiian
ssrritorisl organization bill aud various
other bills pertaining to Hawaii.
The contest over the army bill which
was promised for last week was post.
ponsd until the present week largely be-
GAUSS the storm Of the rrst days of the
week prevented consideration Of the bill
BY the military committee. Senator Haw-
ley. chairman Of the committee on mill
tary affairs has given notice that .he will
seek to have the bill taken up for consid-
sration Immediately after the disposal of
the routine business Monday. He will
first ask Tor unanimous consent to take
tho ois w srd II this be refused, will
make q motion to this effect There is no
probability that the bill will not DO taken
up as the Democrats as we'll rs the Re-
publicans ooncede the necessity for some
legislation increasing the army to cover
the present emor rsenoy. With the bill once
before the Senate, Senator Cockrell will
proceed to give the reasons Of tn opposi.
tion to a permanent increase In the army
and he will be followed by the Senators
in opposition 20 long as no disposition 10
manifested to abandon at least some por-
tions Of the House bill. The vital point
Of difference between tho two sides of the
chamber is the duration Of time for which
The Repu bliosns demand that it shall be
permanent and the Democrats refuse to
make 10 more than temporary. The lat
ter declare that they will not abandon
this position and say that whatever Is
done, must be done with this understand.
Ing.
Some of the friends of the bill have
suggested the acceptance of the Hull bill
with an amendment making the increase
for only q specified time; but the Demo.
Gratis generally manifest disposition not
to accept this change as they say 1t would
leave the way open for the Republicans
to get phs legislation they want IN the
next Congress BY repeating the temporary
provision.
So far no tangible basis for oompro-
mise has been suggested on either side
but some of the most influential members
Of the Senate are working to that end
and the prediction is freely made that
they will succeed before the CLOSE OF the
session.
hAz kAar hat
common ground would be found until
the champions Of the two sides should
have an opportunity to test the msttle of
each others weapons This opportunity
will come Monday and 1t is expected that
on Tuesday y chance VIII be found for
conference looking to an agreement.
This opportunity will be afforded by TAX
ing up the river and harbor bill If present
plans are carried into effect.
or the supply bills the Senate now has
before it only the post office appr opriation
bill and the river and harbor bill.
OF these the post Office bill has recei we'd
partial attention and the river and harbor
bill none.
1t Is expected that the sundry OWL bill
will be reported late in the week. The
river and harbor will will probably
arouse considerable discussion and there
will be an effort to defeat the Nicaragua
canal amendment on point of order.
There are still four important ap3ropria-
tion bills, namely the naval, army, forti-
hcations and deficiency bills which have
not yet been received from the House.
Senator Cullom says he will make an
effort to get up the general bill providing
a government for Hawaii, but the chances
of success Nre very slim Senator Fair
banks will also undertake to call up the
bill extending this anti-contract labor
laws to Hawaii There may be an effort
to amend this measure and il also may
fail senator Garter viii oan5inus e.
press the Alaskan bin whenever oppor-
tunity affords. The mpson-Schler con
uove'sy will siniost oer rtainly on rp ir
'xerutisa sss ion. Ihe anti scalring nil
sill b. absntane' For be rss-, th''e
Ile inAps L.tlOr ....3 Oh he t.slos. la