The San Francisco call., 1899-01-09
PLENTY OF WORK
FOR CONGRESS
Programme in the Sen
ate and House.
OPPOSITION TO EXPANSION
MORGAN'S CANAL BILL WILL
FOLLOW HoAR'S SPEECH.
In the Lower Branch Appropriation
Bills Will Have the Right of
Way During the
Week.
OPPOSITION TO EXPANSION
MORGAN'S CANAL BILL WILL
FOLLOW HoAR'S SPEECH.
Special Dispatch to The Call.

WASHINGTON, Jan. S.-The week
promises TO be a busy one in the Senate.
1t will begin with an elaborate and
carefully prepared speech by Senator
Hoar, to be delivered Immediately after
the transaction OF the routine business
tomorrow in opposition to the eXpan-
sion of American territory. This speech
is of considerable length and with the
interruptions that are liable to occur
it will probably consume the greater
portion Of the day. Tuesday Senator
Mason will diccuss briefly his resolu-
ton in opposition to this country's as
serting sovereignty over Cuba and the
Philippines, taking strong ground for
the independence Of the people Of those
islands.
Senator Morgan will make an effort
early in the week to get the Senate to
name date for taking a vote upon his
bill for the construction of the Near
aqua canal, and whether he succeeds
or not, will press the bill as continu-
ously upon the attention Of the Senate
as circumstance permit. Unanimous
consent is necessary to the fixing or a
time for vote, and it is not probable
that this will be secured for some time
to come.
It is the expectation that the peace
treaty Will be reported on Wednesday,
and also that some of the appropriation
bills now in the hands of the Committee
on Appropriations will be brought in
towards the close of the week. Imme-
diate consideration will be asked for the
appropriation bills but it is possible
that the beginning of the debate upon
the treaty may be postponed until next
week. There is an effort on foot among
the opponents of the treaty to have it
discussed in open session, but the indi-
cations are against such course.
The time of the House will be fully
! occupied from this time forward until
! the conclusion of the session. Appro-
priation bills, which are already in All
unusually advanced stage, are to be
kept to the fore, but there is a deal of
other important legislation which will
press for consideration at every oppor-
| tunity. Perhaps the most important
| single measure is the bill for the re-or-
ganization of the army. 1t was the
! general understanding before the recess
that this bill would be given considera-
/ ton Immediately after the holidays, but
| the illness of Chairman Hull Of the
! Military Affairs Committee VIII delay
1 this measure until he is sufficiently re-
covered to attend the sessions Of the
| House. His illness will also delay the
| military academy and army apprC pria-
| ton bills. Meantime the friends Of the
| navy personnel bill are pushing for its
! consideration, and the Rules Committee
may give a day to it during the present
| We elk. The bill represents a complete
| agreement between the line and the
staff. These two branches Of the ser
| vice have been at war for many years,
! but now they have at last got together
and agreed upon a measure. Its pass
age, once 1t gets TO vote, is assured.
The only opposition 10 it is likely to
! arise from the fact that the organlZa-
ton it contcmplates Involves an aG-
ditional charge on the Il leasury of sew
! eral thousand dollars.
The final vote on the legislative, ex-
ecutive and judicial appropriation bill
! will take place tomorrow. The oppor-
entS of the civil service law succeeded
! in striking from the bill while the
House was in committee Of the whole,
| the appropriation for the maintenance
Of the committee. But tomorrow
! when the vote is taken in the House
! where members are obliged to go on
record, there is little doubt but that the
! appropriation will be restored. The dip
| lomatic and consular and the naval ap-
preparation bills are the next budget to
! be taken up and either or both may be
! considered this week
| Such time as intervenes will be con-
sumed in the consideration of the bill
! for the codification of the laws IF
Alaska. This bill has been made a con :
/ tinuing order. Portions Of two day1
| have already been consumed by 1t and
| less than seventy of the 232 pages oc the
| bill have been disposed of. The lawyers
| of the House show an inclination to go
over 1t critically section by section and
it may be before the House for an in
| dafinIte perfod