The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-02-27
Eleven Appropriation Bills to Dis
pose of This Week.
LAST WEEK OF SESSION
ALL LEGISLATION GOES BY THE
BOARD.
Hardly Possible That Any Public
Building Bills Will Be Passed
Nicaragua Canal Rider May Kill
River and Harbor Bill-No Extra
Session Probable.

open with the compromise army bill
still before the senate, but it is limos
sible to say how long it may continue
TO demand the attention of that body.
The best opinion is to the effect that
a vote win be secured Monday, but this
depends largely upon the temper of Mr..
German and his friends, who insist up
on an amendment of the army bill so
as to further curtail the size of the
army in 1901. 1t is not, however, be-
( lieved that they will press their oDpo-
sition to the point of entering into an
: extended controversy over the merits
of the measure. and the friends of the
bill count confidently on a vote before
adjournment on Monday. Mr.. German
( disclaimS any intention TO force delay,
/ but saws he will press his amendment
as long as there is any chance of sue
/ cess.
| If the debate should be continued to
any considerable length, the action
would be generally accepted as indica-
ting a purpose to force an extra session,
as all admit that with as many appro-
priation bills as are pending. it is i'm
practicable TO give very much time TO
the army bill and still pass the supply
bills before the 4th instant. There
is yet no danger of failure of either the
senator can be found who avows him.
self as DESTROYS of forcing a called ses-
sion, hence the general belief that all
these measures will become laws, and
when congress adjOurnS for the session
next Saturday, legislation will be in
such shape as to render it possible for
the Legislators to remain at their homes
until next December. There is no doubt
of the passage of the army bill by a
large majority when the vote is taken.
The appropriation bills will demand
almost all the attention of the senate
after the army bill is out of the way,
and the senate will have to materially
increase the length of sessions in order
to secure their enactment into laws
There are still five of these bills which
have not as yet received attention from
the senate. and five others which are
in conference and which require more
or less consideration in conference.
The bills in conference are those pro-
viding appropriations for the Indian
office, postoffice and agricultural de-
partmentS and for the District of Col
umbia and the Improvement of the riv
erS and harbors. There are no radical
points of difference in any of these bills,
except in the river and harbor bill, but
there are many questions requiring adj
Jpstment and they will necessarily de-
mand time for this purpose. The river
and harbor bill carries the Nicaragua
canal provision and other additional
appropriations of large sums of money.
Five bills which have not been reported
to the senate are the sundry civil. the
naval. the army, the Notifications and
the general deficiency. All are import
ant and each will require considerable
time for disposal. OF these five, the
committee on appropriations has con-
sidered only the sundry evils fate
The senate will get them all through,
however, unless unexpected opposition
should be developed to some of them.
The calendar is full of bills of a pri-
vate and semi-private nature and also
contains many measures of general
public Importance. Many of these are
unobjectiOnable to all members of t5a
senate and a majority of those of this
class will pass.
The beginning of the day session will
probably be advanced to 10 or IL o'clock
each day of the week and night ses-
sions are also counted upon for the
greater part of il.
WORK IN THE HOUSE
The house will devote practically all
of the closing week of the session to
the appropriation bills and conference
reports, and the prospects are that ev-
cry minute of the time will be required
TO get them through before noon on
March 4. An order has been made to
meet at II o'clock each day, but in ad-
dition to this. night SESSIONS will be
held, and il would surprise none If one
or more all-night sessions should be
necessary. Everything else except the
appropriation bills and the army re-
organization bill will go by the board
in the final crush. A few minor bills
may go through by unanimous consent,
hIlr fhar- iC Ion 81,
consideration of important general
measures. The bill for the government
of Hawaii has been abandoned, and
although the friends of the public
building bills favorably acted upon in
committee of the whole ten days ago
still cherish a lingering hope that time
will be given for their consideration in
the house, the chance is so insignificant
that it is barely worth mentioning.
Hundreds of bills will die on the cal
endar.
Although the fear of an extra session
practically disappeared with the agree
ment in the senate upon the army re-
organization, it will require the most
arduous labor to get through the ap-
bills and conference re-
ports before the curtain falls next Sat
urday. The actual physical work Of
engrossing eight or ten big appropria-
ton bills during the last fOrty-eight
hours will necessitate a large tempo
rary addition to the clerical force. The
engrossment of bills is done at the gov
eminent printing office when no special
exigency exists, but by special resolu-
ton passed Friday, permission to en-
gross by hand during the remainder of
the session was given.
In the final adjustment of differences
between the two houses the house is !