Daily Kennebec journal., 1899-02-27
55th CONGRESS-.
The Forecast Of the Sessions S
Closing Events.
Army Reorganization and Appropriation
Bills Will Occupy Senate's Time.
Appropriations and Canal Bill Will Make The
Week Lively in the House.

| Washington, Feb. 26.-The week will
open with the compromise army bill
| still before the Senate, but it is i'm
possible to say how long it may con-
tinue to demand the attention of that
body. The opinion is to the effect that
| vote will be secured, Monday. but
this depends largely upon the temper
OF Mr.. German and Ais friends. who
| insist upon the amendment Of the army
bin so as to further control the size Of
the army in 1901. 1t is not. however
believed that they will press their op-
| position to the point of entering into
an extended controversy over the
merits of the measure and the friends
of the bill confidently count on a vote
| before adjournment, Monday. Mr.
| German disclaims any intention to
| force delay but says he will press his
| amendments as long as there is any
chance of success.
If the debate should he continued to
any considerable length the action
would be generally accepted as indi-
| eating a purpose to force an extra ses-
sion as all admit that. with so many
| appropriation bills pending, it is i'm
practicable to give very much more
time TO the army bill and still pass the
supply bills before the fourth of
! March. There is as vet no danger of
| failure of either the army bill or the
| appropriation bills. No senator can
be found who avows himself desirious
| Of forcing a called session. Hence the
| belief that all these measures will be-
| come laws and that when Congress ad-
| journs for the session. next Saturday.
| legislation will be in such shape as to
| render it safe to permit the legislators
to remain at their homes. until next
December. There is now doubt of the
| passage of the army bill by 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 i'm 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 will require more
or less consideration on conference re-
ports The bills in conference are those
providing appropriation for the Indian
| oiutS, PoSt OllIte anu ut-
partments and for the District of
Columbia and the Improvement of
| rivers and harbors.
| There are no radical points of differ
ence in any of these bills except in the
river and harbor bill. but there are
many questions requiring adjustment
and they will necessarily demand time
for this purpose. The river and harbor
bill carries the Nicaragua canal provi-
sion and other additions appropriating
large sums of money. The 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 important
and each will require considerable time
| for disposal. OF these five the COM
mittee on appropriations has consider
ed only the sundry civil bill. The Sem
ate will get all through. however. un-
| less unexpected opposition should he
developed to some of them.
The calendar is fun of bills of pri-
vate and semi-private nature and also
| contains many measures of general
public Importance. Many Of these are
unobjectionable to all the members of
the Senate and majority of those of
this class will pass.
The beginning of the day session will
probably be advanced to 10 or II
| O'Clock each day Of the week and night
sessions are also counted upon for the
greater part Of it.
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
every minute of the time will be re-
quired to get them through before noon
on March 4. 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 except the
appropriation bills and the army re-
organization bill go by the boards in
the final crush. A few minor bills may
go through by unanimous consent but
there is no longer any time for the con-
sideratiOn of important general busi-
ness.
The bill for the government Of Ha-
waii has been abandoned and although
the friends of the public building bills
| ldNOIdOIy dClCu upoh II
of the whole, 10 days ago, still cherish
a lingering hope that time will be
given for their consideration in the
House, the chance is so insignificant
that 1t Is barely worth mentioning.
Hundreds of bills will die on the cal
endar. Although the fear of an extra
session practically disappeared with
the agreement In the Senate upon the
reorganization bill 1t will require the
most arduous labor to get through the
appropriation bills and conference re-
ports before the curtain falls, next Sat
urday.
The actual physical work Of engross-
ing eight extra big appropriation bills,
during the last 4S hours. will necessi- |
tate large temporary addition to the
clerical force. The engrossment Of bills
Is done at the government printing off,
ce, where no special exigency exists
but by special resolution passed, Fri |
day. permission to engrOss by hand
during the remainder OF the session
was given. In the first adjustment OF
differences between the two Houses.
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