The times., 1899-02-27
GENERAL WASHINGTON
NEWS AND GOSSIP

The Inst Week of Congress.-
The Fifty-fifth Congress is rapidly draw
ing TO close, but yet much remains to be
done. Many important and urgent mat
tiers are still hanging in the air and the
chances are that number of them will
be left there when the present Congress
passes into history on Saturday next.
However, the leaders on both sides are
now hopeful of disposing Of all absolutely
necessary pending legislation this week
What fails to receive attention can, they
think wait until Congress meets again IN
regular session next December. Unless
some unexpected developments take place
the Senate will vote today on the compro-
mise Army Reorganization bill. That the
compromise measure will pass the Senate
if it is brought to vote is conceded ON
all sides. and il is equally certain. in the
judgment of the most conservative OBJ
servers that the House will accept the bill
as it comes from the Senate. II an extra
session of the Fifty-siXth Congress Is 10
be called next spring it will not be on ac-
count of the failure OF the present Con
gress to pass an army bill. The Admins
tration leaders are also confident now that
the Naval Personnel bill will go through
and that the Nicaragua Canal rider TO the
River and Harbor bill will stick. Some
doubt is expressed as to the fate of the
legislation for the Hawaiian Islands. 1t
may be rushed through at the last mo-
ment along with other measures under
suspension of the rules, but the chances
are believed to be against it, good
many people believe that it will be just
as well to continue the present form OF
government in the Hawaiian Islands Until
Congress gets ready to decide upon sys-
TEN of government for all of our new colo
NAL possessions. 1t is pointed out, how
ever, that many things may happen during
| the last three days OF a session of Con-
gress. 1t is in order then for any member
! to move a suspension OF the rules to pass
! any measure, and it only requires ma
| jority vote to accomplish his purpose. At
! other times even when n motion TO sus-
/ pend the rules is in order, a two-thiris
/ vote is necessary to bring 1t about.
/ Many measures of a shady character are
| held back purposely and then railroaded
/ through under the suspension of the rules
| privilege. Every Speaker is supposed to
| be particularly on his guard against bills
/ of this nature, but the most vigilant
| Speakers in the past have been unable to
prevent the passage of some doubtful bills
| during the three suspension days. This
year is not likely to prove any exception
to the rule. The President however. will
| have the whip hand of the situation.
I Every bill that he does not sign that IS
/ sent to him this week will fail TO become
| a law. He will therefore, have it in his
power to defeat corrupt raids on the
| Treasury.
| Washington and nm Extra Session.
The residents of the National Capital as
class. particularly the hotel and boarding
house keepers, merchants, and others en-
gagged in business here. always hail the
| prospect of an extra session OF Congress
with delight. II means a great deal to
them individually and collectively whether
| Congress is in session or not. Local senti-
| ment however, has very little influence
| with Congress in determining this matter
The average Member and Senator feel that
| the people of the country always give a
sigh of relief when Congress adjourns. and
personally the majority of the national leg
| islators are generally glad to get away
| yrom Washington. take a much needed
rest" and incidentally look after their po-
litical fences at home.
While it appears TO be almost settled
| thing now that there will be no extra ses-
| sion this spring some far-seeing gentlemen
believe that conditions may develop with
in the next few weeks which will render an
extra session desirable if not necessary.
1t would be better, all things considered, a
| good many think. to have our policy IN
the East and also in the West Indies def
nitely outlined as speedily as possible.
This. it is claimed will become more ap-
| parent a little later on. than perhaps 1t is
at the present moment. There is an I'M
| pression abroad that the inside facts re-
sarding the situation in the Philippines
are being suppressed by the Government.
| Dewey's mysterious dispatch ordering the
Oregon to be hurried to him for political
| reasons confirms this opinion. 1t is gen
orally thought in both naval and political
circles that Dewey's dispatch was made
! public by an inadvertence, but this fact
only serves to make it all the more sig
nificant and disquieting- There is very
| rigid censorship over all dispatches sent
from Manila, and it will probably be some
time before the details OF what has been
taking place in the Philippines are made
| known to the general public The Ad-
| minstration. however. has. of course, ad-
vance information on the subject. and il is
| intimated that the canceling of Secretary
| Ayers proposed junket TO Cuba and Porto
Rico was due to this inside information
and not to the official reasons stated.
To an ordinary citizens it must appear
pretty thin that Mr.. Alger has abandoned
his trip because of the work entailed by
| passage of the Army bill" The Admins
| tration has anticipated all along the pas
sage of some kind of an army bill at the
present session. But even If no bill should
| be passed Mr. Ayers work" would only
become the more arduous. An extra ses-
sion would be called and he would be COM
| PEELED to remain at his post. The passage
of even compromise army bill relieves
the Administration and the War Depart
| ment of any immediate embarrassment
upon that source. Why. then. it is asked.
should MIR. Alger give this reason
why his proposed journey is given up?
Some other explanation. it is thought is
behind the matter, but whether it relates
| to recent developments in the Philippines
or Mr.. Ayers coming retirment from the
| Cabinet is for the time being only Il mat
ter OF conjecture.
Political Speiibinding. Political
| spellbinders, who save the country reg
uiarly every four years TAT much per
saveD and oftener. if their services are
called upon. generally remain in retire
ment between campaigns if they fail to
obtain recognition at the public crib. How
ever, there are exceptions to the rule,
| even among spelibinders and Col. Lee
| Fairchild seems to be one lie has opened
up new field for gentlemen of his cass
which ought To make him popular with
all the political spellbinders of the Coun-
try. regardless of their political predilec-
tions. Fairchild is lecturng on the Eek
strates conclusively that but for the spell