The Saint Paul globe., 1899-12-04

MeSsaSe Will NOT De hece1Veu UntII
Tuesday-QuestiOn Over the Adj
mission OF the Utah Member Will
Be the Only Business Taken Up
Until After That TIme-SIOw Time
in the Senate.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 3.-Congress will
assemble at noon today for it's annual
session, and the opening week in the
house promises to be crowded with stir
ring events. There is always a good
deal of glamor in connection with the as
sembling of new congress, which is a
social as Well as a political event. The
galleries are always crowded and there
is intense interest in the election of
speaker, the swearing in of members at
the bar Of the house, the reading of the
presidents message, the biennial seat
drawing, the introduction of bills and
resolutions into the legislative hopper and
the general clearing of decks for action
later on. But, as the committees are not
appointed until just before the holiday
recess, no actual business is transacted
usually until after the recess.
This year 1t will be different. At the
very threshold of the session will come
the contest over the admission of Repre-
sentative-elect Roberts, of Utah, and
later the house will plunge into an i'm
portant and possibly a protracted debate
upon the financial bill which was pre-
pared by the Republican leaders last
spring at Atlantic City.
ROBERTS CASE.
The Roberts case has attracted the at
tention of the whole country. The Re
publican leaders have adopted q plan of
procedure which is designed to prevent
Mr.. Roberts from taking the oath of
Office untif after the charges in connec-
ton with his alleged polyamous prac-
tices have been investigated by a special
committee. Mr.. Taylor of Ohio, will
make the objection to the administra-
ton of the oath to Mr.. Roberts and will
offer resolution referring his case to a
special committee. There is considera BILE
scattered opposition to this method of
procedure, on the ground that the re-
fusal of the house to permit a repre-
sentative-elect bearing proper credentials
| to be sworn in upon unproven charges
would create a bad precedent and might
result in chaos at some future time when
| political feeling ran high. But there are
| severaf precedents for this course in the
case of members charged with disleyalty
! after the war and these will be used in
! support of the procedure. Every member
of the house has been bombarded with
| petitions in the Roberts case, and there
undoubtedly will be a large majority,
! without regard to party lines, in sup
| port of the plan outlined by the Repub-
| lican leaders Owing to the tine which
will be consumed in the disposition of the
! Roberts case tomorrow the drawing Of
seats, which usually requires several
| hours, will be postponed until Tuesday.
The announcement of Vice President
! Hobart's death will be made probably
| Immediately after the Roberts case is
disposed of, and the house will adjourn
| out of respect to his memory.
| The drawing OF seats and the reading
| of the presidents message will occupy
| Tuesday. Tuesday night the Republicans
| will caucus on the financial bill. 1t Is
the intention Of the Republican leaders
! to make this a caucus measure and
! proceed and pass 1t before the holiday
recess. The caucus wtlf decide, if the
present Intention Is followed, not to wait
for the appointment of the committee on
! banking and currency, but to bring the
| Dill INTO the muse pHODdDly
! under a special order from the commit
tee on rules. The debate may begin on
| Wednesday. The length Of time TO be
| given to debate has not yet been deter
mred. By some 1t is thought that three
| or four days may suffice.
DEMOCRATS UNDECIDED.
Considerable diversity Of opinion exists
among the Democratic members of the
| house as to the best policy to be followed
by the party tomorrow. when the Repub-
| licans object to the administering Of the
| oath of Office to Representative Roberts,
| the Mormon member-elect from Utah.
The Democrats have not yet conferred
| on the matter, but some understanding
may be arrived at tomorrow morning
before the house meets. Some of the
| leaders believe that to refuse to permit
a member-elect to be sworn in will es-
tablish and be dangerous precedent and
| interfere with his constitutional rights
| They think, therefore, he should be per-
p1itted to take the oath of office and the
! matter of his eligibility then be deter