Omaha daily bee., 1899-02-20
CONGRESS- NEARS THE WINDUP
Many Bills Must Become Laws in Order to
Avoid Extra Session.
SENATORS APPRECIATE TIME GROWS SHORT
Present stress of important Measures
Rarely Euualcd-Approprin-
tions of All Kinds
Necessary.

WASHINGTON Feb. 19.-This week will
| be busy one in the senate With only
| twelve days of the session left all senators
appreciate the necessity of very strict and
| close attention to business in order to get
| through the bills which all admit must be-
come laws in order TO prevent an extra ses-
| sion of congress.
Very rarely has Il occurred that there
have been so many important measures the
| senate has to deal with so short time be-
| fore the final adjournment of the last ses-
sion of congress There are comparatively
| few of these bills outside the appropriation
| bills which must necessarily be acted upon
| before adjournment and If the senate dis
| poses of these with the same facility that
! 1t has used in getting rid OF other impor-
tant bills during the last week the session
| will be closed up in good order and will
| have time to spare.
| The army reorganization bill and the cen
sus bill are in reality the only two meas
| ures aside from the appropriation bills upon
| which final action would seem absolutely
| necessary. The census bill has passed both
houses and is now in conference and is reas-
onably sure of enactment in some shape. The
army bill is yet to receive the attention of
| the senate. Other measures which will be
| pressed to a certain extent are the Alaskan
code bill, the Hawaiian territorial organi-
| zation bill and various other bills pertain
| ing to Hawaii.
Contest Over Army Bill.
| contest over the army bill which was
promised for last week was postponed until
| the present week, largely because the storm
of the first days of the week prevented con-
sideration of the bill by the military COM
| mittee. Senator Hawley, chairman of the
committee on military affairs, has given
notice that he will seek to have the bill
| taken up for consideration Immediately
| after the disposal of the routine business
Monday morning.
| He will first ask for unanimous consent
| to take the bill up and If this is refused will
| make motion to this effect There is no
! probability that the bill will not be taken
up as the democrats well as the repub-
| licans concede the necessity for some leg
| islation increasing the army to cover the
present emergency. With the bill once be-
| fore the senate Senator Cockrel will pro-
| ceed to give the reasons of the opposition
| to a permanent increase in the army, and
he will be followed by other senators in the
| opposition so long as no disposition is man
| ifested to abandon at least some portions of
| the house bill.
| The vital point of difference between the
two sides of the chamber is the duration OF
Ftsne fors|whieh the iiiciwast&io iof the aSin,l IL
| to be made. The republicans demand that
| it shall be permanent and the democrats re-
| fuse to make it more than temporary The
| latter declare that they will not abandon
this position and say that whatever is done
must be done with this understanding Some
of the friends of the bill have suggested the
acceptance of the Hull bill with an amend
ment making the increase for only speci-
fed time, but the democrats generally man
| ifest disposition not to accept this change
! as they say it would leave the way open for
the republicans to get the legislation they
want in the next congress by repeating the
| temporary provision.
Working to Compromise.
| SO far no tangible basis for a compromise
has been suggested on either side, but some
of the most influential members of the SEN
! ate are working to that end and the predic-
| tion is freely made that they will succeed
! before the close of the session. 1t has
! never been supposed that any common
! ground would be found until the champions
on the two sides should have an opportu-
| nifty 10 test the metal OF eacn others Wea-
pons. This opportunity will come Monday
and 1t is expected that on Tuesday a chance
| will be found for a conference looking to
an agreement. This opportunity will be Of
| forded by taking up the river and harbor
bill, If present plans are carried into ef-
! feet.
OF the supply bills the senate now has be-
| fore it only the postoffice appropriation bill
and the river and harbor bill. OF these the
| postotfce bill has received partial attention
! and the river and harbor bill none. 1t is
expected that the sundry civil bill will be
reported late in the week. The river and
! harbor bill will probably arouse consider
able discussion and there will be an effort
to defeat the Nicaragua canal amendment
ON point of order
There are still four important appropria-
ton bills, namely, the naval, army, fortif-
| cations and deficiency bills, which have not
yet been received from the house of repre-
! sentatives.
| Abandon Anti-Scalping Bill.
| Senator Cullom says he will make an ef-
fort TO get up the general bill providing a
| government for Hawaii, but the chances of
success are very slim. Senator Fairbanks
will also undertake to call up the bill ex-
! tending the anti-contract labor laws to Ha-
wall. There may be an effort to amend this
measure and it also may fail. Senator Car
| ter will continue TO press the Alaskan bill
whenever opportunity affords. The Samp-
>son schley controversy will almost certainly