Evening star., 1899-03-01
BEFORE NEXT DECEMBER
The President Expects to Call Congress To
gether Earlier Than the Regular Time.
A Compromise on the Nicaragua
Canal Amendment Expected
in Conference.

Through the potency of public building
bills it appears that the river and harhor
controversy, including the Nicaraguan ca
nal question, is in fair way toward set
tlement. The hungry House was fed on
public buildings yesterday until it was in
a condition of comfortable contentment,
and consequently members were induced to
yield TO an agreement not to make tight
for concurrence in the Nicaragua canal
amendment before sending the river and
harbor bill to conference. 1t was the in
tention of the friends of the canal PROPOSE
ton to move concurrence of the House in
this amendment as soon as the bill should
come before the HOUSE, and it was general
ly conceded that there was strength
enough to carry the motion. 1t was even
proposed that a motion should be made
to concur in all the Senate amendments, SO
as to relieve the bill of the risk involved
in going to conference, and it was regarded
as doubtful what would be the result OF
even so radical move. In the face of this
situation it was the purpose to hold the
river and harbor bill in committee and
thus to kill it, rather than run the risk of
the Senate amendments, together with the
canal provision, or any considerable num-
Der of them prevailing.
Opposition to the Canal Bill.
According to the general understanding
of the situation the Speaker and majority
managers of the House opposed both the
extensive public building appropriations.
the Nicaragua canal amendment and the
very heavy increases of river and harbor
expenditures provided for by the Senate.
The Speakers opposition to the canal is re-
ferred to as a fight against the administra-
l.. t1.,,-n hi coll
of a test of strength between the Speaker
and the administration over this question.
The general acceptance OF the situation Is
that the Speaker, choosing between the two
propositions gave the House free rein on
public building bills for the purpose of
placation, so that there would not be such
a ravenOus hunger for the river and harbor
bill. At all events, after yesterdays feast
of public buildings an understanding was
reached that the House should not concur
in the Nicaragua canal amendment, but
should non-concur in all the Senate amend
ments and permit the river and harbor bill
to go to conference.
Compromise in Conference Expected.
The river and harbor committee, there
fore, met this morning and voted to re-
port the bill with a general nOn-cOncur
renee in the Senate amendments and a
request for conference, with the under
standing that there would be no serious op-
would go to conference as recommended by
them.
II is believed now that this understand
ing will save the river and harbor bill, and
that there will be a compromise on the
canal amendment in conference.
The army bill has been agreed to by the
committee, and no doubt is felt that it
will be adopted by the House without
amendment, either under a suspension of
the rules or, should that method fail, by
special order of the rules committee
While the appropriation bills are back
ward. no apprehension of the failure of any
of them is now felt. This clears up the
situation and dispeIs all probability of an
extra session being necessitated through
the failure of legislation.
An Extra Session.
Among senators the President is quoted
as saying that he does not think there will
be any necessity for an extra session at an
early day, but that it may be desirable later
in the summer to call Congress. 1t is said
that he has rather indicated that his pres
ent expectation is that Congress will have
to be called together some time before De-
crmbeF