The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-12-04
Seats to he Drawn on Tuesday, When
Members Will Also Listen to
the Presidents Message.
PROGRAMME OF LEGISLATION
FINANCIAL BILL TO BE RUSHED
THROUGH THE HOUSE.
Senate Also to Consider Monetary
Measure--NO Immediate Action
in the Quay Case.

| WASHINGTON, Dec. 3.-The opening
| week of the session in the House promises
| to be crowded with stirring events. There
| is always a good deal of glamour in con-
nection with the assembling Of new Con-
| gress, which is a social as well as political
| event. The galleries are always crowded
| and there is intense interest in the cleo
| tion of the speaker the swearing in of the
| members at the bar of the House, the read
| ing of the Presidents message, the bien-
| NAL 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 holidays re-
cess no actual bl siness is transacted usually
| until after the recess. This year it will be
different AT the very threshold of the ses-
sion will come the contest over the admis-
| sion of Representative-elect Roberts, of
| Utah. and later in the week the House will
| plunge into an important and possibly
| protracted debate upon the financial Dill
| which was prepared by the Republican lead
ers last spring at Atlantic city.
The Roberts case has attracted the at
| tention of the whole country. The Repub-
| lican leaders have adopted a plan of
| procedure which is designed 10 prevent Mr.
| Roberts from taking the oath of office until
| after the charges in connection with his
| alleged polygamous practices have been in
| vestigated by a special committee. Mr..
| Taylor, of Ohio, will make the objection to
| the administration of the oath to Mr..
| Roberts and will offer resolution referring
| his case to a special committee. There is
considerable scattered opposition to this
| method of procedure on the ground that the
refusal of the House to permit a representa-
| tive-eect 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 several
| precedents for this course in the case of
members charged with disloyalty 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 suppor. of the plan out
| lined by the Republican leaders
| WHAT DEMOCRATS SAY.
Considerable diversity of opinion exists
among the Democratic members as to the
best policy to be followed by the party
when the Republicans object to the adj
| ministering of the oath of Office to Repre-
sentative Roberts. The Democrats have
| not yet conferred on the matter; but some
understanding may be arrived at to-mor-
| row morning before the House meets.
| Some of the leaders believe that to refuse
| to permit a member-elect to be sworn in
| will establish a dangerous precedent and in
| terfere with his constitutional rights. They
| think therefore that he should be permit
| ted to take the oath of office and the mat
| ter of his eligibility then be determined by
| a committee Of the House appointed fol
that purpose. This is the opinion of Mr..
| Bailey, of Texas, and it is said tonight
| that he will ask that Mr.. Roberts be sworn
| in but that at the same time will declare
| that this does not commit him to the right
to sit as a member. Other Democrats be-
lieve that a matter of policy no objec-
ton should be raised to the plan of pro-
cedure determined upon by the Republi-
! cans. An objection to the Republican plan
of procedure at this stage, they assert
| will give the impression TO many who do
not investigate the question thoroughly
that the Democrats are in favor of Mr..
Roberts sitting as member of the House
and that no attention will be paid to the
contention that the objection was made on
Richardson, the leader of the minority,
said tonight that no plan of action the
part OF the Democrats had been deter
mined upon and that he preferred not to be
quoted as saying what in his opinion they
should do.
Owing to the time which will be consumed
in the disposition of the Roberts case to-
morrow the drawing of seats, which usually
requires several hours, probably will be
postponed until Tuesday. The announce
ment 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 Tues
day. Tuesday night the Republicans will
caucus on the financial bill 1t is the in
tention of the Republican leaders TO make
this a caucus measure and proceed to pass
ii before the holiday recess. The caucus
will decide. il the present intention is fol-
lowed, not to wait for the appointment OF
the committees on banking and currency,
but to bring the bill into the House forth
with probably under a special order from
the committee on rules. The debate may
begin on Wednesday. The length of time
TO be given to the debate has not yet been
determined. By some it is thought three
or four days may suffice
IN THE SENATE.
While the session promises the whole
TO be busy one in the Senate, the first
week probably will be marked by consider
able lethargy. Indeed, ii would be excep-
tional If any actual work would be done
On Monday the new senator's will be sworn
In. but beyond this nothing will be done