Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-02-25
IS DRAWING
TO A CLOSE
Flfty-Fifth Congress Will Soon
Adjourn.
MANY IMPORTANT BILLS
Are Yet to be Acted Upon-- There is
Still Hope For the Butte
Public Building Bill.
MANY IMPORTANT BILLS

| Special Correspondence Inter Mountain.
Washington, D. c., Feb. 20, 1899.
With just ten days remaining of the
| third and last session of the Fifty-ffth
| congress, the greatest excitement pre-
walls al and around all departments of
, the government, but at no point has it
reached the intensity which obtains at
the capitol. More particularly does this
| strained and nervous condition exists in
| the senate, as the house has concluded
the greater part of it's important work for
| the session.
A great game of politics is being played
by the greatest politicians this country
| knows, the members of the United States
senate The two great parties, the
publicans and democrats, are arrayed
| against each other, each suspicious of
! the least movement upon the part Of
their opponents, and all attentive to the
| slightest action or remark from any
/ source or any senator.
The army reorganization bill, which
! has passed the house after a stormy de-
bate, and with which your readers are
familiar has been reported to the senate.
i With it has been reported the "Cockrell,"
or democratic substitute. Upon this
measure, or as the result of the action
taken thereon, is expected to be created
one of the great issues of the next COM
paign. To make political capital, to
force their opponents into an unenviable
or dangerous position before the people,
, seems to be the point desired to be
; reached by both parties. Such a condi-
! ton of affairs, together with the fear Of
advantage being gained, causes much de-
a hn nf /, 1pE 1ASrfe-
lation of which I will touch later on in
| this letter. In fact only nine days yet
! remain in which the business of the SEN
ate will be transacted, as Wednesday,
| the 22nd-Washingto birthday-ac-
| cording to me-honored custom of
the senate, will be dedicated to the read
| ing of Washington's farewell address.
| Each year some different senator is as
| signed to this duty. This year it falls
upon the brilliant senator from Colorado,
| Mr.. Wolcott. Under a notice already
| given, immedia tely after the reading of
| this historical document, the senate will
| proceed to the delivery of eulOgies upon
| the life and character of the late Justin
| S. Morrill,, a senator from the state Of
| Vermont. This will probably occupy a
| couple of hours time, after which the
senate will adjourn out of respect to the
memory of the deceased. This takes out
one valuable day from the very few
left.
Senator Carter was finally successful,
after diligent and continuous effort, in
securing consideration of the census bill
last week, and the same is now in con-
ference. The bill will no doubt soon be
reported by the conference committee of
the two houses and agreed to at this ses-
sion without a doubt. The main point
of disagreement between the house and
senate is the question of making the
bnrGan i01Gnpn1pnt 6cna rt
placing it subject to, and under, the
control of the interior department. The
former proposition, which is the house
amendment. is likely to be agreed to, al
though the latter has been the law here
tOfore. The other differences are of minor
Importance, and it is likely each side will
concede more or less and a satisfactory
agreement be reached all around.
The army reorga nizatio bill (the Hull
bilD, heretofore referred to, was taken
up and read in the senate today. and then
gave way to the final consderat ton of
the postoftice appropriation bill, which
will not likely be concluded for couple |
of days. Upon the action taken on the |
army bill by the senate depends whether |
or not there Will be an extra session Of
congress.
hstanding the fact that nearly
all of the eastern papers seem to be of the !
opinion that an extra session will be alb |
solutely necessary, your correspondent !,
believes to the contrary. Some cOmprom- /
lse will be agreed upon, which while it /
may not be the "Cockrell substitute" will
be sufficiently satisfactory for the pres /
ent.
There can be no doubt but that if the ad-
ministration insists upon the passage of
the Hull bill, it came from the house. !
it Will meet with defeat. not by a vote. I
but because it will not be allowed to |
reach a vote. Should this occur it neces- |
states an extra session, which the ad-
mnFstration or republicans do not desire /
On the other hand, the democrats also
desire to prevent the necessity of an extra
session and are willing TO agree upon some
temporary army measure as means Of .
preventing being called together in a few
weeks. In fact they are willing to have
some bill or resolution passed limiting the
increase in the army, but at the same
unlimited power to increase the army as
he may see fit, thus placing directly upon
his shoulders all responsibility for such
increase. AS stated before, l predict
some sort Of an agreement, or COM
promise and that there will not be an
extra session.
Three large appropriation bills yet re-
main to be passed by the house, the army,
navy and deficiency bills. In the SEN
including the above three bills, there
is yet to be considered, the enormous