The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-01-09
BUSY WEEK IN CONGRESS
SENATOR HoAR's ANTI-EXPANSIoN
SPEECH COMES TO-DAY.
Morgan still Urging Vote on Nieara-
qua Canal BiII-Record Vote on
Civil Service in the House.

WASHINGTON, Jan S--The week prom
Uses to be busy one in the Senate. 1t will
begin with an elaborate and carefully pre-
pared speech by Senator Hoar to be deliv-
cred Immediately after the transaction of
the routine business tomorrow, in opposi-
ton to the extension of American territory.
This speech is of considerable length, and,
with the Interruptions that are likely TO oc-
eur it will probably consume the greater
portion of the day. Tuesday Senator Mason
will discuss briefly his resolution in opposi
ton to this country's asserting sovereignty
over Cuba and the Philippines, taking strong
ground for the independence of the people
of those islands.
Senator Morgan will make an effort early
in the week to get the Senate to name
date for taking a vote on his bill for the
construction OF the Nicaragua canal, and,
whether he succeeds or not will press the
bill continuously the attention of the
Senate as circumstances will permit. IMAM
imous consent is necessary to the fixing of a
time for a vote, and it is not probable that
this will be secured for some time to come.
1t is the expectation that the peace treaty
will be reported OH Wednesday, and also
that some of the appropriation bills now in
the hands of the committee on appropria-
tons will be brought in toward the close of
the week. Immediate consideration will be
asked for the appropriation bills, but it is
possible that the beginning of the debate on
the treaty may be postponed until next
week. There is an effort on foot among the
opponents of the treaty to have it discussed
in open session, but the indications are
against such course.
Appropriation Bills in the House.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 8--The time of the
House will be fully occupied from this time
forward until the conclusion of the session.
Appropriation bills, which are already in an
unusually advanced stage, are to be kept 10
the fore, but there is quantity of other inn
portant legislation which will press for con-
sideration at every opportunity. Perhaps
the most important single measure is the
bill for the reorganization of the army. 1t
was the general understanding before the
recess that this bill would be given consd-
Grafton Immediately after the holidays, but
the illness of Chairman Hull, of the military
affairs committee, will delay this measure
until he is sufficiently recovered to attend
the sessions of the House. His illness wiz
also delay the Military Academy and army
appropriation bills. Meantime the friends
of the navy personnel bill are pushing Tor
its consideration, and the rules committee
may give day to it during the present
week The Dill represents q complete agree
ment between the line and the staff. These
two branches of the service have been at
war for many years but now that they
have at last got together and agreed on
measure, its passage, once it gets to vote,
is assured. The only opposition to 1t IS likely
to arise from the fact that the organization
ii contemplates involves an additional
charge on the treasury of several hundred
thousand dollars The final vote on the leg
islative executive and judicial appropria-
ton bill will be taken tomorrow. The OPP
ponents of the civil-service law succeeded
in striking from the BILL while the House
was in committee of the whole, the appro-
priation for the maintenance of the COM
mission Tomorrow when the vote is taken
in the House, where members are obliged TO
go on record there is little doubt that the
appropriation will be restored. The diplo-
matte and consular and the naval appro-
priation bills are the next budgets to be
taken UP and either or both of them may
be considered this week Such time as in
terVenes will be consumed in the considera-
ton of the bill for the codifcation of the
laws of Alaska. The bill has been made
continuing order Portions of two days have
already been consumed by it, and less than
seventy of the 2S2 pages of the bill have
been disposed of. The lawyers of the House
show an inclination to go over it critically,
section by section, and it may be before the
House for an indefinite period.