The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-05-01
THE SENATE PROGRAMME
Result of Meeting of the steerimi
Committee.


meeting Of the nine Senators comros-
ing the steering committee OF the Sen
ate, met yesterday afternoon for the pur-
pose Of formally agreeing upon the pro
gramme Of legislation that has been IN
cHeially mapped out for the remainder OF
the session. TIE Senators present were
Messrs Allison. Chairman; Ndrieh. Hanna,
Woloott. Spooneg E.kins. Mcbride. Gull
I ION. and Hale majority OF these agreed
That there muct be an early adjournment
Of Congress sometime before the meeting
Of the Republican National Convention. an!
that little OF no new Legislation should be
considered.
All that was definitely accomplished at
yesterdays meeting was formal under
standing that the Army Reorganization
bin should be considered. and If possible
passed at this session. A majority of the
/ Republican Senators. ireluding also ma
jority Of the steering committee. have an
understanding that the Philippines joint
resolution, the pending Alaskan bill. and
the army reorganization measure are all
that are TO be acted upon at this session
with the exception Of the appropriation
bills. The steering committee did not spe-
I cial!y adopt this programme. however. be
cause the advocates Of the Nicaragua Canal
( Hill and the Hanna Payne ship subsidy
measure are not Yet ready to give up the
hght to have them placed OF the steering
committee regular programme.
But how TO postpone the Ship Subsidy
blll in the face Of the strong effort being
made in its behalf by Mr. Hanna and its
other friends. and how to ignore the
claims Of the Nicaragua Canal bill if it
passes the House Of Representatives this
week. as il probably will are questions
that the steering committee were not will
ing or able to dispose Of yesterday. The
opponents Of the Ship Subsidy bill are as
determined as its friends. and it is pos
sible that the result OF the Quay contest
has been to increase the number of Sen
ators who are inclined to throw obstacles
in the way Of Senator Hanna's pet meas
ure.
During the meeting Of the steering COM
mittee Mr.. Wolcott amused everybody but
Mr. Hanna by informing him that it might
not be wise to press the Subsidy bill in
view Of the possibility that several Sen
ators might feel in duty bound TO oppose
it ''on constitutional grounds" Mr. Han
ma ignored or failed to see the joke and
pointed out that the sentiment is strongly
in favor Of the bill and that the Repub-
duty bound to do so at this session.
As to the Nicaragua Canal bill. it is evil
dent that il viii not pass the Senate at
this session. even if it should have a large
majority in the House a large number
Of Republican Senators feel that il would
be very unwise to pass any canal construc-
tion bill until the Clayton Bulwer Treaty
Is abrogated and the Hay Pauncefote
Treaty remains Enacted upon in the Sen
ate. and others are opposed to the bill on
its merits and apparently interested TO
some extent at least in the Panama com
pany. whose representatives are now in
Washington antagonizing the Nicaraguan
project and claiming that the canal via the
Panama route is in course of active con-
struction
Without definitely deciding what course
viii be pursued with the Nicaragua bill.
the matter was allowed to go over. TO Da
again considered after the House shall
have taken action on the Hepburn bill
4 member Of the steering committe
thus summed up last night the result Ct
the meeting: We decided to add the Army
TO be considered at this session The list
comprises the pending Alaskan bill the
joint resolution giving the Pre- dent full
power in the Philippines temporarily and
the appropriation bills We 70 tpoued
announcing that the Ship Subsidy and the
Nicaragu8n Canal bills shall go over until
next session. But we viii put this deter
mination into formal shape as soon as we
see our way clear to do so and gracefully
abandon them"