The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-02-25
The SENATE FORECAST.
Little Evidence of Attempt to Avoid
Extra Session.

The Senate will meet at II o'clock today.
and at the close of morning business the
| Army Appropriation bill will be called up.
Ordinarily this measure causes great
deal of debate. but as the present bill
carries amendments intended to serve as
legislation for the Philippines. there is
| good promise of nearly week of discus
sion.
As this Is the last week OF the closing
session of the Fifty-sixth Congress, the
| outlook for several important measures
is not at all bright. But six legislative
days remain, unless, as is probable, Sun
day is devoted to hard labor. when full
week can be had. In this brief space the
Army Appropriation bill. the River and
Harbor bill, the Sundry Civil bill. and the
Deficiency Appropriation bill must be dis
posed of if an extra session is to be
avoided. As all three of the frst-named
measures must cause days of debate, 1t
is not known how tl@ mass of legislation
can be handled even with night sessions.
The SpoOner amendment to the Army bill,
giving the President absolute authority in
the Philippines, will bring dozen
speeches against the retention Of the
archipelago. and at least three elaborate
arguments in defence of the Administra-
tion- With this out of the way by We'd
nesday, the Sundry Civil bill contains
many bones of contention, and there Will
be unlimited discussion. Then the River
and Harbor bill is loaded to the scuppers
with the amendments of those who were
affected by the cut made by the Commit
tee on Commerce
1t is more than likely that this latter
bill will fail and this in itself Will be
good cause for an extra session, in view of
the fact that Mr.. Mckinley desires one
for Cuban legislation. Mr.. Spooner wants
one for his Oleomargarine bill, and the
Republican leaders want one in view OF
the fact that the War Revenue bill is al
most certain to fail in conference.
This matter of conference is serious
one, and may directly be the cause of an
extra session. The Senate and House
have been deadlocked over the War Rev
enue bill for several weeks. and there is
no present hope for settlement. Hard
fights are also being made in conference
on the Indian Appropriation bill and the
Military Academy bill. Other bills which
have been in conference for time with
out results are the Legislative. Executive,
and Judicial Appropriation bill; the Dis
trict of Columbia Appropriation bill, the
Naval Appropriation bill. the Agricultural
Appropriation bill. the Fortihcations APP
preparation bill. the POstotfice Appropria-
tion bill, and the Diplomatic and Consular
Appropriation bill.
The extra session Is regarded as being
so much of a certainty that little effort is
being made to rush matters. In this way
it IS almost certain that conferences viii
be impossible on either the Army Appro-
priation bill, the River and Harbor bill,
the Sundry Civil bill, or the Deficiency APP
preparation bill, and all Of these must fail
for this reason.
The Nicaragua Canal bill remains the
unfinished business" and can only be
displaced by a majority vote. This viii
be attempted, as Mr.. Spooner desires the
passage of the Oleemargarine bill, if pos
sible.
Aside from the bill to fix the salaries
OF certain judges Of the United States,
which is a special order, there is nothing
remaining on the first page of the caien-
da:,