The Honolulu republican. [volume] (Honolulu, T.H.) 1900-1902, 1901-02-12
IN HTRl SESSION
IS QUITE POSSIBLE
Congress May Meet
Again After Ad-
journment.
WOULD ADVANCE ISLAND INTEREST
CANAL AND CABLE BILLS WOULD
PROBABLY BE AMONG
THOSE CONSIDERED
WOULD ADVANCE ISLAND INTEREST
Legislation Vital to Local interests
Would Come Up for Action and
Would Have a Good Chance of
Being Passed.
From a Stan Correspondent.

From a STAFF Correspondent.
/ WASHINGTON. Jan. 27.-Maybe we
shall have an extra session of Con
gress in the spring. 1t looks that way
now. a little. The regular session
{ closes on .iarCh +. and the President
/ seems to want some things done that
+ cannot be GOne between now and then.
The thing that seems 10 be pressing
most for consideration is legislation
/ for the Philippines. AS matters now
stand the government has no author
/ ity TO do anything that il ought 10 do
over there. The Taft Commission Is
in charge, but its authority is limited
to a few unimportant things
It will be impossible, II is believed,
to enact any Philippine legislation be
, tween now and March 4. 1t looks that
way. az an rate The President has
sent a message TO Congress urging
early legislation for the Philippines.
Il made Congress blink. for Congress
does not want an extra session at all.
But let the people of Hawaii pray for
an extra session. 1t is what they need.
If there is such a session. these things
Will be done:
The Nicaragua canal bill will be
passed.
The Pacific cable bill will be passed.
For these two things Hawaiians are
anxious. and they ought TO be. Neither
one of them has much chance in this
session of Congress; both would 80
through at an extra session. Besides
that. there are the following things
that would be considered at an extra
session. most likely:
There would be legislation for the
Philippines.
There would be legislation tending
TO settle the Cuban business.
The ship subsidy bill most certain
" would be passed.
So there is plenty of business for IN
extra session. whether one is called or
not
Careful inquiry also developed the
fact that the President has canvassed
the subject with a few Senators. He
does not appear to have indicated any
fixed determination of issuing call
but rather to have consulted them as
to the advsability of such a proceed
ing. In all such instances he seems
TO have had the necessity of Philip
pine legislation in view, and Senators
generally expressed to him the opin-
ion that such legislation is only pos
sible at an extra session. They say
that in case a meeting is called the
Philippine question will receive the
lions share of attention The urgency
of the administration on this point IS
la 10 = h. Tot
Commission. the members of which
appear to have supplemented their
official recommendation for early nc
ton with private letters not only TO
the President bur to members of the
Cabinet and Senators as well. They
insist upon the necessity of early rec |
ognition of the civil rights of the Fill
pinos and of a government for them
other than military in form.
Senators who have concerned them
selves with these matters canvassed
the Senate somewhat yesterday as TO
the possibility of getting legislation
before the 4th of March in the line of
that contemplated by the Spooner bill.
but they have received very little en-
enlargement. One Senator. who has
question, said that any legislation at
tempted on the subject of government
for the Philippines necessarily would
cause prolonged debate. THE Senate
would talk month on resolution de-
claring that the Philippines are the
Philippines" he said. as an illustra- |
ton of his idea of the hopelessness of |
securing legislation before the conclu- |
sion of the present session.
Senators are divided upon the ques-
ton of the necessity of Congressional /
action upon the Cuban constitution.
Some of them contend that Congress
will not be called upon to act in any
way upon the Constitution. Others ad-
nit the correctness of this view to
the extent of saying that Congress
sional action will not be compulsory.
but they advance the idea that the
President viii uesire to have Con-
gress share the responsibility of what
ever step may be taken with reference
TO the Cuban government. They also
suggest the possibility of some things
in the Cuban constitution which may
require close scrutiny. and they agree
that if Congressional action should
prove TO be necessary. it would not be
fair TO the Cubans to postpone it until
next December.
The Senators who oppose the ship
subsidy bill are especially opposed TO
an extraordinary session. and will do
all they can TO prevent the calling of
one. Upon the whole. the most that
can be said is that both the Executive
and the Congress are discussing the
wisdom of an extra session. and that
no conclusion has, been reached on the
point. They admit the urgency OF a
number of questions which they know
cannot be disposed of ar this session
At the same time they hesitate seri-
Dusty before the responsibility of a
called session which il is generally
would. il called at all. con-