The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-01-21
SENATE AND HOUSE ROW.
ate Trying TO Make Itself the
Whole show.

Washington, Jan. 20.-A bitter contest
Is being waged between the House OF Rep
resentatlves and the United States SEN
ate over the preliminary arrangements at
tending the second Inauguration of Pres
ident Mckinley. The Senate. with its
usual practice OF endeavoring to over
shadow the House Of Representatives in
all important functions, as well as In the
framing OF national legislation, seeks 10
exercise exclusive jurisdiction over the
special appropriation to defray the ex-
penses in connection with the inaugural
ceremonies at the Capitol on March 4.
Every four years there is a row between
the Senate and the House as to whether
the inaugural ceremony shall be conduct
ed by a Senate Committee or by a Joint
committee of the two branches of the
national legislature. A majority Of the
precedents show that up to date the Sem
ate has usually trumphed and a COM
mittee composed exclusively Of senator's
rode to and from the White House as
escort to the presidential party and in a
general way controlled the exercises at
tending the Inauguration.
In view of President McKinley's i'm
paired health and the lingering effects OF
the grip from which he is now recover
ing 1t may be deemed inadvisable to fol-
low the ordinary custom of holding the
inaugural ceremonies on a temporary
platform erected on the east portico OF
the Capitol building. 1t frequently
happens that the weather in Washing
ton during the early days of March is in
tensely severe, rendering an open-air per-
formance almost unendurable. Should
President Mckinley fail to rally sufficient
ly from his present attack of grip, his
physician will strongly advise against his
subjecting himself TO the tickle and blus-
tering weather OF March on the east
portico Of the Capitol. 1t may be neces-
sary to hold the inaugural ceremony in
doors. In that event, the House Of Rep
resentatives, which offers more adequate
accommoda tions for a .arge crowd than
the Senate. will undoubtedly be selected
as the scene for the induction Of Maj.
Mckinney into the presidential office for
a second term. on several previous oc-
casions inclement weather has rendered
1t necessary for the inaugural ceremonies
to take place under cover. The prece-
dents show that the honor has been about
equally divided between the two cham
bers, the House and the Senate. Ordinar-
ily however, the Senate has assumed the
management of the inaugural ceremonies,
conducted the preliminaries IN the Sen
ate chamber, and finally escorted tho
President to the open stand, where the
oath of Office was publicly administered
and the inaugural address delivered
An appropriation of $1,000 has been asked
for to defray the expenses of the inaugu-
raj ceremony at the Capitol aud the bill
as drawn gives the Senate exclusive con-
troll over the disbursement of that amount.
The House, with considerable Indignation
and practical unanimity resentssthe usurp-
alton of the Senate and demands the right
to not only be equally represented on the
Committee OF Arrangements but also de-
mands that tho House have a voice In the
disbursement Of the special fund for the
inaugural. The bill or resolution Is now
In the hands Of conference committee
OF the two Houses and the final outcome
is awaited with unusual interest