The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-12-01
CONGRESS C0NVENES
This Short Session May, Last Until
March 4, ! eoss Much IN,
finished Business. Il
Possibility Of an Extra Session for
Trust Legislation After
That Date.
n, .,our,as R.,.aw, Room y. Is, ro.,

Buisdi,g. Washingto,s. s Z. 81
Washington, Dec. THE session OF
congress which opens to- day is a contin-
year ago and adjourned early in lasttJuiy.
These two sessions. taken together, will
comprise the fifty seventh congress. Each
congress is made up of these two ses-
sions, the first or long session. the, sec
ond or short session." and they cover
the two years for which each member of
the lower house is elected In addition
to these two sessions: there. is occasion
ally AN extra" session, when. in :" the
Judgment of the president, such q pro-
gram is necessary. The last extra" SEES
sion was called by President Mckinley in
the spring of 1897 shortly after he, came
into office, for the purpose Of enacting
tariff legislation. There is a possibility
that President Roosevelt may tcaltS One
next spring to consider the trust Dues
tion If there is time between now
and the 4th of March to carry out the
trust recommendations Of his message
I The first or Song session of each con-
gross has no fixed day for adjournment;
if;it sees fit, it may sit straight away from
the first Monday in December, when every
Esession begins, to the first. Monday in, the
| December following, although such a
thing has never been done. In 1892 the
"long session. which convened in De-
| mer, and until the middle days of Octo-
ber The session which began day will
terminate by statute on the 4th OF next
| March, and it will now take up the work
of the session which adjourned in July,
the same as If the recess had been for
only a day instead of for five months.
By multiplying the number Of the cur
rent congress by two, the public issalways
able, without consulting books or refresh
ing the memory in other ways to know
how old the legislative branch Of the gov
eminent is. The long session of the
first Monday in: December, 1887, shortly
after the constitution, which provided
among other things; for the permanent
legislative branch Of the government, had
been adopted. The short. session Of the
first congress, continuing the Illustration
met on the first Monday in December
1888, or just ia years ago to-day, ia
being two times 81. 49,, ~ ,.--..-
The election last month provided fol
the members of the flfty-eighth. congress-
but that body will not meet until a year
from to-day. That date will be the be-
ginning of the 'long'' session, which will
be carried forward pretty we'll into the
presidential campaign year.. The 'Iong
session in 1900 adjourned on the It'll OF
June. ...,:., : }asr's T. ~
The member ship of the senate is d.
vided equally into three parts, so far as
the expiration OF terms or service is con
cerned, third the membership going
out at tho end, of each two years.
All legislation which is incomplete or
the 4th of next March will die and mus
be removed in the ffty-eighth congress i
it's hackers are still DESTROYS of securing
results. All bills must then be intro
duced afresh sent to committees for con
sideration, reported back to each house
debated at length and then voted upon
It is a lengthy and uncertain roadway
beset with many dangers, seen and un
seen, and many a worthy measure ha
failed to travel it successfully. Many bill
i, of merit, which got through one house O.
the other during the session, which ad
ljeurned in July,-will come up during tn
y present short session.. Some OF ther,
: will probably pass, notably the depart
ment of commerce bill. Other measures
| such as the shipping subsidy bill, whic
passed the senate early last winter, wi
be brought up and a hard fight will b
5 made on them, with the chances in favo
of defeat. 49,.
T. w w. .Jermane