The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-11-24
THE COMING SESSION OF CONGRESS.

The last session OF the F'ifty-seveIth Con-
gress, which will meet on Monday, Dec. l.
will be busy one Three months is too
short a time for so large body TO get
down to business, even if considerable time
were not wasted, as Is always the case.
The routine business of the government
alone occupies considerable time, not to
speak of new measures. There will be
eleven appropriation bills to pass-the urg-
ent deficiency bill. the general deficiency,
the army appropriation BILL the naval. the
legislative. the executive and judicial, the
pension, the postal, the Notifications, the
District of Columbia, the agriculture and
the sundry civil bill. Some of these meas
ures will be passed with little debate. while
others, containing new provisions or in
creased appropriations, will cause consider
able discussion. In the aggregate they Will
take considerable time. These bills consti-
tute the main part OF the routine business
which cannot be neglected nor postponed.
Next in order demanding attention will be
unfinished business, embracing bills that
have passed one branch of Congress and
are pending in the other. This would in
clude the Cuban reciprocity bill, which
passed the House last session and was held
up in the Senate, but 1t looks now as If the
whole subject might be settled by treaty.
A treaty would have to be ratified by the
Senate. but there is reason to believe that
the opposition to Cuban reciprocity has be-
come greatly Modified since last session.
AS treaty would not call for any appro-
priation to give it effect, the House would
have nothing to do with it. Other pending
measures is House bill restricting foreign
immigration, which is pending in the Sen
ate; the ship subsidy bill. which passed the
Senate and is pending in the House; bill
| to provide for the reorganization of the
consular service; bill for the establish
ment of new department of commerce.; a
bill to limit the meaning of the word 'con-
spiracy" and the use of restraining orders
| and injunctions in certain cases; a resolu-
ton providing for an investigation of suf-
frage conditions in the Southern States; and
some others. There is more than enough
unfinished business to occupy all the time
4
ton bills. without taking up any new busi-
ness. 1t is doubtful therefore, If the trust
| question or the question of tariff revision
will be taken up during the short session.
bill that may precipite.e debate and
occupy considerable time is the bin to ad-
nit the Territories of New Mexico, Okla
| homa and Arizona into the Union Of States.
This bill passed the House last session, and
will be taken up in the Senate on Dec. 10.
The fate OF the measure may depend a
good deal on the report that will be made
to the Senate by the subcommittee of the
Senate committee on Territories, headed by
Senator Beveridge, chairman of the COM
mittee. who are now making a personal in
| vestigation of conditions in the three Ter
ritories. At the last session of Congress
Senator Beveridge opposed the bill. The
personal investigation he is now making
may cause him to change his views. or may
confirm him in his opposition to the meas
ure. 1t will be championed by Senator
Quay, and there may be a warm debate
over 1t. The short session is likely to be a
busy one, and to end with number OF
measures now pending still undisposed of.