New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-12-06
NO RECESS OF CONGRESS.
CANNON BLOCKS PLAN.
Sessions VIII Merge, and Al Pend
ing Nominations WiH Fail.
TFRoM THE TRIBUNE BUREAU. ]

IRON THE TRIBUNE BUREAU
Washington, Dec. ga Republican President
called Republican Congress in special session
70 complete the approval of a treaty which a
Republican Senate had ratified, subject TO the
approval OF the House. The House passed the
enabling act promptly, requested by the Pres
ident The Senate permitted few Democrats
to hold Il up by the throat and postpone action
the convention until the regular session.
Then the Senate came to the House, and asked
81 TO assume the responsibility and Introduce an
adjournment resolution. The House said. No!
Do It yourself! The Senate would not and now
IL finds itself in difficulties certain appoint
ments 1t has failed to confirm, and 1t comes to
the House and asks the lower chamber to help
II out Well. the House won't do IT."
Having delivered this ultmatum to ennis
sary from the Senate substantially as quoted
Speaker Cannon dropped his gavel and declared
the House adjourned. Under the rule IT will
meet again at noon on Monday, when. according
to the constitutional provision. the regular ses-
sion must begin. and. to borrow now famous
expression. the Senate does not know where II
is at
Even up to the eleventh hour the better
thought of the Senate could not realize that
the House would have the audacity to withstand
the Senate's urging and place the upper cham
Ter I'm a hole" and consequently adjournment
was taken to-day until IL 80 on Monday when.
1t was assumed. the House would feel COM
PEELED TO send over the usual adjournment reso-
luton. done in the XLVIIth Congress.
Ever since early last week the House has stood
ready to adopt an adjournment resolution if one
Should come from the Senate. but the Speaker
and his advisers have positively declined to
have such resolution introduced at their end
Of the Capitol
When Mr. Kean returned to the Senate and
announced the Speakers decision there was con-
sternation among the few Senators remaining at
the Capitol AS one Senator expressed it, 1t was
a case of Sheridan twenty miles away''-re-
ferring to the fact that Senator Aldrich had
yet returned from Rhode Island Mr. Aldrich
arrived in Washington this evening, but he had
not marshalled his forces at a late hour his
heutenants being scattered far and wildcat the
Gridiron dinner. Senator Depew's dinner and
similar entertainments. After he had removed
the stains of tral ell he came down to the almost
deserted lobby of the Arlington, which was occa-
sionaIy penetrated by some burst of laughter
from the Gridiron guests. When asked what
the Senate would do, Mr.. Aldrich smiled and
murmured sadly. There was sound of revelry
by night" and then withdrew to his rooms to
think 1t over.
1t is the intention OF the Speaker to take no
cognizance of the expiration of the special and
the beginning of the regular session. and he
holds that there are precedents for the merging
Of one sion into another all OF which, how
ever. occurred before 1867. Since that time it
has been the custom to adjourn special sessions,
announce the converting Of the new. and SO In
form the President.
FAILURE OF NOMINATIONS.
The Senate, however, is unwilling TO follow
the lead of the House under the circumstances
b1,t
serious difficulties because of the peculiar status
in which it will place some 467 officehoiders
whose nominations have been sent to the Senate,
they having been recess appointments, but have
failed OF confirmation. Among these are the
nominations Of General Wood DR.. Crum the
colored Collector of the Port of Charleston, S. c.
who is now serving under his second recess ap-
poinIment; Mr.. McClelland, member Of the
Board of General Appraisers of New-York, and
numerous others. All recess appointees who fail
of confirmation at the session of Congress fol-
lowing their appointment thereby displaced,
unless again selected as recess appointees by the
President. According to some authorities. the
failure of the special session to adjourn leaves
interim, and therefore gives the President
opportunity to send ia his recess appoint
ments, and this would leave the appointees out
of Office until they had been appointed again
and confirmed by the Senate. This position is
held by Senator Allison and other leaders Of the
Senate. Senator Lodge, the other hand
maintains that there must be an interval, even
though imperceptible, between the two sessions,
and that, therefore, the President IS empowered
to reappoint those who have failed of confTma-
ton recess appointees. This view is also
held by a number of army officers.
Still another solution of the problem is Of
fered. and that is that the Senate, in the half
hour on Monday which remains to the present
session, adopt by unanimous consent resolu-
ton making all appointments which have not
been confirmed continuing business 1t is not
certain, however, that this can be done legally.
while il is more than possible that the objec-
ton Of certain Senators to the confirmation Of
General Wood and the opposition OF Senator
Tillman to the confirmation of Crum might in
duce some to object 10 such a resolution.
The present outlook is that the President will
be compelled to call on the Attorney General
for advice. and ii is hoped that some way ont
of the dilemma may be found before Monday.
II should be added that the contest between
the House and the Senate has been friendly. al
though not the less determined, but the boys
who bet their money on Uncle Joe Cannon"
believe that the stakes are theirs.