Daily new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1897-1906, 1903-02-23
FORECAST Of WEEK.
Statehood Bill Will Soon Reach
Critical Period of Career
in the Senate.
LONGER SESSIONS WILL Be HELD
Probable that Daily sittings of Upper
Body viii Begin at 10 or II O'clock
and Frequently Run Into Night.
House Business In Good Shape.

Washington, Feb. 23.-The course
OF the proceedings in the senate dur
ing the present week will depend very
largely upon whether there is an ad-
justment of differences upon the state
hood bill. If there is no agreement
the bill will continue to cut a figure
in the proceedings, whether it be tech
nically under consideration or not,
just as it has done during the greater
part of the session. If the canal
treaty is proceeded with the statehood
bill will do much to shape its course;
ii the treaty is put aside and the ap-
rropriation bills taken up the state
hood question will present itself in
the shape of riders on those bills.
According to the present program
the postoffice appropriation bill will
be the first of the supply measures 70
be considered. 1t is indeed the only
one of those bills not yet passed
which has been reported from COM
mittee. 1t carries the statehood bill
as a rider and unless an understand
ing Is arrived at before the bill is
taken up the question OF Its retention
will Immediately confront the senate.
That will be a critical period in the
statehood bills career. Some of the
anti-statehood senators contend that
it can be beaten as a rider, and ad-
voeate an invitation to this test of
strength.
To Take Up Appropriation Bills.
1t is not intended that many more
days will be allowed to elapse before
the taking up of the appropriation
bills. With only eight working days
of the session left all senators ap-
preeiate that it is essential that there
should be little more delay in voting
the necessary supplies for the sup
port of the government for the next
fiscal year.
OF the 10 appropriation bills, only
six have SO far been considered by the
senate proper, but several of the re-
naming seven have had the attention
of senate committees. Three have
now, however, been received from the
house of representatives.
In order 20 conclude its work on the
appropriation bills and transact other
necessary business before the day for
final adjournment on March 4, the
senate will find it necessary, regard
less of the statehood bill, and the
canal treaty, to hold longer sessions
than ordinarily, and It is probable
that during the greater part of the
time henceforth the daily sittings will
begin at 10 or II O'Clock and that
many of them will run into the night.
On Saturday considerable time will
be devoted to eulogies on deceased
members Of the house.
House Forecast.
The house enters the last full wnel.
OF the session with the decks practi-
cally cleared of every thing except
appropriation bills. Only one of
these-the general defciency-which
was reported Saturday, remains to be
passed. Several interesting contests
are expected during the consideration
Of the questions Of adjusting the diff
ferences between the two houses on
number of bills in conference. Es-
pecially spirited would be the fight
over the proposition to accept state
hood amendment if one should come
to the house as a rider ON an appro.
priation bill. 1t would command the
solid support of the Democratic side
and 1t is believed enough Republicans
to accept it. although 1t would be
strongly resisted by the Republican
leaders. The Philippines currency
bilf has been set for tomorrow. The
six suspension days, which under the
rules precedes the expiration of each
by means of the parliamentary ex-
pedient OF making motions under sus-
pension Of the rules parliamentary
knots can be cut and legislation ex-
pedited
Fowler Bill Not Likely to Pass.
The Fowler currency bill will con-
tinue to be the stop gap whenever the
matters are not pressing, but there
seems no prospect of its passage
There is an intimation, however, that
it might serve useful purpose in case
the Aldrich deposit bill should come
over from the senate. 1t is said that
the latter bill could be substituted for
the former without going to committee
either by striking out all after the
enactment clause of the Fowler bill
or through the operations of special
rule. If neither of these courses will
be adopted the bill will be referred to
the ways and means committee, which
could report it forthwith, as it is we'll
understood that a reference to the
committee on banking and currency
would be equivalent to its death. The
reference to the ways and means COM
mittee can be made on the ground
that it provides for interest on govern
ment deposit in national banks and to
that extent Is reveue measure.
Lacks Four Feet of Highest Mark.
Greensboro, KY, Feb. 23.-The Ohio
river was slowly rising at 6 o'clock
last night 1t lacks four feet of the
hiphasf mark in 1894 The hottono