Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1903-02-28
FROM WASHINGTON.



on Legislative business in the Senate ana
when Wednesday comes there Will be
nothing left undone that will necessltate
the calling ola special session of Congress.
But with executive bushes tits different.
The treaties for the Panama canal and
reciprocity with Cuba are still unratified
and the prospects are that the Senate
will have to hold an extra session to
conclude action on them. If that be-
comes necessary it will be called TO meet
on Monday, March 9th, and to remain
until the treaties are ratified no matter
how short or long timethat may require.
Senator Morgan, the only real opponent
of the canal treaty, has spoken at great
length upon it. He claims, however,
that he is being hurried and yester-
day openly announced his determines
ton to defeat it at this session.
This morning only two of the regular
appropriation bills remain Enacted upon,
the Notifications and general deficiency
bills. The naval, sundry civil, post
Office, agricultural and military academy
bills are in the hands of conference COM
mittees. The immigration bill was so
amended yesterday as to meet much OF
the objection to that measure, the
educational requirement being stricken
out. Mr.. Fairbanks will try to have 1t
acted upon today. The Presidents
message on the necessity of doing some
thing to relieve the industrial situation
in the Philippines will probably cause
some action to be taken on the tariff
bill for those islands. Another import
ant bill that is pending is the Aldrich
financial bill. Its author believes that
it will be passed by the Senate and he in
tends, if favorable opportunity offers,
to make the attempt today. 1t is very
doubtful whether it will become a law
because of strong opposition in the House,
but it is possible that compromise
measure may get through.
A session of Congress which for the
most part was marked by kindly personal
feeling on both sides of both chambers, is
drawing to a close with bitter partisan
spirit aroused and personal recrimina-
ton tho order of the day. The demo-
cratic filibuster in the House is to be
kept I'D until the final adjournment ON
March 4. The incident which gave raise
to 1.-THE unseating of democrat Butler
and the seating of republican Wagner
is to be avenged, although the wrath of
the minority is a double-edged sword.
The democratic leaders can defeat the
smaller measures in which republicans
are interested, but their own bills of like
character are doomed to share destruction
in the cataclysm invoked. Precedents
have been established in the fierceness
of the contest which will come home to
haunt future Congresses. If democratic
assurances and speeches can be ac-
cepted as reliable Congressman Dalzell,
in declaring vacant the seat OF
Congressman Butler, did not even count
quorum when acting in the capacity OF
Speaker He is charged with having
simply announced the presence OF one,
although the absence of the same was
noted by the democrats who remained to
keep track of the proceedings. Demo-
Gratis are prone to keep occurrences OF
this character in mind and the parlia-
mentary rulings of this week will not
soon be forgotten. The other establish
ed precedent was in the shape of the
rules reported. The republican leaders
based them on the ground of public ne
cessity. Business had to be done and it
could not be done without the adoption
of heroic measures. So motion to re-
cess was given precedence over motion
to adjourn, so as to make sure that the
House could be retained in the legisla-
tive session Of Feb. 25, in order that no
further fullibusters against the reading OF
the journals could be inaugurated. The
other rule provided that vote against
the motion to send an amended bill to
conference should be construed as a vote
in favor ofthe amended bill. 1--WE have
the power" Congressman Cannon told
them. "We will use it, for we are re-
sponsible to the people for the conduct
of business here."' Business proceeded
under these rules. The transaction OF
business remained in a crippled con-
dition, but, on the other hand, the
powers of delay had also been winged.
All the important business will be
finished in the House; the minor matters
are doomed to failure.
1t was learned today that there is a
Nicaraguan canal loby here which is
urging Senators to support Mr.. Morgan
in his opposition to the Panama canal
treaty. Ex-senator Warner Miller, pres
ident of the Maritime Canal Company,
is at the head of it. If the Panama
treaty can be defeated, and the option
on the French Company's property ex-
pires, the Maritime Canal Company hopes
to realize something on its claim, aggre-
eating $40, 900, 900.
Senator Lodge said this morning that
he regarded an extra session of the Sen
ate inevitable. Senator Aldrich, who
heretofore, has contended that such a
session would not be necessary, express
ed the same opinion as Mr.. Lodge.
Minister Bowen today signed pro-
tocol with the Netherlands providing for
the settlement of its claims against
Venezuela. 1t is identical with that
signed with the United States. A
similar protocol with France was signed
yesterday.
Attorney General Know this morning
sent to the clerk OF the United States
Court for the Eighth Circuit the formal
certificate, to secure precedence and an
early argument for the case ofthe United
| States We he Northern Securities Com