Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-10-10

IHE II v ENlNt SIA1
session of the Forty-sixth Congress, which
| was convened by President Hayes on
| March Is, 1879.
Both houses being democratic bills max
| ing appropriations for the army ana tor
| legislative, etc, expenses were passed
| with riders Objectionable to the admins
| tration,' and promptly vetoed by Presldeht
Hayes. But afterward the bills without
the riders We're passed and approved ny
the President. Other measures, placing
! quinne on the free list preventing the IN
| PRODUCTION of contagious or infectious dis-
| eases, and creating the Mississippi river
| commission, were passed. During the SEES
| sion President Hayes vetoed five bills, the
| two appropriation bills before mentioned,
a bill to prevent military interference az
| elections, bill making appropriations Ior
| certain judicial expenses and a bill TO pay
| fees of marshals and their deputies none
| of which passed over his veto. ne
session was characterized by bitter political
debates in both houses upon the use OF
| troops a the polls. The session closed ON
! July l. 1879.
Twelfth Extra Session (1S93).
The next extra session was convened
by President Cleveland, and met on August
l. 1893, as the first of the F'ifty-third Con-
gress. The House of Representatives was
democratic by a large majority. the demo-
Gratis having 21S members the republicans
127 and the opposition" (populists, lnde-
pendents and silver II.
| In his special message to Congress
| President Cleveland urged the repeal ~
| the purchasing clause of the sherman sii
Yer act. which compelled the purchase each
| month of 4 1904 600 ounces of silver bullion
| He spoke of the alarming ana cXtraoi
binary business situation" and OF the ull.
| fortunate financial plight and urgeu ma ma
| Congress should take legislative action that
| would put beyond all doubt or mistake
the intention and ability of the government.
| to fulfill it's pecuniary Obligations In HioheS
universally recognized by all civilized couli-
| tries.
| Repeal of Purchasing Clause.
On August II Chairman Wilson of the
ways and means committee introduced
| bill to repeal the purchasing clause OF the
| Sherman act. The debate ran until August
%, and, after various amendments Tor the
| free coinage of silver were voted down, the
bill was passed by ayes 2.s3 to nays 100, a
majority of the affirmative vote being repu-
| lican and a majority of the negative vote
| democratic The Senate inserted as sub
| stitute for House bill, single paragraph
repeating the purchasing clause or the Sher.
man act and declaring 1t to be the pohcy Oh
| the United States to establish a Safe SyS-
| TEN of bimetallism and continue the USE
of both gold and silver as standard money,
to coin both into money of equal intrinsic
| ana exchanged Die value, Sucn euuiHty ~
| be secured by such international agree
ment as will insure the maintenance OF the
parity in value of the coins of the two
metals and the equal power of every dollar
at all times in the markets and In the pay
ment of debts" AS amended, the bill pass
! ed on October 30 by =, to 81, a majority or
| the republican senator's voting aye and
| three fourths of the democratic senators
voting no The Senate amendment was
concurred in by the House on November
! by yeas 1914 to nays "a. and the bill was APP
proved by the President. So far as the ses-
sion concerned it was-beyond the
amendment of the Chinese exclusion act
| barren of results.
Thirteenth Extra Session QS9D.
The next and latest extra" session of
| Congress was convened the 18th Of
| March, 1897, by President Mckinley by
proclamation issued on the 9th of March
preceding. The republican membership had
/ decreased from 245 in the preceding House
to BOB, the democrats having 121, with %
votes scattered among populists, indepen-
dents and siverites. Mr.. Dingley intro
! duced bill Ito provide revenues for the
government and to encourage the industries
of the United States" and following this
! action. Speaker Reed announced the ap-
pointment of the committee on ways and
| means, Mr.. Dingley being made chairman.
! Three days later Mr.. Dingley introduced
a substitute tariff bill with the same title,
| which was similarly referred, and on March
10 he reported it back without amendment
| The bill was considered from day to day
| thereafter until March 81, when it was
| passed by ayes 205, nays 122 present p
| and not voting 6. .1--
The bill was reported back from the Sen
| ate committee on finance on May by Mr..
| Aldrch with sundry amendments, and was
| considered from day to day until July Z.
| when it was passed with SI2 amendments,
| by yeas 80, nays g, not voting % On July
| ~ the conference report was submitted in
| the House, debated during the day and
| evening, and at midnight was adopted by
| ayes 1S7, nays 116, answered present Il, not
voting 80 On the following day 1t was
! submitted in the Senate by Mr. Allison
| and discussed until July "a, when 1T was
| adopted by ayes 40, nays so. not voting 10,
and the bill was approved by President Nc
| Kiney the same day.
That the extra session will. to any ap-
probable extent. shorten the regular ses-
| sion of the Fifty-eighth Congress Is quite
unlikely, for. from present indications,
many issues of great Importance will be
raised and discussed at great length-at
| least In the Senate where full discussion Is
| possible-one of which alone-the tariff
| prolonged the first session of the Fiftieth
! Congress lover the Mills bilD until October
| 90 1888, the first session of the Fifty first
Congress lover the Mckinley Did until
| the Fifty-third Congress (over the Wilson
German bilD until August %. 1894. while
| the extra session of the Fffty-frst Con-
gress. which was convened by President
| Mckinley on March 10. 1897, to consider
tariff conditions. and passed the Ding
| lev BILL" did not adjourn until July 81, no
other business of importance being trans
| acted.
| Carefully reviewing and considering the
present situation and the outlook for the
| coming extra" and regular sessions. with
serious (and UNEXPECTEDLY complications
| growing out of labor issues and troubles,
and predicting another October adjourn
ment distinguished republican senator
| Of long service recently said to the writer:
! 1.-THE campaign of 1904 will be without pre-
| cedent. 1t will be intensely bitter from
| start to finish, and will probably bring out
! the greatest vote (percentage) ever cast,
! and when the votes are counted the leaders
| of each party will realize and admit that
| his own party has had the fight of its
| life " HENRY H. SMITH.