The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-03-02
LAST WEEK BEGINS
WEDNESDAY WILL PUT AN END TO
CONGRESS- LABORS.
A RUSH AT THE VERY LAST
LEAVES MANY MEASURES WITH NO
CHANCE FOR A VOTE.


Both Senate and House viii Find
Much to Occupy the Time Remain
ing Roth Bodies are to Make
Especial Efforts to Get the Aid
rich Bond Deposit Bill Through.
Extraordinary Session of the Sem
ate is Inevitable - Question Now
Is as to When 1t Shall Begin.
Washington, March 1.-The Senate
has more than enough work to keep it
occupied during the last week of the
session, and do the best it may there
will be much left undone when the
gavel of the president pro tempore
shall fall at the close of the final sit
ting at noon Wednesday, when the last
session of the Fifty-seventh Congress
will close by constitutional limitation.
The calendar even at this late day is
quite full, and there are many more
bills in committee than have been re-
ported out.
In the present Congress, like most
others, only about 10 or 10 per cent. of
the bills introduced have become laws.
but 1t is also to be said that the rec
ord of bills introduced far exceeds that
of any previous Congress. Tuesdays
session will be continued until noon
Wednesday, and the Senate will be in
almost continuous session day and
night until then.
OF the supply bills, the sundry civil,
postoffice, naval and Notifications bills
are still in the hands of conference
committees, but there are no points in
dispute in connection with any of
them which are likely to be difficult of
adjustment. The general deficiency
bill is the only one of the appropriation
bills that has not passed the Senate,
and it will be passed some time to-
morrow.
viii Push AIdrich's Bill.
Aside from the appropriation bills and
conference reports, preference will be
given to the Aldrich bond deposit bill.
Senator Aldrich' expresses confidence
that this bill will pass during the day,
but some of the Democratic senators
say that its passage tomorrow is out
of the question, because of the number
of speeches to be made upon it, and
they contend that II ms passage shall
| be delayed beyond the day, it cannot be
| got through the House. There is also
great anxiety to get action on the Phil
ippine tariff bill, and while there is also
opposition to this measure, it is init
mated that this antagonism might cease
in case of a cessation of the efforts to
pass the bond-deposit bill, but Senator
Aldrich is not disposed to yield to this
kind of argument. 1t, therefore, seems
probable that the greater part of the
day tomorrow will be devoted to the
Aldrich bill, and TO appropriations. A
number of Democratic senators are
scheduled for speeches on the Aldrich
bill, and in all probability the consid-
GRAFTON of the measure will run well
into the night.
There will be determined effort to
get the Philippine bill in shape to send
to the President before the final disso-
luton of Congress on Wednesday, but
this, as intimated above, may depend
on the fate of the financial measure.
All senators understand the fact that
az this time in the session any one or
two Of their number can prevent the
passage of any individual measure.
Want Morgan TO Yield.
final attempt will be made to press
the Panama canal treaty to a conclu-
sion In the hope that Senator Morgan
may, relent in his opposition and al
low the treaty to be ratified rather
than force an extra session OF the
Senate. His friends say, however,
hcf hn oh, fR,Ao 4
they add that he is willing to accept
the full responsibility for a called SEES
sion.
Senator's generally, therefore, have
given up all hope of avoiding the ex-
ira session. and are now concerned
principally as to the time it shall be-
gin and the length of time it shall
occupy. Some of them are advising the
President not to ask the body to re-
assemble before Monday, the 9th in
slant, while Senator Aldrich is urging
that the call be issued for the 5th in
slant, the day after the dissolution of
the present Congress.
The principal, If not the only duty
of the extra session will be the con-
sderation of the Panama treaty and
the Cuban reciprocity treaty, but the
Senate may, if it so desires, take up
the question of the reorganization of
tne committees. NO disposition to-
wards this step has yet manifested it.
self, and it does not now seem proha-
BILE.
SmOot VIII he Seated.
On the first day of the new session
the new senators will be sworn in.
Among those who will take the oath
of office will be Mr.. Smoot of Utah,
against whom. on account of his con-
nection with the Norman Church and
his alleged adherence to it's tenets, old
and new, a number of protests have
been fled These protests do not con-
stitute proof, and, as Mr.. Shoots Gre
dentials are entirely regular; he will
be allowed to take his seat, and the
investigation. if one is to be made,
will be postponed until the regular
session of Congress, beginning in De-
cember, next. II there should be OBJ
lection to Mr.. Smoot taking his seat,
the ceremony under the rules of the
Senate, might be postponed for a day
1t is intimated that there may be some
discussion of his case during the ex-
ira session, but II so, 1t would precede
all committee action and would come
up either as a question of privilege or