Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-12-03
A FORECAST.
Continued from page ~

p ',.',, 10 40 so, with the privilege of
.1. .,eu oeoate. In the House the
stringent rules enable the maioritv
~ transact All business it desires and
SO 1ar as that body is concerned tbara
Is II" oir,culty about any legislation
mat may be attempted, but If tho
'eaoeis 90 not want tariff revision or
''!ahse IN the revenue laws nothing
will be done. ''''s
The unfinished business in tho 60,
ate is bill! passed by the House nro.
vidinS for the construction of r,;,,.aaa.
in the Philippine Islands nv :, e,,,1,,,
tee OF hVe per cent. income upon tho
money invested in such roads rhe
Dill also provides for issuing pb;,in-
pine D''nos Tor other internal improve
mth's IN the Islands. and in several
other particulars amends the Philip-
pine laws passed by Congress. The
bill met with great deal of opnosi.
ton during the last Congress. but
Senator Lodge. who has it in ch,rpe
says that he will press it from the he-
ginning of the session and homes IN 60
cure its passage. The principal on
position Aas to the provision which
guaranteed an income to the railroads
and little objection was made to other
features OF the bill. Another bill for
the Philippines. which has been urged
by Secretary Taft and the President
as well as nearly every one Interested
in the Philippines. provides for a ma :
terial reduction of the duty on sugar
IN tTI
pine products. In fact free entry of
these products has been recommended.
he sugar and tobacco interests were
strong enough in the past to defeat
any substantial reduction. and the
law now provides for a duty of IS per
cent. of the Dingley rates. A de-
mand for reduction of % per cent.
has been quite frequently presented to
Congress.
sanction Of the House last session. but
which has never been pushed in the
Senate is the statehood measure which
provides for TWO states. doubling up
the territories of Oklahoma and Indian
Territory as one and Arizona and New
Mexico as another. This bill. like any
other which may encounter opposition
in the Senate could be easily defeated
and advocates of separate statehood
for all the territories are likely to pur-
su" that course.
Should the House of Representatives
decide to impeach Judge Charles
Swayne of the northern district Of
Florida the business conditions of III"
Senate would be complicated. Aftey
an investigation a majority Of tn"
House committee on Judiciary in the
last session recommend Impeachment.
Consideration of the resolution WAS
POSTPONED until December 13, the be-
ginning of the second week of the short
session. Meanwhile the Judiciary
committee was instructed to take fur
Their testimony. a task it began wv"
weeks ago. Present indications are
that the House will not authorize AN
impea chment. or if it does the action
will he taken SO late in the session
that the real proceedings will go over
until the next Congress. There are
precedcnts for such action in other i'm
peachmcnt cases that have been before
Congress.
III rs SOttleN Hal IL "a 'O'N $3.50
he relched in the senate in the case OF
Senator Reed SmOot. of titan. ihls
case attracted a great deal OF atteh-
lion last session when the committee
on Privileges and Elections summoned
the heads of the Mormon church TO tell
what had been going on of polyga-
nous character in Utah, and thousands
of persons petitioned daily to have
SnOot elected from the Senate. "A
score or more of witnesses are yet 10 De
examined. and the defense has not even
begun. 50 that it is evident that before
4 report is made to the Senate. the
session will be so far spent that no Sc
rious attempt will he made to reach a
vote upon Senator Shoots title. Some
question has arisen as to whether the
case lapses with the end of the present
Congress- 1t was the opinion of the
late Senator Hoar that the proceedings
would end with the congress and an
entire new case would have to be COM
menced if it was found desirable to
continue the case against Mr.. Smoot.
The last session passed bill provid-
ing for n commission composed OF hve
Senators and five Representatives to
investigate and report a measure Tor
restoring the Merchants Marine OF the
United States The commission was
instructed TO report on the first day oil
the coming session and il is expected
that this will be done. There has been
great deal of anxiety manifested by
men Of both political parties to secure
legislation OF this character and If amy
measure can be agreed upon which will
re ceive the support of both parties 1t
will no doubt be speedily passed.
Some doubt exists among the menu
bers OF both houses as to whether adj
iitional Chinese exclusion legislation
is necessary. 1t has been held that the
law would expire this month as it was
founded upon Il treaty which also ex-
pires. A new treaty is being negoti-
ated and an exclusion law to meet lts
terms may be necessary. The people
of the Pacific coast have been insisting
upon more rigid exclusion than that
known as the Plat law. and If the
question is brought up there will be
quite lengthy debate.
Senator Dillingham; has reported
fron, the committee on immigration
hill amending the immigration laws
aud if is his intention to push for its