The San Francisco call., 1904-12-03

stringent rules enable the majority tc
transact all business il desires, and sc
far as that body is concerned there is
no difficulty about any legislation that
may be attempted, but if the leaders
do not want tariff revision or change ir
the revenue laws nothing will be done
PHILIPPINE LEGISLATION.
The unfinished business in the Sen
ate is a bill passed by the House pro-
viding for the construction of railroads
in the Philippine Islands by a guar
sntee Of per cent income upon the
money invested in such roads. The bill
also provides for issuing Philippine
bonds for other internal improvements
in the islands and in severa
other particulars amends the Phil
ippine laws passed by Congress
The bill met with a great dea
Of opposition during the last Con.
gress, but Senator Lodge, who has ii
in charge, says he will press it from
the beginning Of the session and hopes
TO secure its passage. The principal
opposition was TO the provision which
guaranteed an income to the railroads,
and little objection was made to ether
features of the bill. Another bill for
the Philippines, which has been urged
by Secretary Taft and the President,
as we'll as nearly every one interested
terial reduction of the duty on sugar
and tobacco. as well as other Philip
pine products. In fact free entry OF
these products has been recommended.
A demand for a reduction TO % per
cent has been quite frequently present
ed to Congress.
Another measure which received the
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 In
dian Territory az one and Arizona and
New Mexico as another.
Should the House of Representatives
decide 10 impeach Judge Charles
Swayne Of the Northern District of
Florida. the business conditions of
the Senate would be complicated.
After an investigation a majority of
the House Committee on Judiciary
in the last session recommended i'm
peachment. Consideration of the resolu-
ton was postponed until December Is
the beginning of the second week ol
the short session Meanwhile the Ju-
dietary Committee was instructed to
take further testimony, a task II be-
gan two weeks ago. Present indica-
tiOns are that the House will not au-
tnorize an impeachment, or, If it does,
session that the real proceedings will
go over until the next Congress. There
are precedents for such action in other
impeachment cases that have been be-
fore Congress.
TROUBLESOME SMOOT CASE.
It is somewhat doubtful if a vote will
be reached in the Senate in the case
Of Senator Reed Smoot of Utah. This
case attracted great deal of attention
last session when the Committee or
Privileges and Elections summoned the
heads of the Mormon church to tel
what had been going on of polygam-
Gus character in Utah, and thousands
of persons petitioned daily to have
Smoot elected from the Senate. A score
or more of witnesses are yet to be ex-
amined, and the defense has not ever
begun, SO that it is evident that before
a report is made to the Senate th'
session will be so far spent that nc
serious attempt will be made to reach
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 pro
ceedings would end with the Congress:
and an entire new case would have t
be commenced If il was found desirable
to continue the case against Smoot
The last session passed a bill provid-
ing for a commission composed of five
Senators and five Representatives to in.
vestigate and report a measure for re.
storing the Merchant Marine of the
United States. The commission was in.
structed to report on the first day Of
the coming session and ii is expected
that this will be done. There has beer
q great deal Of anxiety manifested by
men of both political parties to secure
Legislation of this character and If any
measure can be agreed upon which will
receive the support of both parties i
will no doubt be speedily passed.
Some doubt exists among the mem
bers Of both houses as to whether addi
tional Chinese exclusion legislation /:
necessary. 1t has been held that the
law would expire this month, as it wa
founded upon a treaty which also ex,
pires. A new treaty is being negotiated
and an exclusion law 10 meet it's terms
may be necessary. The people of the
Pacific Coast have been insisting upoT
more rigid exclusion than that known
as the Platt law, and if the question il
brought up there Will be quite lengthy
debate.
NEW IMMIGRATION LAWS.
Senator Dillingham; has reported
from the Committee on Immigration a
Dlll amending the immigration laws
The principal feature of the bill is a
provision for an agent of the United
States. accompanied by a surgeon, tu
be stationed at all important Euro
pean immigrant ports to inspect aliens
seeking admission to the United
States. 1t also provides for a head
tax of 81 an immigrant
Three years ago when Congress as
sembled food of bills was present
ed for the protection of the President
and those in line of succession. Some
OF these measures were reported and
even reached the stage of conference
between the two houses when the Fifty
seventh Congress expired. On the
Senate calendar is a notice given by
Senator Hoar last April that on Tues
day, December 6, he would ask the
Senate to take up and consider a bill
for the protection of the President.
Whether or not some member of the
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