Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1904-12-03
SHORT AND BUSY SESSION.
Some Things To Be Considered BY
Congress AT Approach
ing Session.
fng Session.

Washington, d. O.. Dec. 3-Enact- 3
ment of necessary appropriation meas
ures, coupled with probable ship-sub-
sidy legislation in q modified form
and the consideration of isthmian
canal legislation, comprises the pres
ent programme of the closing session
of the Fifty eighth Congress, which
will open at noon Monday.
Unless all signs fail comparatively
little attempt will be made to accom-
plish anything else of Importance. IN
less it be the passage of the bill of
Mr.. Hill, of Connecticut, to improve
currency conditions or the bill of Mr..
Fowler, of New Jersey, permitting
national banking associations to make
loans upon real estate.
AS to brand new legislation, but
little il expected during the short ses-
sion. Congress will be kept busy get
ting through its appropriations aud
attending to routine matters. 1t
seems TO be understood that there will
be a river and harbor bill and an
omnibus public building bill intro
duced at this session. Never before
was there greater demand on the
Treasury for money for river and har-
Dor improvements and for new public
buildings, and it appears certain that
unless Speaker Cannon and Chairman
Hemmenway, of the House committee
on appropriations, stubbornly resist
the plans, members will make to "get
in on the appropriations the two
bills will carry enormous appropria-
tions.
The unfinished business of Congress
is represented by several thousand
bills, some of which have been consid.
cred by committees and reported ia
vorably; some passed by the House
and held up by the Senate, and others
(the great majority unconsidered in
committee. The unfinished business
in which the country has manifested
greatest interest may be summarized
as follows: Bill to confer additional
powers on the Interstate Commerce
Commission; The pure food bill; The
Hepburn Dolliver bill to regulate the
interstate transportation of intoxicat-
ing liquors; The bill for the reform
of the consular service; Legislation
for the further restriction of immi-
grafton The anti-injunction bill; The
eight-hour bill; Senator Fairbank s
bill providing for three department.
Government building in Washington /;
The statehood bill providing for the
admission of the territories of New
Mexico, Arizona, Oklahoma and Indian
Territories as two states; Bill for the
protection of the President.
Undoubtedly Etbe friends of these
measures will press them forward for
consideration as opportunity offers.
and some OF them will probably be
made into law. Evidently there is
much popular interest in theipure-food
bill The House passed it last session
and it received some consideration in
the Senate, but in the rush of the last
few weeks it was sidetracked. The
so-called labor bills--the anti -injunc-
tion bill and the eight-hour bill-did
not get out of committee in the House
last session. Hearings that lasted for
weeks were held, but neither the ju-
dietary committee, which has the anti
injunction bill, not the committee on
labor, which has the eight-hour bill,
reached vote on the question of re-
porting.
Among the so-called side issues,
there are several that promise to at
tract much public attention. The
Crum appointment bill will probably
be removed from the field of serious
controversy by the changed attitude
of Senator Tillman, who announces
that he will no longer stand in the
way of Crum's confirmation. Much
interest will, of course center in the
Reed Smoot case. The case has al
ready dragged through a full year.
and the Senate committee on privi-
leges and elections seem anxious to
get it off their hands. Undoubtedly
they will decide TO close it up in short
order unless it is deemed expedient
TO send q subcommittee to Utah TO
take testimony. Monday, the opening
day of the session, will be devoted to
the reading of the Presidents mes
the most important state papers in
recent years.