Bisbee daily review., 1905-12-08
NOT MUCH EXPECTED OF THE FIFTY-NlNTH.

With 249 members Tn the house and fifty-nine in the senate, the Repub- licans are short but a few votes of a twothirds majority The Democrats have 137 representatives and thirty one senators, making the majority 112 in one case and twenty eight in the latter.
 After having controlled congress continually for twelve years-an un precedented period for one-party dom- inance-the Republicans now frd their numerical strength greater than at any time of the interval. Despite their commanding numbers, the Re publican leaders already have made it clear that the Fifty ninth ls to be another "do-nothing" congress.
 There is but one subject of broad national consequence upon which it is definitely known legislation will be enacted. This latter, of course, is the much agitated plan of President Roosevelt for the federal regulation of railway rates. The tariff. proposed financial legislation, suggested fed eral control of insurance, a pure-food bill-all these will be up in various forms for elaborate augmentation, but the railroad rate proposition is the only one which it is expected will be carried to the extent of a framed law.
 Beyond these matters congress will be chiefly concerned in doing its share of government business-that is to say, passing appropriation bills, passing bridge, pension and private measures and looking after the af- fairs of the Panama canal. Of course, statehood measure, providing for Oklahoma and Indian Territory as one state, will have consideration, and probably will be passed, but this does not now seem to be in such shape as to require much time of the law makersy
 As the outlook for concrete legisla- tion is limited, the Republican leaders have intimated already that they ex- pect the session to be short It is the purpose to finish up in April or May, which would be unusually early for a long session. The only factor which might interfere with this plan is the remote possibility that President Roosevelt may stir up tariff reform to formidable proportions. If he should come along, as it has been suggested he may do, with a special message to congress late in the ses- sion, calling for a special tariff com mission to sit during the summer and investigate the need of tariff changes this, in all probability, would provoke lengthy debate Congress might 1 then be compelled to work into June i It is a foregone conclusion that a railroad rate law will pass this con gross, since the President insists and popular clamor is behind him. The present plan of the leaders is to fore gather among themselves until they shall have agreed upon a measure l and then to put it through
 In the senate the fight will be the genuine article. But it now looks as if, while hot, the contest will be brief because there appears to be a sufi- cient working majority of senators in favor of a railway rate bill, such as President Roosevelt has been adyo- eating.
 Next to the railroad rate legisla- tion, the time of congress will be taken up chiefly with the affairs of the Panama canal enterprise. Repre- sentatives are disposed to be liberal toward the canal and are willing to grant the canal commission and the administration all the funds they need for actual canal work. At the same time, Speaker Cannon, in common with many other legislators, is under. stood to be determined to discover whether the charges of extravaganza against the canal management are well founded.