The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1906-12-07
WASHINGTON.
Legislative and Gem
eral Topics from
the Capital.
December |. 1906.


blaze mrmb'rS. who had been
through 1t all before and knew
that a Short session meant great
deal of work. moIe talk, and not
much III the way of concrete
results Vice President Fair
banks presided over the opening
session of the Senate with ii gal
leTN that was crowded to its ut.
most capacity There were but few
vacancies on The floor. one of the
most notable being that of Sen
ator Barley. who has had to go
home to face the oil charges in
Texas. where in his name has
been mixed up with The Waters.
Pierce Company. which Is now
under Investigation IN Austin.
Senator Plat was there, true to
his promise that nothing except
death would keep him out of his
seat Senator Allison was alb.
sent but not so much through ILL
resS as from the fact that he has
not been very well and is bus
baLdlng his strength against the
more strenuous part of the SeS
sion when the big appropriation
bills VIII come over to his com.
miItee from the House.
There will not be very much
doing for the Senate in the ap-
preparation liue until after the
Christmas holidays. There never
Is very much for either House of
Congress- until after the holiday
season is over The organization,
the appointment of committees,
and the starting of the needful
appropriation bills from the
House side, all take up much
mole time than inter, enes be
tween the opening day aud
Christmas. Every one is looking
forward to the holidays as IA need
full break and plans are usually
made with that Interval in view.
Alter Congress gets back, iol
lowing the first OF the year, one
may look for considerable of in "
terest. 1t is practically settled
that the Ship Subsidy Bill will
go through. This is about the
only piece of Legislation on whose
fate the various critics are agreed.
next to that in order of interest,
comes the Inheritance Tax Bill,
but that of course, has not yet
been formulated, and its fate at
this brief session is very profile
matte. The Philippine tariff bill
is of course, still resting in com
mittee i'll the Senate, and an eff
fort will be made to get it out
and start it on its way back to
the House, but it is a little more
tnan doubtful if action can be
secured on it this session. Lin
gering always in the background,
there is the River and Harbor
Appropriation Bill. This, ii pass
ed, will carry $50, 100000 and
MIR. Burton, of Ohio, the Chair
man of the River and Harbor
Committee declares himself very
much in hopes that something
can be done with it. The River
and HarbOr Congress will hold
its next meeting in Washington
this winter, and it has outlined
systematic plan of river and
harbOr improvements, which will
call for an annual appropriation
of $50, 900, 900 each year, for the
next eleven Yeas. 1t is claimed
that the money would be we'll
spent aud that it could he more
economically spent if there was
some assurance that the annual ap-
preparation was fixture, and that
the money could be relied on to
carry on the work witht ut inter
ruptiOn.
Currency Legislation has a pos
sibility hut hardly a probability.
Toe banking interests of the
whole country are agreed on a
plan OF currency reform, and ii
this we're long session a bill
would stand very fair chance of
passing, but with the multitude
oi other things 10 do this legis-
lation will probably have to wait.
One thing is assured, aud that
- that there will he no tariff re-
vision during this sess . n.
speaker Cannon is against il.
the great industrial interests of
the county as a whole are very
much against n, aud time is
against it. which is the most i'm
portant Of all. II the Philippine
tariff j. revised even on a basis of
a - per cent. reduction in duties
10 will bee quite as much as can be
expected.
One Of the most notable figures
in Maryland politics passed out
Of view last week. lie was Gen,
eral l.. Victor Baughman, next
90 the late Senator German, one
of the most influential Of the
older Democratic politicians il
the State. lie had served IN the
Nfaufuetarafa arms and altar eh.