The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-03-12
RATE BILL
 THIS WEEK Senator Culberson Begins the Debate Today. FORECAST OF THE NEWS House Will Consider the Appro-
 priation Bill. The Week May See Definite Decision as to Coal strike and Organization
 of New French Min
 istry.

The only visible object on me hofi- zon of the United States Senate is the Railroad Rate bill, This measure s now on the calendar as the unfinished business, which gives it the right of way over every other subject each day after 2 o'clock.
 Ordinary bills like this pertaining to general legislation give place to ap- propriation blls and doubtless the Ral- road bill would be temporarily side tracked for them If a request to thai. effect should be made; but unless the Railroad bill remains undisposed ot longer than any one counts upon, no effort will be made to displace 1t, even temporarily with the supply bills. for the Senate is a unit in It's desire to have the matter disposed of at thefear- Hest practicable moment.
 The only positive predictions that can be made concerning the course or the bill is that during the present week Senator TIllmnn, who has 1t in charge, will make a written report on It; that there will be a number of speeches for and against the measure and that the efforts to amend 1t will proceed.
 There may be said to be three divis- ions in the Senate. the first standing for the bill as 1t came from the House; the second demanding provision for a review of the findings of the Inter-
  acter that will remove the entire dues- tion from the commission without leav- ing its ruling in force; and the thrd for granting a review, but maintaining the orders of the commission in eff feet until a final disposition of the question Is reached in the courts Those will be vital questions from the begin ming to the end of the controversy. Indeed, 1t may be confidently asserted that if an agreement could be arrived at immediately on the question Of re- view, a vo~% could be taken without further discussion except for home consumption. Until. however. there Is an approach to an understanding. an animated. if not acrimonious debate may be expected. There Is division on these points on the Democratic as we'll as the Republican side of the chamber, and 1t looks as If most of the amend ments to be suggested would come from the minority members.
 A Bailey Amendment.
 To Senator Bailey, many of the Sem ators in both parties are looking for a solution of the problem by the amendment which he Is understood to be preparing He will make an CT, fort to frame a provision which will grant a review by the courts, and at the same time prevent the suspension of the commissions orders until the courts enter their final decrees in given cases. This will not entirely meet the demands of the more radical advo- cates of the Jurisdiction of the courts but some of them will accept 1t.
 There is an effort to reach an agree ment on a provision that would re- quire the roads to deposit the differ ence between their rates and those fix ed by the commission until the final l disposition of cases by the courts.
 The discussion on the subject will | with a speech by Senator | Monday. l
 The House of Representatives this | week will enter upon protracted dis nussion of ways and means to restrict the expenditure of appropriations for the support of the legislative. eXecu- tive and judicial branches of the gov ernment to the exact and specific pur- poses for which they are made. This discussion will be incident to the con alteration of the appropriation bill for .he three branches carrying $29,134,- IS1.
 Chairman Tawney, of the appropria- ion committee. estimates 1t will take en days to dispose of the bill. Its will begin Tuesday. Mon- fay beng District of Columbia day
 Pay of the Clerks.
 Aside from the main question of the OL 0RpA tAS NttA carries a provision for decreasin gthe pay of government clerks, when they each sixty-five years of age and fur her that after 1913, no clerk shall be employed after he reaches the age Nof ieventy This provision. as well as hose to prohibit the diversion of ap- are subject to points of have been completed which will result ia the addition of n pecial rule making the provisions in 'rder
 It is expected long discussions will esult from the new policy proposed The intention is to keep the bill con tantly before the House until 1t is lnally disposed of, some time next week..
 The statehood situation has again cen shifted to the House. and while here Is a general understanding that othing is to be done with the bill ntil the return of members of the ivers and harbors committee from the outh. which will be some time Satur- ay. it Is possible that actions may ot be delayed on that account. The bill will be returned to the | Iouse from the Senate Monday. It i'll probably be allowed to remain on ne speakers table until action is de- ded upon. However. if there Is any
  Ihich changes in any way the charge ( pon the treasury. the bill will go under the rules, to MT. : amilton's committee on territories. ] It is not unlikely that there will be
 Republican caucus on the bill some Vening during the week. that 1t may Q ascertained with some definiteness I lst where the members stand on the Q tatehood proposition. l
 Selection of French Cabinet. c MT. Jean Sarrlen, having undertaken S le formation of ministry in success \ on to that of MT. Rouvier, which was c efeated in the Chamber of Deputies a .st week. interest in French affairs V i'll center in the selection Of in- { Ividual members of the cabinet and in i le change which Is likely to result in le policy relative to the application of le law providing for the separation ? church and State. It was through R le votes of one faction favorinE a h ore regionus administration of tho Q w, and of another element which ii cid that the law was being enforced g
 an oppressive manner, that the a ouvier ministry was defeated II