Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1906-12-07
SHORT SESSION BEGUN
OPENING DAY GIVEN UP TO PRE-.
/ LiM,NARIEs az CONGRESS.
rHRoNc IN GALLERIES
Senate Receives the Presidents Ap.
pointments but Waits for Message
Before Confirming
Them.

WaShingtOn.-The hfty-n1ntn con-
gress began Its last session at noon
Monday. 1t took the senate 10 min
utes to arrange its preliminaries and
the house an hour. The senate re-
ceived from President Roosevelt
long list Of appointments for Its con-
firmation, and in an executive session
Of 10 minutes decided, as the nominal
lions had been received before the
body had been organized formally, to
make no combinations until the pres.
ident's annual message had been re-
ceived and the session fairly started.
Senators Penr0se of Pennsylvania
and Foraker of Ohio came forward
with resolutions of inquiry regarding
the discharge of the negro troops OF
the twenty-fifth infantry. One was ad'
dressed 10 the president and the other
to the secretary of war. After the
ripple of surprise had passed and
Vice President Fairbanks had sug.
gested that it was unusual to trans.
act any business until the presidents
message had been received, the resolu.
tons went over" by unanimous con
sent. Senator Dupont of Delaware
took the oath Of office.
The opening of the two houses was
witnessed by an animated throng
which filled the galleries to their
capacity. Hundreds went away dis
appointed in not gaining admission
to witness the session of either senate
or house.
Seven cabinet changes and one ap'
pointment to the supreme court bench
were sent to the senate by President
Roosevelt, but they were not con
firmed Immediately in accordance
with general customs concerning such
important nominations. Heretofore,
the committees have been polled on
the floor of the senate in executive
session on cabinet appointments and,
out of courtesy to the president, i'm.
mediately confirmed. The reason ad'
vanced for the change in the program
is that no message of any character
had been received from the president,
and therefore it would not be proper
to transact business. ~'...
Two More Messages Due.
hington.-President. Roosevelt'a
special message to congress on Porto
Rico will be sent to congress on De
cember II. The presidents views on
the island and the legislation he ia
vors are the direct outcome of his re
cent visit to Porto Rico.
The presidents special message OF
Panama will be laid before congress
on December II. With only bare
reference to Panama in his regular
message, Mr.. Roosevelt reserved his
observations and recommendations re
garding isthmian affairs until he had
completed his trip of inspection of the
work in progress, which he will dea.
with in his special message.
The presidents annual message was
read to the senate and house Tuesday
and was followed with the closest at
tention by both bodies. Scarcely any
other business was transacted.
House Passes Banking Bill.
Washington.-The house Wednes
day, waiting on the report of appro
priation bills, began its Legislative
grind by passing three measures: In
cooperating the National German
American Alliance; authorizing the
secretary of the treasury to duplicate
gold certificates in lieu of ones lost
or destroyed, and the bill amending
the national banking laws, permitting
national banking associations to make
loans on real estate as security anc
limiting the amount of such loans.
The brief session of the senate
Wednesday resulted in the introduc
ton of many bills, resolutions, petit
lions and memorials, and the receipt
of a number of communications from
the executive departm entS.