The Washington herald., 1907-12-01

The Sixtieth Congress Of the United
States will assemble IN Washington at
noon tomorrow. In both houses the Re
publicans viii have large majoriues.
In the Senate it will be thirty-one out
OF total membership Of eighty-nine.
and in the House an advantage Of afty-
six cut Of a total membership OF 800
On the opening day there will be one
vacancy in the Senate and one in the
House. The legislature Of Rhode Island
failed last year to elect a successor to
Senator Wetmore. and. accordingly.
Little Rhody will have only one repre-
sentative in the upper branch Of Con
gIess until after the general assembly
shall have met in January and chosen
Lis successor. lie viii doubtless be re-
elected, and whether he Is or not some
Republican will be chosen. and thus the
Republican membership in the Senate
viii be increased TO sixty-one.
At the start-of the Republicans will
have clear two-thirds majority in the
Senate. for the first time in a generation.
This advantage. however viii be Of
short duration.
Influence of Oklahoma.
The timely admission Of Oklahoma TO
Statehood, and the fact that the new
Commonwealth has shown pronounced
Democratic tendencies, will save that
party's membership from falling below
the one-third membership mark
The legislature Of Oklahoma viii not
formally elect Senators Thomas p. Gore
and Robert l. Owens. who have been
selected in the primaries. until next
week, and until their proper credentials
are forwarded here the new State will De
without representation In the Senate.
and the Democrats viii have less than
one-third OF the membership.
When they are seated. and n member
is elected from Rhode Island. the sts.uc
ing viii be Republicans. 81: DemocSat, 81.
The one vacancy in the House Is from
tine Ninth Virginia district. occasioncd b.
the death Of the Hon. Campbell Slemp.
Republican. Gov. Swanson has called
special election for December Il. 10 I'LL
the vacancy A Republican viii be chosen.
as the Democrats have made 10 n0mina-
tion.
Republicans Have 80.
The Republican majority I'm the House
tomorrow will be fifty-six. and after the
election in the Ninth Virginia district.
II wy be fifty-seven. The election i'm
Oklahoma when four Democratic mem
bers and one Republican were chosen
cut down the Republican majority three.
As the Senate is a continuing body
there will be little business for IL TO
transact on the opening day. as il is un-
derstood the Presidents message 10 Con-
gresS viii not go in until Tuesday. There
are many vacancies. however. 10 DE filed
on important committees. and these mat
ters win occupy the attention Of the steer
ing committee and the Democratic con-
ference
The House tomorrow will be devoted to
organization. As preliminary to this
organization each party held a caucus
yesterday, for the purpose OF selecting
candidates for House offices.
House Called TO Order.
The House will be called 70 order to-
morrow by Alexander Mcdowell. clerk Of
the last House. and the oath Of office viii
be administered TO all members Follow
ing this the biennial lottery for seats will
take place. and after this the election of
House officers.
Ihirty-one Senators will be sworn in on
the opening day, and Of these thirteen are
new to the Senate. Ten Of them succeed
who failed Of reelection. two
succeed Senator's who died. and one cen
Du Pont, Of Delaware fills a vacancy.
The retirement Of Senator Blackburn.
Of Kentucky. who was chairman of the
conference, viii make the seIec-
ton of his successor necessary It is
probable the choice will fall upon Senator
Culberson. of Texas.
In the House among the old warho-sos
who viii be missed are Grosvenor. Wade-
worth. Babcock. Lacey. Littauer Mo
Cleary, on the Republican side. and Rank
head and Robertson on the Democratic
side
Although Speaker-to-be Cannon has
pceh AT Work on the committee lists for /
some time. it is not likely they win be |
announced for ten days or two weeks
and on account of this there is NOT Iikelv I
10 be much important legislation until 1
after the holiday recess. Whatever log
islation is regarded as imperative viii be /
considered in the House without rofer- /
ence to committees. There has heen some
talk of passing a financial bin in thfs
way. although no definite programme has /
been arranged by the leaders.
Some Embarrassment
Such action would relieve the Renrh1i-
cans Of some embarrassment. as a rafar-
ance to any currency bin 10 the Commit
tee on Banking ana Currency. Of vbic., |
Representative Fowler. Of New jersey iq I
likely TO be chairman again. may result I
in spit. for the reason that his vl4ws
on the question are not in accord with I
those entertained by the administratio, (
It IS probable the financial bill VIII nro,-c
TO he the most important legislation of /
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and New York
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