Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-01-03
BUSY FORTW0MONTH THIS
CONGRESS Will ReaSSembIe at
Noon Tomorrow.
MUCH HARD WORK AHEAD
Discussion of the Secret Service
First to Come Up.
SENATE DISPOSED TO KEEP OUT
Brownsville Affair to Come Up-Or-
ganization of the House to Be
Made-NeW Committees.

Congress convenes tomorrow at noon
for session which will terminate by
constitutional Limitation March 4. to be
followed by an extraordinary session to
be called by the new President, which
may run far into the summer
The succeeding two months of the regu-
lar session promise to be crowded with
hard work for the legislators and incident
and interest for the public. The first
event TO attract popular attention will
be discussion of the row between the
House and the President over the secret
service affair. The Senate shows a dis
position to stand aside and let the House
do the fighting-likewise place itself In
the attitude Of being the main defendant
in the charge brought by the President.
Some members Of the House claim that
the Senate. under It's mantle Of dignity
and orderly procedure is sde-stepping
the shindy and putting the House for
ward to bear the brunt Of the battle, like
wise most of the notoriety. that may
arise. OF course. any vindication that
comes will be shared by the Senate, as
part OF Congress.
The Brownsville Affair.
The Brownsville affair is not over. and
the Senate will have 1t up for considera-
ton and discussion from time to time.
The Senate wants to know something
more about the use by the President of
secret agents to get the information
which he sent to the Senate in December
Senator Foraker will urge consideration
Of his bill authorizing the restoration to
the service Of soldiers of the disbanded
regiment who can demonstrate their inno-
cence of participation In the Brownsville
killing.
The appropriation bills will make rapid
progress and attract the usual interest.
There is a great deal of unfinished general
business on the calendars of both houses
we'll as in committees which will push
for right of way and consume the in
tervals between the appropriation bills.
Anti-liquor legislation will hold a prouli-
nent part Of the stage. During the winter
Congress will receive its annual visit
from the woman suffragists. who, this
year. stimulated by the growth of the
movement abroad and at home will come
In greater force and more importunate
than ever.
House Reorganization.
While all this is going on, plans for re-
organization of the House for the extra
session will have to be made. Speaker
Cannon is TO be reelected Speaker with
out a contest, and that assurance will en-
able him to go ahead during the session
with the selection of the new committees
for the Sixty-first Congress. There are
eighty-seven new members who will have
to be provided for, with consequent shift
ing in the position of existing committee
ships.
Three important committee chairman
ships will have to be determined. judiciary
committee. interstate and foreign com
merce committee and rivers and harbors
committee. together with some minor
fhAlrm2nGlinS ,,,ar hog
three committees are. respectively, Parker
of New Jersey. Wanger of PENNSYLVANIA
and Alexander of New York
Representative Champ Clark. the minor
ity leader, who will continue In that
capacity in the next Congress. will have
his hands full during the winter i'm trying
10 meet the demands upon him for com
inittee assignments for the extraordinary
session. That is about all. except the
little ptttance of salary, which of course
Is no consideration, that the democrats
get out of their membership, good places
on committee.
AS the democracy in the House, out
side of the Tammany delegation, is prac-
tically confined to the south the best
minority places are occupied by long
term men from the south. However in
the SiXty-frst Congress there will be elev
en- democrats from Indiana, and there Is
sentation of northern democrats on COM
mittees. regardless of the unNritten law
of seniority of service
No Change in House Officers.
1t is not thought there will be any i'm
portant changes in the elective official
force of the House when the new Con-
gress meets but that the present organ
iZation will continue practically unimpair-
ed. All these officials have magnificent
records in their offices, besides holding
the warm personal esteem and friendship
of the republican membership. There is
not a complaint or whisper of complaint
against one of them with, therefore no
occasion for change
The District of Columbia committees in
House and Senate will present good
budget of local legislation which will
have to fight for right OF way during the
regular session. There is every year.
however, increasing disposition on the
part of statesmen to recognize the needs
Of the District and 10 take interest in
pending legislation.
Counting the Electoral Vote.
One of the interesting features OF the
pending session will be the canvassing OF
the electoral vote which Will take place
at | o'clock the second Wednesday in
February. which will be the 10th of the
month The Senate will assemble in the
House of Representatives, the Vice Pres
ident sitting with the Speaker of the
House. and presiding. The returns of the
electoral college will then be read and
the announcement made that TAFT and
Sherman have received the majority OF
the votes cast and are duly elected Pres
ident and Vice President of the United
States.
After the inauguration of the new Pres
ident at noon, March 4, the Senate will
remain in session TO induct one-third OF
its membership and to receive nonina-
tonS of the President. The Senate will
sit right along, TO act on appointments,
until the extraordinary session of the Six
ty-first Congress assemblies, which will
be some time between March and 10.