Omaha daily bee., 1909-03-06
END OF SlXTIETA CONGRESS-
Pension Bill, Last of Big Supply
Measures, Passes Both Houses.
SPECIAL SESSION OF SENATE
After Reading of Proclamation Vice
President sherman Calls Body TO
order and Adjournment IL
Taken UntiI Today.

WASHINGTON March 5.-The Sixtieth
congress came to an end at noon today
and it glided into the sixty-first so easy
that no change was noticeable.
The final act. though unofficial insofar
as the house was concerned, took place
I'm the senate chamber, where both houses
witnessed the incoming of the new adj
ministration.
The senate will meet at noon tomorrow
to consider President Taft's nominations
but the house will not convene again until
the beginning of the extra session of con-
gress. to be called for the 18th inst.
The senate met at $40 a. M. but the
proceedings were confined to the most
formal work, mainly adoption of the re-
port of the conferees on the pension ap-
preparation bill, the last of the great
supply measures. which the house also
passed within one hour of adjournment,
and the appointment of two or three COM
missions in accordance with recent con
gressional enactments. Vice President
Fairbanks delivered an address in response
to resolutions thanking him for his oon-
duct of tho office. Immediately after adj
journment of the SiStieth congress the
proclamation Of the president, calling the
senate In extraordinary session to consider
presidential appointments was read at the
direction of the new vice president, Mr..
Sherman.
Adjournment of House.
Utterly lacking in all the stirring in
cidents usually marking Che closing of
congress, the house at T:59h o'clock was
declared by Speaker Cannon to be ad-
iourned without day. Having reconvened
at 10 o'clock in the morning, the two
hours were spent in cleaning up confer
ence reports and passing a few bills of
no great public interest.
Speaker Cannon received a unanimous
vote of thanks. which he acknowledged
amid loud applause.
The special committee appointed to wait
upon the president, as is the custom, re-
ported that he had no further communi-
cations to make. The speaker wished
the members peace. health and prosperity,
and the house adjourned. the members
marching over to the senate.
During the sessions Chairman Tawney
OF the appropriations COMMITTEES in the
house declared that the expenditures of
the government had at no time except in
war increased as rapidly as during the
last eight years, primarily caused by pop
ular and executive demands upon con-
gress for appropriation for the exercise
of rights and functions belonging exclu-
sively to the states and the abnormal
and unnecessary war expenditures in time
of peace.
Appropriations during the last eight
years, including the fiscal year 1910. he
said, were equal to S7,007, $50, 1888, and
he declared that at the end of the present
fiscal year there would be a deficit of
$3.50. 900, 900. He severely criticised the
executive branch for submitting estimates
Of expenditures for in excess of estl-
L. ~IaAnl Tho ~H-A
priations of the expiring administration
at $1.044,O14,2 9S.
Senator Culberson submitted a statement
covering the last seven years, stating that
the Increase of appropriations for 1910
shows an increase over those for 1903 of
over $S2S, 10000. or about 81 per cent and
that the treasury's estimated Expenditures
for 1910 exceed 1902 by over 1875, 100000, an
increase of 63 per cent in eight years.