Williston graphic. (Williston, Williams County, N.D.) 1895-1919, 1909-03-18
SPECIAL SESSIONS
OF CONGRESS S
WHEN THEY HAVE BEEN CALLED AND
g.. WHAT THEY HAVE ACCOM-
PLlSnED.

President Taft's first proclama-
tion called for an extraordinary
session of the Sixty-frst congress
which met Monday, March Is.
The object of the special session
is to consider a revision of the
tariff. The call is in accordance
with promises made during the
presidential campaign which re-
suited in the election of the repub-
lican candidates for. president and
vice-president. What steps will
be taken in the matter of revision
cannot, of course, be foreshadow-
ed. Nor is there any precedent
by which the wisest can guess
what time may elspse before the
work is accomplished. Mr.. Taft
thinks the work can be done by
June l. According to the consti-
tuition, if the special session is un-
able to agree with respect to the
time Of adjournment the president
may adjourn both houses to such
time as he shall think proper.
The power of conveuing con-
gress on extraordinary occasions
has been exercised by John Ad-
ans, Jefferson, Madison, Van Bu-
ren, William Henry Harrison,
Pierce, Lincoln, Hayes, Cleveland,
Mckinley and Roosevelt. Tho
extraordinary session called by
President Taft will be the seven
teenth since the constitution was
adopted. There was one special
session each in the administration
of John Adams, Van Buren, Will
liam Henry Harrison, Pierce,
Lincoln, Cleveland Mckinley and
Roosevelt. There were two in
Jefferson's administration, four in
Madison's,, two in Hayes.
The last special session before
the one now in session under the
call of President Taft was in No.
vember 1903. It was called by
President Roosevelt for the pur-
pose of passing an enabling act
for the Cuban reciprocity treaty.
The extra" session which pre-
ceded that called by President
Roosevelt was held in the McKin-
ley administration. 1t assembled
under his proclamation March Is,
1897. The call was issued March
6. Speaker Reed presided over
the proceedings of the lower
house. At this ''extra'' session
the Dingley tariff bill was adopted
after a long debate which lasted
until midnight of July 10. It
went to the senate, the next day
and was discussed until July "a,
when it was adopted by that body.
President Mckinley signed the
bill the same day.
The "extra' session convened by
President Cleveland met Aug. 7, 1898.
1t was the first of the Fifty-third con-
gress. Its principal object, as de-
sired by Mr.. Cleveland, was the re-
peal of the purchasing clause of the
Sherman silver act. The repeating
clause introduced by Chairman Will
son was debated until Aug: %. The
bill was passed by the house and sub
sequently by the senate with a slight
amendment, which was concurred in
by the house. No other business of
Importance was transacted at this
"extra' session.
A recapitulation of the special ses-
sions shows that four had as their OBJ
ject some ultimate legislation relating
to wars already inaugurated or in
prospect, and one called
by Jefferson was decided upon to
avert any threatened complications
arising over the purchase Of Louisi-
ana from the French, to which Spain
was opposed. d 8.' .
The first special session was father
I'd by John Adams in 1877. It un-
precluded war with France.
The first called by jefferson has been
to In the foregoing para
graph. The second specisl called by
Jefferson met Oct. rs, 1907. Il lasted
until April 25, 1908. The attack upon
he Chesspeske by the Leopsrd and