The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1909-06-04

S@ nary have varied somewhat War, present or potential. nnan-
r nrt Of Congress at its regular session calling forth a retributve extra SEES
sion, internal negotiations requiring earlier attention than that supplied by
+ha fret Monday u December, these have supplied the necessary reasons to
the Presidents of the past
n eight years. The first, that which contaminated the Louisiana purchase,
did what it could to facilitate the biggest real estate deal o record and
cbeerfully aided the President to bend the constitution to the breaking point
For a consideration of $15OOOOOO a territory 10 embracing thirteen States
eountrv som of its choicest and most productive land at Al average cost Of
2 cents a acrem must be regarded rs advantageous Poseriy in decent graft.
tue can find n o fault with methods of reasoning by which the farsghter
statesman. jefferson, reconcned his abstract views concerning constitutional
Constitutional measure which time and the people have completely justified.
During Jenesons second term the Napoleonlc wars led . a special SEES
many weary months been assailng American commerce. The ew Western
European bowers, though. al events afterward proved, the evil day a mere
y being held back by either concliatory or mildly retanatory measures .
upon the American rgae Chesapeake. Just outside Hampton Roads, in June,
the dead and cried for Al. The President was, himself. deeply incensed,
and at once dispatched a vessel to England to demand reparation mi u
to have al answer from England. Ibis reply did not come until the second
presidential message sent to Congress concerning the affair carried the ia
mou embargo policy prohibiting American vessels from leaving for a foreign
port under any condition. American sailors were to be protected by being
kept safely in American harbors, while France and England were to be pun
session called to consider Englands treatment Of American sailors, John
Adams had h, the first year of his administration called a special session of
ware France Madison inherited the foreign troubles which had exasperated
The second, which convened May "a, 1913, and lasted until Aug. had to
provide additional ways and means fol financing the a with Englands
Van Buren, had as his legacy iron the Jackson administration almost as
he issued a proclamation calling fol an extra session to meet o H. first
uOuUdy VI ScDSmuVI, LODI, 4" NOIhOCI SNdA Ou WOl6nNy AANOAC Inv
of the times a shown in the tokens used al exchange. There were
n cashiers checks such a 8 were used in the fall Of 1907, but bits of paper
we're used instead Of money.
March II, 1871, William Henry Harrison issued a call for a special SEES
sion of Congress to meet May 81. When it convened John Tyler, through
Harrisons death. had succeeded to the presidency. In 1856 the regular ses-
sion of Congress closed Aug. 19 The Republican House had refused to pass
a appropriation bill for the army stationed in Kansas without a stipulation
that the soldiers would not be used to enforce DEGREES Of the prosavey
Legislature of the Territory. President Pierce at once issued a call for a
special session to meet Aug 81. 1t as in session ne week, during which
the House ave way and passed the bill without stipulation.
When President Lincoln set July 4. 1861, IS the day N which the extra
session Of the Thirty seventh Congress should onvene many criticised his
judgment in selecting a date so distant from the time Of his Inauguration.
1t called to provide ways and means or carrying o. the In thirty
three days it passed sixtyone public and even private bills and five joint
resolutions. It's measures called out 10000 volunteers, appropriated $500,
100000, provided for a navy, closed the ports Of seeding States defined con
spracy against the government and provided the punishment, connscated
property used against the government and increased duties under the Nor
rl tariff which Buchanan had signed shortly before the close Of his term.
No session of Congress ever settled more momenhus issues and no Con-
gress hal contained more noteworthy names.
During the Hayes administration two extra sessions were called, both for
the purpose Of passing appropriation bills which should have been enacted
sion in 1893. a vas President Van Burn In 1887. vas Is reluctantly forced
tic call a extra session to consider ways and means of relieving the prevailing
conditions Convened Aug L 1898. this special session adjourned Nov. g.
after repeating the purchase clause of the silver act Of 1890 TIE extra SEE
sion Of 1908 called by President Roosevelt helped to set. in vogue the phrase
reconstrucfve recess