The Wilson times. [volume] (Wilson, N.C.) 1896-19??, 1911-03-07
CONGRESS
ADJOURNS
CANADIAN RECIPROCITY FAILS TO
PASS AND TAFT CALLS SPEC
IAL SESSION
CLOSING SCENES STORMY

Washington, March 6.-The Sixty
first Congress, needless of one of the
most important legislative tasks set
before it, came 10 an end shortly af-
ter noon Saturday. Within the hour
following, President Taft had issued
proclamation calling the new Congress
to meet III extraordinary session at
noon Tuesday, April T. At that time
he Will submit for ratification 10
House overwhelmingly Democratic
and to Senate barely Republican,
the reciprocity agreement with
Canada. The Mccall bill carrying
that agreement into effect and passed
by the House met at the hands of the
old Sena the death that had beer
freely predicted for it.
The President, well warned if not
entirely reconciled to the fate in
store for the measure, was at the
| Capitol to witness the obsequies. The
bill was not allowed at ny time to
come up in the Senate for moments
consideration.
The permanent tariff board bill,
forced to it's passage through re-
luctant Senate at $50 o'clock in the
morning, was hurried over to the
House, there to be strangled by
| Democratic filibuster The President,
in the room reserved for him in the
Senate lobby, heard the news with
| resignation Congress provided funds
70 continue the work Of the Temporal
| " tariff board for another year.
At Democrats Request.
It was at the request of the Demo-
crats of the House and Senate that
| President Taft fixed the date of the
extra session on April 4th. The new
Democratic Ways and Means Com
mittee of the House, which is also to
serve as the new committee on com
mittees, will meet to take up its lat
ter duties A full caucus of all the
Democratic members of the new
House will not be held until April 3.
In the meantime the plans for the.
extra session viii have developed
There is little doubt now that the
Democrats of the House will under
take to revise at least two or three
of the schedules of the Payne-Al-
drich tariff act, and there is every
reason also to believe that these bills
new Senate increased Democra-
tic and insurgent strength in that
body giving a majority to the princi-
pie of a further revision of the tariff
downward. 1t is supposed also that
SO long as the new schedules do not
flagrantly violate the policy of pro-
! lection, President Taft will not with
hold his approval of them. He has
announced, however, that if a general
revision, in violation of the protec-
tive policy, should be inaugurated, he
would not hesitate to use the power
of the veto.
How Long Will 1t Last?
| How long the extra session will
last is problematical. While the new
Congress may promptly ratify the re-
ciprocity agreement some Demo-
Gratis are in favor of Withholding con-
firmat ton until two or three new tariff
schedules are ready-if t. differ
ences should arise beween til new
House and the Senate the ses IN un-
questionably would be a long one.
In this connection, however, the
| interesting fact is developed that the
President has a constitutional right to
| bring the session to an end in case
| the two Houses of Congress can not
agree upon a time for adjournment
Such etion, it is admitted would be
revolutionary, and there is thought to
be little likelihood that any President
would care 70 invoke the power vested
| in him by Section 8, Article of the
Constitution.