The Durham recorder. [volume] (Durham, N.C.) 1879-19??, 1911-03-07

CONGRESS ENDS
A Retrospective View Of What
the Session Has Done
IN THE sENAEE
Present Session Faiiure-So Much
So That President VIM Call the
Sixty-second In Extra Session
19o9-isl0 Session Notable for I'm.
portant Legislation.

i Washington, March 6-In the re.
Prospect the 6lst congress, which ex-
pired by constitutional limitation at
noon Saturday appear to have been
distinguished by three things: The re-
vision OF the tariff in the so-called
Payne-Aldrich bill, which was passed
at an extra session In the summer of
1909; the large amount Of important
legislation, much Of 1t upon recon-
mendaticn OF President Taft, enacted
at the regular session of 1909-1O. and
the exceedingly small product OF the
short session. so-called, now coming
to a close.
The interval between the last two
sessions was marked by the political
|upheayal registered at the general
ELECTION Of last November, which
changed a large republican majority
into still larger democratic ma
jority in the house OF represen atiyes;
cut the republican majority in the
senate almost to the vanishing point.
and incidentally effected striking
changes In the senate personnel.
The failure OF this session to enact
much important legisla ion has re-
suited in the practical certainty that
the new. CID, congress will be called
almost Immediately in extraordinary
session, especially by reason Of the
strong desire OF President Taft to Sc
cure action upon the pending reci-
procity agreement with Canada, to the
consunmation of which the contract-
ing parties pledged the utmost ef-
forts OF the two governments.
In strong contrast with the support
which the Taft administration re-
ceIyed from the republican majority
IN the matter OF legislation In the
regular session Of 1s0s-l0 is the fact
that at the present session the ma
jority has been anything but united;
he reciprocity agreement was passed
In the house by the aid Of large pro-
portion Of democratic votes, while in
the senate the rift in the majority be-
tween the regulars and the sin
surgents' has been an important fac
tor ID its sidetracking aud in the con-
sequent summoning OF the extra ses-
sion.
To. this division In the majority was
largely due the most dramatic feature
Of the previous long session--the pro-
tracted and sensational conflict last
spring, which ended in material
changes IN the rules OF the house gem
orally Interpreted as "the overthrow
Of the speaker" and which. after a
bitter fight lasting many hours and
one all-night struggle,
stopped only Just short OF the actual
OF Speaker Cannon. While
the acrimony between regulars and
insurgents neither began nor ended
with the battle over the rules. that
was Its most conspisuou episode. and
there has been little peace between
The factions since in either house.
In the senate the most sensational
feature Of this session was the un-
ayailing effort. In which the lnsur-
gents were most active. TO unscat
William Lcrimer a. junior senator
from Illinois. on the ground Of al
legged bribery In connection with his
election by the legislature OF that
state In the spring OF 1909. The
echoes Of that battle are still re-
aud It's bitterness adds
friction to the closing hours Of the
senate session.
Another important recent action Of
the senate was the defeat Of the
resolution enibodying i proposed
amendment o the constitution Of the
United States to provide for the al
rect election of senator's by the
people.
This resolution received more than
! majority Of the senate. but Ii need.
"a a two-thirds vote. and fell short
BY only four. Had she senate passed
y the house almost certainly would
have done 50. The friends Of this
proposition entertain little doubt that
L will pass the next congress and 20
70 the states for ratiaea ion or de.
feat.
The output Of this session in the
way Of general measures consists
chiefly Of the appropriation bills, and
several OF those haze seemed Id dan.
ger more than once III the tense stu.
alton OF the past few days. when long
hours passed away III hIibusiering on
one side Or the other.
Thousands Of bills have been intro
duced and several thousand more
canic to the closing session a.
heritage from the nrst aud second ses-
slons. In all there are between $4,000
and $1,000 measures before the con-
gress az Il comes 10 close. The
failure 70 enact many laws was not
due 70 lack oi raw material. .~.-<