Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1913-03-06
LAWMAKERS IN
SUNDAY SESSION
Unusual Situation Due TO Effort
Of Congress to Complete
Legislative Work.

Washington. March With both
the senate and the House in the IN
usual situation of sitting in legisla-
tive session ON Sunday. the send Con
gross to-day and tonight dragged its
way through a maze OF tangled bust
ness toward its conclusion that will
come at noon Tuesday.
Thousands of visitors in Washing
ton for the inauguration took advan-
taGe Of the sunday night session and
crowded the galleries Of the Senate
and House to the lawmakers 1T
work
The two-battleship program was
threatened with defeat late tonight
when tho House and Senate conferees
decided they could make no agreement
between tho one battleship program
of the House and the two-battleship
program of the senate. All other de
bated points in the naval bill were ad-
! iourned, but the conferces decided IL
was useless 10 attempt to adjust the
battleship tangle and the conference
committee adjourned at eleven o'clock
without any plan for another meeting.
| The result threatens the defeat of the
entire $4,000 oo0 naval appropriation
! bill. The House conferees declined to
! WELD the one battleship program and
also refused TO take the issue back to
the House tor another vote.
Several potential filibusters We're ap
parent in both houses with opponents of
proposed bills ready to fight against all
| Legislation if attempts were made to pass
the measures they opposed.
| The various disaereements in the con-,
ference committees showed no signs of
settlement and just before midnight the
House leaders decided that they would
Vai' no longer for the conference reports
on the various appropriation bills in dis
putc The Senlt" was in executive scs-
sion, and the House recessed until $50
tomorrow morning to allow time for
the strengthening out OF the conference
reports
Both houses of Congress. after sitting
well into the early hours of sunday morn
ling. met again this afternoon to resume
the effort to finish up pending legislation.
Agreements in the Senate ear.y this
morning on the river and harbor bin and
the postotiice appropriation bill had
cleared the situation. so that n spirit Of
optimism pervadcd both chambers when
the sessions were resumed shorty after
3:Cv p. m
\ bitter fight in the conference commit
tee having thc public buildings bill IN
icharge left the fate " that measure IN
doubt up to a late hour tonight. 1t was
believed tina -H other appropriation bills,
with the p. .pl" exception Of the Ens-
trct OF Cp..mhia measure, would be
finally agreed To IL time 10 receive the
; siGnatur, OFF President Taft before noon
Tuesday.
The Senate began the DAY With consic-
Grafton Of the "scHman's h...' tho meas
urc designed to abolish involuntary serN-
itudo on merchant ships, and 20 improve
conditions Of labor and living for mot
chant marine sailors, The bill had been
greatly altered by the Senate commerce
committee flon the form in which 1t
, passed the Houss House supporters OF
= the bill expressed doubt Of its acceptance
o BY that body. The Senate passed it to-
d night by a vote Of Al to ~.
$ The blockade caused by the river and
n harbor DILL. which was broken in the
{ Senate early this morning by the adoption
4 of the conference report, was completely
ii removed late in the afternoon whon the
i House also adopted the report. aud sent
}, the bill, carrying A;,S6Sse, to President
J. TAFT The army appropriation bill COM
pletcd by the Senate al two O'Clock This
G morning, was signed by President Tat,
" early this afternoon.
= The agricultural appropriation Dill H.
II agreed upon in conference late to-1,s>
y restores the authority for tho conErsss NJ
IS al distribution Of seeds which had hc,r
g stricken our rho conference oommltte 90
h dropped from the bill the plan for q
bureau Of markets under the del artmep
!, ut agriculture ami for establiShinS OF a
q national same preserve IN North Dakota