The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1914-03-31
PRESIDENT IS CONFIDENT OF
 BILL PASSING Majority of so to 75 Votes Claimed in House By
 His Supporters. BALLOT IS EXPECTED
 BEFORE DAY CLOSES Clark, Mann and Humphreys Warn of Perils in Treaty
 Interpretation.

Washington. March 31-In an at mosphere of tense excitement, the struggle in the House over President Wilson's proposal to repeal the Pana- ma tolls exemption was today passed to its last stage.
 A full attendance on the floor and a. throng of anxious spectators such as the House has seldom seen in the galleries, waited for the concluding verbal battle and the deciding vote which was expected late this after noon or early tonight. On the pro- gram for speeches were Speaker Champ Clark, Representative Mann, Republican leader, both opposed to the President, and presentatives Shfr- ley and Covington for the administra ton.
 55 Leaders on both sides worked fever ishly on the floor and the c1oa8<roorns and the whips reported several changes in the lineup although the changes generally balanced Admin istration supporters confidently claim ed the repeal bill would pass by a majority or from SC to 75.
 Cheers and applause greeted the opening of the days sdea5afe- When Representative Humphrey, Republican of Washington, declared that "lbllt for an injustice the great and patriotic speaker of this House would today be occupying the White House. the gal .leries joined the floor in round of applause
 CROWD GATHERS EARLY.
 The greatest crowd that the House has seen in recent years damned the galleries of the chamber today to hear the final debate over the repeal Of the Panama. tolls exemption. People had been waiting in line for hours. Just after daybreak when janitors were cleaning up the galleries. they were amazed to find two women and a man seated for a long wait until noon.
 sYcu'I have to get out Of Lere now. 2 they said Tor we will have to lock you in until the galleries are regular H1y opened, at 10 o'clock
 Lock us in," said the waiting ones, and locked in they were and had their places of vantage when the doors were opened at 10 o'clock.
 During the waiting hours. the crowd made itself at home. Some brought newspapers and books. One gray haired woman brought her knitting and clicked her needle fhdustriousIy. Lunch boxes, milk bottles and pop. bottles were piled up on the gallery rail, imminent danger to the 1egis- Iators below until the doorkeepers forced their removal
 CONFIDENT OF VICTORY.
 Administration leaders in the House were more confident than ever of vic tory by a substantial margin. They declared every indication tended to show that the bill would pass by a majority of at least 75 votes.
 Representative Atkinson, of Geor- gia, who was prepared to close the argum ents for the repeal advocates. came early to the House with a mas sfve pile of documents and data per taining to the tolls question. With him were Representative Shirley and Covfngton, two of the principal speak erB for the bill on the final program.
 The administration leaders planned to secure vote on the bill before the adjournment of the House tonight, and, with five hours debate remain ing. the leaders were anxious to hurry the House along, fearing that Inter ruptions might force the bill over un- tff tomorrow, calendar Wednesday, which would precfpitate parliamentary
 PLAN TO RECoNfDHT BILL.
 The opponents of the bill prepared to make the most of their single op- portunify to amend the bill and a carefully drawn motion to recomunit the bill to the interstate and foreign commerce committee with instructions to report it back amended was framed. Representative Doremus, of NGichi- gan, leading the Democrats opposed  the motion, thus overcoming the serupIes of Democrats who might ob- ject to supporting a. proposition ad- yanced from the Republican side of the aisle The provisions of the mo- ton to recomnit were carefully kept secret to be sprung a surprise on the floor.
 Representative Humphrey of Wash l ington, Republican, denounced the Democratic position more con- | temptfble than the English language can express and declared that the condition had been brought about by the ..egotistfcal Bfundering' of the ad- rninistration in the Mexican situation He lauded Majority Leader Under wood and Speaker Clark who, he said. ] .sby every rule of fairness and honor should be President today, for re- ifusing to repudiate the Democratic platform.
 l The administration, Represen tative Humphrey. declared, had been frnpos-