The Ely miner., 1915-12-10
REPRESENTATIVE MANN is RE.
TURNED TO LEADERSHIP OF
REPUBLICAN, NoRITY-
DEMOCRATS IN MAJORITY.
MEASURES FOR DEFENSE
POUR INTO THE HOPPER
Great Part Of Proposed Increased Ed
penditure ls for Enlarged Army
and Navy Programs-CIoture
Fight Does Not Come Up
Old Rules Readopted.

washington, Dec. 8.-Congress aa
sembled and organized for the ses-
sion which is expected to be the
greatest within the memory of the
present generation.
Four hours work in the House saw
Speaker Clark returned to the chair;
Representative Mann returned to the
leadership of the Republican minor
ity; the introduction of 1000 bills
and resolutions, many of them pro.
posing measures of national defense
and many more in opposition; the re-
appearance of amendments to en-.
franchise women, and a miniature
rules fight that fiickered out with the
adoption of last years rules with a
few changes.
Marshall Is Absent.
In the Senate, practically nothing
was done except the election of Sen
ator Clarke of Arkansas as president
pro tempore. Vice President Mar
shall was absent because of the ill
ness of his wife.
Both houses, after sending a joint
committee to the White House to
give official notice of the opening of
Congress, adjourned. The real bust.
ness of the session begins with Presi-
dent Wilson's address to a Joint ses-
sion in the hall of the House at 1890
o'clock.
The greatest budget of expendi-
lures ever placed before any Ameri-
can congress ir times of peace was
brought in from the various branch
es of the government, the total be-
ing some $17o,OOG,OOO more than was
asked for last year.
The great part of the proposed in
creased expenditure is for the en-
larged army and navy programs and
aside from working out the problem
OF national defense it will be the
business OF congress to raise the
revenue to pay for it.
For Military Preparedness.
In the stream of bills and resolu-
tlons that poured into the hopper
were not only plans for military pre-
paredness, but others proposing in.
vestigation of the motives of men and
organizations who champion national
defense. Notice was given that in
the Senate Democrats would be asked
for showing of what the United
States had accomplished against
inf
American commerce abroad.
After the president has delivered his
address, both houses will proceed TO
perfect their organizations.
Until the working committees are
fully formed, no legislation can be un-
dertaken. While the house Democrats
are organized the Republican assign
ments will not be made before the end
OF the week. The senate Democratic
assignments will be announced later
In the week. The Republicans began
their part of the organization work
by re-electing Senator Gallinger their
floor leader and chairman of their con-
ference.
Democrats Have Majority.
The first roll call in the house show.
ed 427 members present and eight abb
sentees-one of them accounted for by
death.
The Democratic majority, although
reduced, put Speaker Clark back in
the chair, 221 to 1874, and when the
brush came on readopting tine rules of
the last house the Democratic leaders
showed they still had a majority in
hand, beating Republican Leader
Mann's proposal for a revision, 2O9 to
1872.
In the senate the newly elected and
reelected members took the oath. The
body was leaderless when Secretary
Baker raped for order at noon, and
Senator Martin of Virginia was chos.
en- to preside. Thirty senators were
sworn in, Senators Brady of Idaho and
Smith of South Carolina being absent.
The cloture fight, as result of it's
failure in the Democratic caucus, did
not come up. When the old rules were
readopted, however, Senator Walsh of
Montana announced that he reserved
the right to submit rule revisions at
later time