Jasper County Democrat, Volume 3, Number 32, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 November 1900 — WORK FOR CONGRESS. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

WORK FOR CONGRESS.

MAY BE EXTRA SESSION TO DISPOSE OF BUSINESS. Needs of the Army with Appropriation* and Apportionment Urgent— Nicaragua Canal BUI Must Aleo Be Taken Up in Senate on Dec. 10. Washington correspondence;

CjrOllE short session of 'nf the Fifty-sixth Gongres£ which will begin ou Dec. 3 and continue until March 4, will have a numhV'" ber of very important bills up for cousiderjKH- ation, and the un- |||? completed work will ala probably compel the President to call an IJBsgextra session of the JwfFifty-seventh CunELljgress early ufxt year, possibly as early as IRvlthe call for the Fiftyn| ["fifth Congress four 1y ‘ years afe o, which met

on March 15, 1807. ■ Theappropriationbillsbave the right of way at the short session, and as these must be passed before the dose of the session or Congress fail to provide for the government, Chairman Cannon in the House and Chairman Allison in the Senate will take no chances by allowing general legislation to endanger the bills prepared by the committees on appropriations. These bills will monopolize a good part of the three months of the session. There are two bills which must be considered outside of the approprintioh bills. These must provide for the basis of reapportionment under the new census and-, for the reorganization of the army. The apportionment under the new census law is obligatory. The constitution requires that the apportionment of Representatives according to population must be made within ten years from the date of the last apportionment. The Fifty-first Congress made the last apportionment at the short session in February, 1891. This makes it necessary that the Fifty-Sixth Congress shall make the new apportionment. New Appo’utineiits to Be Ma'e. The census returns are ready, and Congressman Hopkins of Illinois, as chair* man of the census committee, will have a bill prepared to apportion the representatives so as not to increase the mem* bersliip of the House. The present apportionment is one Representative for every 173,901. The increase in population will make necessary nn increase in the number-of population for each Representative. It will be increased to about 200,000, as that will keep the member-, ship of the House about as it now is in numbers. On this basis Illinois, New York, Pennsylvania, Minnesota, and Texas *ould each gain two representatives, and several other Western States would each gain one. There need lie little time consumed with such legislation, unless the Crumpacker bill is brought forward and an effort made to make the basis of representation in the South exclusive of those disfranchised by reason of their color. The Crumpacker bill would precipitate a tight which would consume much time.

The Nicaragua bill, which passed the House Inst May, is before the Senate, and by special order it will be taken up in tlmt body nt 2 o’clock ou Dec. 10. Senator Morgan secured unanimous consent to this special order on the closing day of the loug session, and he will be on hand to insist on the Senate taking up the canal bill. The bill will not be passed until the Senate has taken some action on the Hay-Pauncefote treaty. The Hepburn canal bill ignores Clay-ton-Bulwer treaty, and before it can become law that treaty must In* modified as In the Hay-Pauncefote treaty, or by formal abrogation. The Haj-Ponncefote Treaty. The administration will press the HayPauncefote treaty for ratification. The State Department has been engaged in negotiations with Nicaragua for a new concession, and will report to Cougress, but no indication has yet been given as to the success of this effort. There will be a bill for the reorganization of the army. This is one of the necessities in the way of legislation. The present army of nearly 100,000 men will of necessity be reduced to 27,000 men after June 30, unless some provision is made for continuing it at the larger figure between now and the close of the fiscal year. The present act was only a temporary makeshift, as to both the increase of the regular organization and the volunteers. It provides for these increases until June 30. 1901, and that after that date the army shall be reduced to the old establishment of 27,000 men. The report oj General MacArthur shows that n considerable force must be kept In the Philippines for some time to come. To provide for that force there must be legislation between now and Jfine 30, as on July 1 next the larger part of the army in the Philippines will have to be discharged nnd sent home. If such legislation Is not enacted by the Fifty-sixth Congress, before March 4, the Fifty-Seventh Congress must be called in extraordinary session soon after that dnte to pass an army reorganization bill.