Jasper County Democrat, Volume 3, Number 43, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 2 February 1901 — EXTRA SESSION LIKELY. [ARTICLE]

EXTRA SESSION LIKELY.

F'fti-seventh Consress May Convene Before December. A Washington correspondent declares that an extra session of Congress looms up ns inevitable. The legislative hopper is overtilled with bills which must be passed during the remaining legislative days. Hitherto the champions of the shipping bill have disclaimed any desire to f:wor an extraordinary session. But they now proclaim openly that unless the ship subsidy bill is passed this session the President will be induced to convene the Fifty-seventh Assembly before the regular session in December. The ostensible excuse for this call will be to act upon the Cuban constitutional convention. It becomes evident that the Cuban delegates will be unable to present the framework of their independent government until after the life of the present Congress has expired. It Is equally certain that Great Britain will not forward its reply to the Ilny-Paunce-fote treaty amendments until after adjournment, and In view of the ironclad agreement there can be no Nicaraguan legislation this session. Likewise there arises in the background the Supreme Court decisions affecting the status of the island possessions, which may demand immediate attention from Congress. To cap the climax, the war tax reduction bill as reported by the Senate committee invites a great deal of hoatllitx in the House, and the possibility of the enactment of war tax reduction legislation is farther removed by the certainty of a deadlock in conference between the Senate nnd House, The Senate reduction bill is totally different from that passed by the House nnd is regarded by the members of the latter as offensive and inequitable. A deadlock between the. two houses of Congress is in sight with the war tax reduction bill as the issue. Although the Senate bill reported from committee does not exceed the nmouat of reduction authorized in the House, the character of the Senate bill is totally different. The Senate committee replaced the tax on bank checks, drafts, bills of exchange, postal money orders and many other items which the House removed. It likewise repeals the stamp taxes, repeals the tax on commercial brokers and abolishes other features which were present in the House bill.