Mr. POLAND. Mr. President, knowing, as my friend the Senfrom Indiana does, the circumstances that I have stated as the reasons why I have called up this bill, I think it is hardly fair for him to make his inquiries particularly and specially to me in relation to the reasons for the passage of the bill. The bill is one that originated in the HoRep, and I know nothing in relation to the views of those who introiod the ji and who favored it except what I have learned from the published debate on the subject. I have no other means of knowing the designs of the originators and promoters of the bill. But I can state to the Senfrom Indiana, so far as I know, the reasons that operated in the House for the passage of this bill, and which are claimed to be ample reasons why it should be adopted and this additional session of congress be provided for. We have had a provision made by law ever since the formation of this Government in relation to the succession to the Presidency in case of the death of the President. In the 1st place, it is provided that the VEEP, in case of the decease of the President shall be his successor. In case the VEEP dies, the next in succession is the President protempore of the Senate. In case of his death, he is to be succeeded by The SPEAKer of the House as the acting President. It has been deemed advisable to make the succession so long as this: that there should be 3 persons in the line of official succession to the Presidency in case of vacancy by death. It so happens at the present time that the presidential chair is occupied by the person who was elected VEEP. The number is reduced in this way by one. At the expiration of this Congress, on the 4th of March, there will be no Speaker of the House, and, under existing laws, there will be no Speaker elected by the next Congress, until next December, 9 months, during which there will be no person holding or exercising the office of Speaker who would be eligible, in consequence of being Speaker, to the presidential chair if all of the persons standing before him should die. This I understand to be one reason, and perhaps the principal reason, which has been urged for the adoption of this measure. urther than this, the official term of the next Congress commences on the 4th day of March, but there will be no organization of the Congress under existing law, and can be none unless they shall be specially called together by the President, until the December following. Although elected, although in office, there is no way, unless called together by a proclamation of the President, by which they can meet and organize until next December. It was deemed wise that there should be a ses.sion called at the very beginning of the congressional term that Congress might be in an organized condition. how much of political significance there may be in reference to this measure; how much it has been called for; how much more it has been thought of in consequence of the unfor tunate differences that have existed between different depts of the Government, I do not know. That the state of things which is now existing upon that subject may have had some influence upon this measure I should hardly feel prepared to deny; how much I do not know. These are, as far as I am able to state to my friendfrom Indiana, the reasons why this bill is called for.