President Nixon asked Congress last night to grant him emergency powers, including the authority to lower highway speed limits and grant examptions from anti-pollution laws, in order to ease a national fuel shortage.

Acknowledging the pressure on him to resign, Nixon departed from his prepared text to assert that he would not leave office as long as he is "physically able." He said that the American people "will come to realize that I have not violated the trust they placed in me."

The president blamed the Middle East crisis for "the most acute shortages of energy since World War II." He said that winter oil shortages may reach 17 per cent because of a halt in shipments of Arab oil to the United States.

In the speech, Nixon announced the following actions:

* a 15-per-cent reduction in the supply of hime heating oil;

* the imposition of a 50-mile-an-hour speed limit on all federal vehicles;

* a 10-per-cent cutback and some rescheduling for commercial airline flights;

* a 10-degree reduction in temperature for offices and factories; and,

* a request to homeowners to lower their thermostats by at least six degrees to achieve a national daytime average of 68 degrees.

Other Requests

In addition, Nixon said he would ask Congress for legislation to authorize yearround daylight-saving time, case-by-case relaxation of environmental regulations, imposition of "energy conservation fees or taxes," and approved and funding of exploration, development and production of naval oil reserves at Elk Hills, Calif. The president also endorsed the controversial Alaska pipeline.

"It is imperative for this legislation to be on my desk" by December when the Congress recesses, Nixon said.

Nixon said national self-sufficiency in energy by 1980 is an essential goal, and urged the use of coal in industry instead of oil. If the fuel shortages persist, stronger measures may be required, the president said. Plans for rationing of gasoline and home heating oil were being prepared "only as a contingency plan," he added.

Marc J. Roberts, associate professor of Economics, told The Crimson last night writing that the time was needed to safely withdraw the forces he had committed.

The bill includes a provision that Congress can halt the war commitment any time during the 60 or 90 days with a simple House-Senate concurrent resolution not subject to a presidential veto.

In response to the congressional action, Nixon said the bill "seriously undermines the nation's ability to act decisively and convincingly in times of international crisis."

The bill was opposed on the final vote by a coalition of the president's supporters and antiwar congressmen who contended it would hand the president power to wage war up to 60 days without congressional approval.

Sen. Thomas F. Eagleton(D-Mo.) called the bill "bland-check authority to carry us into war" and said Nixon could use it immediately to send U.S. combat troops into the Middle East