Marietta daily leader. (Marietta, Ohio) 1895-1906, 1898-03-08
With President Mckinley Results
in Chairman Cannon
Introducing a Bill in Congress Appro-
priating Fifty Million Dollars
For the Defense of the Nation and for All
Purposes Connected Therewlth-The
Money is to He Expended ut the Discre-
tion of the President.

mittee. After this meeting Mr.. Can
non introduced the national defense
bill insthe house. The appropriations
committee will meet Tuesday.
Chairman Cannon, of the appropria-
tions committee, Monday introduced
bill entitled Making Appropria
tions for the National Defense" 1t is
as follows:
That there is hereby appropriated
out of the money in the treasury not
otherwise appropriated for the ma
tional defense and for each and every
purpose connected Herewith to be eX
pended at the discretion of the presi-
dent, and to remain available until
June 80, 1899, fifty million dollars"
1t was referred to the committee on
appropriations.
The Cannon bill, it was learned later,
was the outcome of conference held
at the white house Monday morning,
at which Mr.. Cannon, Secretary Long,
Mr.. Dingley, Secretary Allison and Gen.
Grosvenor were present. The situa-
tion was considered so grave that it
was deemed imperative that an i'm
mense appropriation of this character
should be made at once to prepare for
the national defense. This bill will
be pressed in the house at once. This
can be stated on the highest authority.
The Cannon bill appropriating S50,-
600, ,000 to provide for the national de-
tense, will probably be presented to
the house Tuesday.
Mr.. Cannon says he simply intro
duced the bill in his individual capaci-
tyas representative. This is, of
course, true, but it can be stated posi-
lively that the bill was introduced as
the result of the conference with the
president and the republican leaders
of both houses, and that the bill has
the presidents approval The bill will
be condsidered at the postponed meet
ing of the appropriations committee
Tuesday, and probably reported for
immediate action. Several democratic
members of the committee say they
will vote for it if the president deems
it necessary and, so far as known,
there will be no vote against it.
In the house Monday Chairman Hull,
of the committee on military affairs,
moved to suspend the rules of the
house and pass the senate bill increas-
ing the artillery strength of the gov
ernment by two additional regiments.
With only three negative votes the
rules were suspended at 1905 p. m. and
the bill was passed.
The senate will in all probability be-
gin the week with the consideration of
the bill making appropriations for the
District of Columbia and when this is
completed will take up the conference
report on the legislative, executive and
judicial appropriation bill, which has
been agreed upon and will be
made to the senate Monday. 1t
is considered quite probable that
the district bill will consume two or
three days or even more. One of the
questions in this bill which may
arouse de bate is the action of the SEN
ate committee on appropriations in
striking out the item in the bill as it
came from the house limiting tele-
phone charges in the district There
will be an effort to restore this pro-
vision.
The census bill, the Methodist book
agent bill and Senator Pettigrew's bill
donating five per cent. of the proceeds
of sales of public lands to the various
states in which the lands are located
will contend for right of way when
there are no appropriation bills to re-
ceive attention and it is as yet uncer-
tain which of them will be first taken
up. y
All of these may be antagonized by
the Hawaiian annexation treaty but
the plans of the foreign relations com
mittec with reference to the treaty are
so far too indefinite to permit any pre-
diction as to what it will do.
1t is probable that both the bill for
the relief of the survivors and the VIC
tins of the Maine disaster and the
senate bill creating two additional
regiments of artillery with which to
man the coast defenses will pass the
house this week. The former bill was
held up until it could be investi-
gated, as it was said that the special
bill for the relief of the sur
vivors and victims of the Samoan wreck,
in 1883 led to some scandal That bill
was loosely drawn and 1T has been as
serted some advantage of its provis-
ions were taken. The present bill
has been carefully drawn and is now
satisfactory to Mr.. Cannon, chair
man of the committee on appropria-
tions. Practically all opposition TO
the artillery bill has now disap-
peared in the house. The leaders were,
it is said, in favor of delaying action
upon it to allay public alarm which
might have been intensified had it been
rushed through the house as it was
through the senate. Beyond action on
these two measures the house pro-
gramme this week so far as is now an
ticipated is entirely peaceful and has
no reference to possible foreign COM
plications. Monday is District
of Columbia day and Friday,
by special order, has been set
aside for the consideration OF
the Bowman act claims bill. The
Thorp-Eppes contested election case
, will occupy two, possibly three days,
| and such time as remains will probably
be consumed in the consideration OF
the post Office appropriation bill, which
is expected to be ready by Wednesday.
J Any unlocked for development in the
| Spanish SitnatiOn might chnnoa the