The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1898-05-19
Turpie of Indiana Speaks Against
Issuance of Bonds.
Contends That Funds Required Can be
Raised by Other Means.
Considerable Progress Made in the
Reading of the Measure, Includ-
ing Consideration of Amend
ments Proposed by the Commit
tee-Doings IN the House.


ure of to-day's session ~ The Senate
was the speech of Turpie (DeIn.l of In
diana upon the war revenue measure.
He strongly contended that bond Is
nue. was unnecessary: that all the funds
required for the prosecution of the war
could be raised through the proposed
Inheritance tax, by the tax on corpora
tons by the coinage of the silver seign-
forage, and by the issue of legal-tendeT
notes. These four means of obtaining
money would yield to the Government
during the next year, he maintained,
fully 100000 900, an amount in excess
of the estimated sum necessary for the
conduct Of the war.
Considerable progress was made in the
reading OF the bill, which included, nat
urally, the consideration of the amend
ments proposed by the committee.
Through the influence of German
Dem.) of Maryland the imprisonment
penalty was stricken out Of some Of the
sections relating to violations of the
stamp tax
After an extended debate, part of
which occurred in secret executive SEES
sion, the conference report on the bill
suspending certain parts of the exist
ing law relating to the purchase of sup
plies by the War Department was
adopted
The bill permitting officers of the reg
ular army to accept staff appointments
in the voluntary army without losing
their rank or place in the regular serv-
ice was passed.
A House bill reported by the Commit
tee on Claims was passed, directing the
payment to Samuel Mckee of Kentucky
of $1.11S for expenses incurred by him
in contest for his seat in the Fortieth
Congress
A bill providing that officers in the
regular army should be eligible to staff
appointments in the volunteer army,
and that Governors with the consent Of
the President, may appoint officers of
the regular army in the grade OF field
officers in organizations of the volunteer
army in the District of Columbia and
Indian Territory, was passed
Hawley called up the report of the
conferrees on the bill suspending the
action of certain existing laws relating
to the purchase of supplies by the Quar-
termaster's Department of the army.
Hawley explained that the Senate con-
ferrees had abandoned their amend
ment repeating section 3. 709 of the Re
vised Statutes, and had inserted the
following:
That during the existing war the
Bureau of Ordnance Of the War De-
partment is authorized to purchase
without advertisement such ordnance
or ordnance stores as are needed for
immediate use, and when such ord
nance and ordnance stores are to be Of
fered to make contracts without adver-
10 lo1sv a
as rapidly as manufactured"
German of Maryland inquired Of
Hawley whether the provision inserted
by the conferrees conferred upon the
Chief of the Ordnance Bureau unlimit-
ed authority to contract for supplies
one or two years hence.
Hawley replied that the provision
conferred upon the Chief only such
power as it was necessary for him in
the circumstances to have. THE pro-
jectiles and guns and other supplies
which we must have" said Hawley
with some heat, ARE not to be had in
every toyshop Only three or four con-
Germs in the country make them The
Chief of Ordnance knows exactly what
he has to pay for them, and without
advertising for proposals. l could give
the Senator (Gorman) some information
on this point, but l do not think il is
proper to do so in open session"
You need not call for a secret ses-
sion on my account said German,
''but I would like to know how sweep
ing this provision is"
Well" retorted Hawley, there is
just this about it. If you have not an
honest Chief of Ordnance. have him
turned out and put in another man It
is essential that he have the authority
conferred upon him by this provision.
! call for a secret executive session,
Mr. President"
The call was sustained, and at 1927
p. m. the Senate went into secret SEES
sion.
Hawley then read letter from Gen
eral Flagler, Chief of the Bureau Of
Ordnance, requiring that authority be
given for the purchase Of ordnance
without waiting to advertise. saying
that such delay might at times be of
serious consequences. The letter was
not notable in any respect, except that
it was an official acknowledgement of
the fact that there are still many arti-
cles TO be secured for the equipment
of the army. and that expedition is
considered necessary in securing them
The reading of the letter led to a
brief discussion of the status of mill
tary operations, and some Impotence
was expressed regarding the delay in
getting the military expedition to the
Philippines started.
Senator Lodge made a brief speech
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