The Monticellonian., 1898-07-15

Vast sums Appropriated and Important
 Measures Adopted for the Prosecution
 of the Conflict with spain Hawaiian
 Annexation Accomplished other Laws
 Enacted Measures that Failed.
 WASHINGTON, July S.-The passing of the second session of the Fifty-ffth congress marks the close of the first war congress in quarter of d century. Associated with the first hostile con Hiet with nation of another continent since 1912, the annexation of Hawaii and contemporancous with further movement for territorial expansion, though with few important changes in the domestic scheme, the present con gross outranks almost any other that has ever assembled.
 It began with widespread elamor for sym pathetic action for suffering Cuba, but there was apparently then no expectation of armed conflict. But when the trend of events cul- minated the emergency was quickly met and necessary legislation eaaetel The first few but significant insaSurc5 suddenly needed, were framed and made law, but with the issue made clear there d flood of bills and res olutionS that fairly submerged the Two branches Of congress-
 
 appropriations and war revenue legislation, or ganzatioH of ths vast volunteer army and ex- ptnsion Of the navy, a nsw bankruptcy la5E-a all these were features of the session. Notable speeches and dramatic scenes over foreign is sites were comparatively frequent in both leg isIatiye chambers. Urgent deficiency biI car rying millions Of dollars were rushed through with far less delay than martea the course or an ordinary measure of little importance
 The total appropriations fo1ted almost 29l9,- 01001l and upwards of 5}5tgJ90Jt of thts was for purely var purposes IL W1S the arrest aggregate by any sessl5a staaa the civil War, and the general deiiesaaey wJs the largest separate ID tasuEe siuca tns SaaJgz09ll s uEto appropriation ii ls63 The naval appraprid- tion bill provided for tAre8 HeY batlieshipS, four monitors, l6 torpedo-bo4t dassr9ges, F torpedo b3ltS and oa' Runboal The urgent deficiency bills all carrie provisions for az greSsiye work ln the prosecution of the war. The general deficiency. enacted in the last days. carried provision fer reiun ling the In debtedness Of the Central and Western Pacific railroads to lhe government
 Cuba and Hawaii.
 Cuba and Hawai- were the important matters Of debate and provoked the mgst widespread interest HaVdtila annexation. finally passed at the close. was aRitatet throughout the SeS- sion. first in treaty form. n executive session, and Inst n open session by resolutions accept ing the Hawaiian governments eession Of the islands.
 There were a Ru;ab of massages from Pres fdent Mckinley bearing on tHe Cuban situa- ton. ranging from 1he submission of report upon the Maine disaster and the consular fe- ports. 10 the cal fer a declaration of WaE
 The first red war legislation was whea eeh- gress placed. without Limitations. S5u014191 .n the presidents hands cfa -4aeney faaa for national defense Party lines were swept away and both houses unanimously voted is confidence in the administration soon alter ward q bill reimbarSiut tine survivors et Inc Maine disaster f5r their losses. not to exceed years pay. wilA=a similar amount ta fb1s2 who perished ber1ma law On April 1 J. tA' pre>i- dent in message left the Cuban izaue fH the hands of congress. Res lla.iaas Were soon en- acted and became a lRE, April l9, deetartHg that the people ut Cuba dHgEt t3 be and are free and independent. and ta1uaH1lns that Spain relnquisA jes authority and withdraw itS land and naval forces from Cuba and Cuban waters and directing the Use of our laad and naval forces Co eu,ores the resolutions.
 The declaration of war vas passed ny con gress and aIyfoved on April 9. Subsequent legislation g;t.c free admission 10 all military and naval supplies purchased abroad by this government, allowed temporary f0rti0eations to be constructed on the written Inscntof owners Of land so taken. and prohibited under exeeu- tive discretion the export of coal or other %ar material. Three days before the declaration oi war President NJ .kinie# had approved the volunteer act. Under it lh Inc soldiers masSed against Spain mustered in the entire volunteer army have been raised. embracing 125.0l0 men under the first and 15ool under the second call
 month previous e e1isldtion had been enact ed reorgaujznt the line of the army effeetns the modern three-hattallion war formation. It designated the peace organization of these regiments with two battaians of four companies each or two skeletons or un- manned companies, and supplied the third battalion in war time by mauning the lrplp rlr,fy yipr yr, tional ones, and made other important re- quirements Another law amended the pres ent administration of justice in the army, complishing reforms in c9urt-martial methods
 Revenue Legislation.
 One feature Of the session was the enactment Of the war revenue Inv. It's framers expect it to produce Sl50,00t001 per year.
 Other revenue legislation included a bill en- larging in favor of importers the provisions as to disposition of abandoned imported merehan- disc, and extending the outage allowance on distilled spirits in bonds from four six years.
 Minor war legislation included the following:
 Allowing q maximum increase Of 100 army hospitals; toward providing for the mantc- nance of volunteers between their enrolment and mastering into United States service. add ing two assistant adJutant generals; organizing n volunteer army signal corps organizing a volunteer brigade oI engineers; creating two additional artillery regiments, adding BIO men and 15 assistant surgeons to tho army perma- nently and in emergencies as many con tract surgeons as necessary; creating q United States auxiliary naval force not eX- ceeding 9 00) enlisted men and appropriatng S3,00), 900 therefor; organizing naval hospital corps of 20 pharmacists and many hospital stewards and apprentices as necessary; or Fanizng naval battalion Of the District of Columbia; keeping life-savins stations on the Atlantic and gulf cOaStS open during June and July for patrol purposes; ratifyng all temporary appointments of naval officers on and after April 2t; authorizing assistance to Cuhans and providing them with arms and supplies; allow ing homestead settlers who volunteer to count their service in homestead requirements; reso- lutions of thanks to Dewey and his men; the presentation of a sword to him and medals to his officers; and providing for increase in the force of inspectors general, ordnance and other army departments
 Civil Measures.
 Other important legislation, aside fa'bm war, included:
 Prohibiting the killing of far seals in the North Pacific and imporJat on Of sealskins in so this country; prohibiting foreign freight vessels from carrying merchandise, directly or indirectly, between United States ports; an Alaskan homestead and right Of way act, en- couragng railway construction, appropriating 800 900 for the relief of the Yukon miners sut- fering from the fierce winter there; creating non partisan industrial eommis sion to investigate immigration, labor mauuIae-