The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-05-10
army TO distribute food among the suffer-
inc Cnbans and to arm the Cuban people
was passed.

> |
inc Cpbans and to arm the Cuban people
was passed.
Washington. May 9.-An unusually
large crowd was in the House galleries to-
day being brought to the Capitol IN an
ticipstion of message from the FRESH
dent relative to the Manila VICTORY anu
recommending vote OF thanks w AcU'
ing Admiral Dewey and his men. "A very
large attendance of members was on ehe
floor. AS soon as the Journal mad Deem
read, the Presidents message Was pre-
sented and read. At the conclusion
demonstration of the floor and IN 1he
galleries followed which continued several
minutes. When the applause ceased, Mr.
Boutelle of Maine, chairman OF the HOUSE
committee on naval affairs, otfereo anu
asked Immediate consideration OF Joln'
resolution rendering the ranks or Con
grass, IN line with the Presidents recon-
mendation. Mr.. Boutelle moved the
adoption of the resolution.
Upon the suggestion of Mr.. Henry OF
Mississippi, the vote was made a rising
one and 1T was unanimous.
Mr. Boutelle then Immediately intro
duced bill fixing the number of rear
admirals in the navy at seven in order
to provide for the promotion of Com1no-
dore Dewey.
Mr. Boutelle said the committee on
naval affairs presented the bill for the
purpose OF carrying out the spirit of the
Presidents message and the manifest de :
sire of the peopleIof the entire country.
In reply to d question from MIR. Bailey
of Texas, MIR. BoutelIe said the action of
the committee was prompted solely by the
exceptional character of the present case,
the manifest warrant for creating the adj
ditional admiralship to properly reward
an officer who had brought such superb
victory to the American navy and reflects
so much credit upon the entire land.
MIR. Bailey said the case was indeed ex.
ceptional and he would not interpose OBJ
lection to proposition SO meritorious,
but he merely wanted to suggest that the
action about to be taken was exceptional
and was in no senss indicative of a pur.
pose to increase freely during this war
additional high salaried officers in the
army and navy, and he would certainly
oppose the Inauguration of such purpose.
The bill was then passed unanimously.
the District Of Columbia were considered,
the bill passed by the Senate authorizing
the army operating in Cuba to issue food
and supplies TO the Cubans and to arm
the Cuban people, with view to increas-
Ing their military effectiveness. was
passed with few unimportant amend
ments.
An arrangement was made to consider
the District of Columbia business tomor-
row.
Mr.. Hull called up the immune volun-
teer and engineer bill. An hour Of debate
on each side was agreed upon.
! Mr.. Hull said the Senate bill was
wanted BY the President and the Score.
tary Of War, and it's immediate passage
was urged because the time for the use of
troops in Cuba was at hand and the ut
most haste should be made to prepare the
troops contemplated in the bill.
/ Mr.. Cox of Tennessee opposed the bill
principally because it took out Of the
hands of the volunteers the appointment
munes would come from two or three
Southern States, and they would name
their colonies, lieutenants colonies,
majors, captains and field officers. To
deny them that privilege would be unfair
| and would be discrimination between
| previous act and those to be called out
under the proposed bill.
MIR. Hay, Democrat of Virginia, de-
(, olared that the victory at Manila made it
questionable whether more volunteers
would be needed and he believed the
President had the right.und the volun-
teer bill to call out any number of volun-
teers he wanted.
Mr.. King Of Utah. asserted that the bill
was unnecessary; that it discredited the
| bravery and power Of the troops in doubt
F, ing that $50, 600 men already organized,
aided by our fleet, was inadequate to sub
jugate the island and establish peace. "If
we had landed rs, 600 men on the soil of
Cuba, two weeks ago., " he declared, with
vehamenee. and had taken adequate
/ arms to the insurgents and had deployed
our feet before Havana, Havana long
since would have fallen and the Stars and
Stripes long ere this would have f1oated
from MORO Castle.''
Mr.. Hawley of Texas, said the bravery
of the bravest men could not cope with
the hidden and irsiduous foe, yellow
fever, before which armies bowed. The
organization of immunes was imperative
under the conditions in Cuba.
Mr.. Grown Of Pennsylvania the veteran
member of the House criticised those
members who assumed to know better
how to conduct the war than the Prasi-
dent and his secretaries Of war and navy.
He said many people believed it would
have been folly to risk our feet against
Havana while the Spanish fest was on
the sea.
/ Mr.. Steel of Indiana approved the bill
Mr.. Savers OF Texas, said that while
he preferred to have the bill amended so
as to leave the naming of the officers with
the volunteers, he would support it with.
out such amendment in the event that
the latter could not be secured.
Mr.. Lewis of Washington, opposed the
feature Of the bill which placed with the
President the appointment of the officers
and further opposed the bill because 1T
was indefinite as to the determination Of
the question of the volun teers Immunity.
| Mr.. Irentz Of Ohio, opposed the bill and
Mr. Bailey argued for the naming of the
officers by the troops to be appointed by
the governors of the states in accord with
the volunteer bill formerly passed
. After q number of amendments in
tended to take from the President the APP
pointlnent of the officers of the immune
volunteers had been voted down, an addi-
tional section offered by Mr. Grosyenor Of
Ohio was adopted. 1t declared specitical-
Iy that the provisions relative to appor-
tionment Of volunteers to the several
states under the call BIZ proclamation and