The Portland daily press., 1898-03-10
TIN PRESIDENT UPHELD.
Senate Passed Emergency Bill
Without Debate.
EARNESTNESS AND DETERMIN
ALTON EVINCED ON BOTH SIDES.


Not a Note OF Levity or Exultation
Detracted From Seriousness of the
Work-BiI1 Was Passed in Twelve
Minutes After 1t Was Reported.
Washington, March 8.-President NC
KinIey's hands have been upheld by both
branches of the American Congress. With
enthusiasm, fervor and promptness al
most unparalleled in the Senate in time
of peace. That body today passed the
emergency appropriation bill carrying
Sls3, 600 of deficiencies and placing at the
disposal of the President 0,0OO, 900 for
national .defenses. The vote by which the
measure was passed was unanimous.
Seventy-six short, sharp and emphatic
speeches were delivered in favor Of the
bill, each being simply a ringing ''aye"
during the roll call upon the passage of
the measure. Not only did every Senator
present register his vote in favor of the
bill, but for every absent member the
authoritative announcement was made
that if he were present he would vote aye.
From the time the bill was presented to
the Senate by Mr.. Hale of Maine until 1T
was passed, not an inharmonious note
was sounded. Party lines were swept
aside. In the general outburst of patriotic
feeling pairs were broken, every Senator
being anxious to register his vote on the
measure. 1t was just 1919 when Mr..
Hale reported the bill to the Senate and
asked that it be placed on its passage.
| The members of the committee on appro-
priations had previously effected an ar
rangement whereby there would be no
debate on the bill and after 1t was read
| Vice President Hobart placed it immedl-
ately on its passage.
| Twelve minutes after the bill was re-
ported to the Senate the Vice President
announced it's passage. The great WORK
was accomplished SO quickly that most OF
| the people who crowded the galleries
scarcely realized that the measure had be-
come law, so far as Congress was con-
cerned. Sone of the spectators fully
grasped the meaning Of the Senate s
action and when the announcements OF the
| vote was made, murmur OF applause
came from the gallery.
The members of the Senate remained in
silence, the realization among all of them
being that situation which warranted
| the passage of SO unusual measure was
too grave to prompt an outhurst OF ap-
plause. EarneStneSs and determination
were evinced on both sides of the cham
| ber but there was not note OF letssy
that would detract from the seriousness
of the work.
Washington. March 9.-In anticipation
of discussion of the $50, 600, 600 emergen-
cy appropriation bill, two hours before
the Senate convened, spectators began to
appear in the galleries to secure desirable
seats and long before 10 O'Clock the pub
lic and reserve galleries were filed.
In the corridors outside were long lines
of people anxious to secure admission to
witness a session of the Senate that gave
promise of being momentous. Among
the spectators in the galleries were scores
of ladies whose interest in Cuba is quite
as keen as that of their husbands and
brothers.
| On the floor of the Senate was an un-
usually large number of members, when
the Vice-P Presidents gavel fell calling the
body to order.
Nearly all of the members of the appro-
priations committee, including the chair
man Mr.. Allison, and Of the foreign re-
lations committee, including the chair
man, Mr.. Davis, were in their seats.
In addition several members and Off
GERS of the House were in the chamber.
Among the bills introduced was one by
Mr.. Sewell establishing government pro
lection of homing pigeons. At the con-
clusion of the.morning business, Mr.. Hale
of Maine of the appropriations commit
tee, quietly rose and said:
III report from the committee on ap-
propriations without amendments an act
to supply urgent deficiency for the current
year and for other purposes, and l ask
that it be placed on its passage
The bill, which was the measure ap-
propriating $50, 1888 bO0 of which $50, OOo,.
0C0 was placed at the disposal OF the Pre-
sident for the.national defence, was then,
amid an intense silence, read IN 1ull.
| At the conclusion of the reading, tnere
being no amendment to the bill, 1t was
placed on its passage.
! Mr.. Hale asked that the yeas and nays
be called.
| Such unanimity as the roll call devel-
oped was as unusual ms 1t was slRni' :
| ficant. Pairs were unbroken OH both
sides of the chamber in order that all
those present might evince their patr1o .
tism and desire to uphold the hands of
the President In this time OF emergency,
by voting directly for the measure.
| Within 26 minutes after the Senate had
convened the roll call had been complet-
ed and the Vice President had announced
that the bill was passed, rs senators
voting in the affirmative and not one in
the negative
AS the president mads his an