The age-herald., 1898-03-10
6n0rOSS6d, SiOn6d dndiS
 Now a Law. z SENATORS MADE NO SPEECHES No Applause Save Dignifed Si-
 lence Only Broken BY MEMBERS SAYING AYE The Fund Has Not Yet Been Allotted
 to Departments.
ALL DEPENDS ON COST OF SHIPS
These Must Come First in Preparing for Defense-0fficiaIs in Constant Communication With Manu-
 lecturers of Ammunition
 to Be Purchased.

WaShlngt0n, March 9.-PreSl- dent McKinley's hands have been upheld by both branches of the American congress. With enthus- iasm, fervor and promptness, al most unparalleled in the senate in time of peace, that body today passed the emergency appropria- tion bill carrying $183, 900 of defi- ciencies, and placing at the dis posal of the president $50, 900, 900 fornational defense. The bill was engrossed, signed by Mckinley, and is now a law.
 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 one being simply a ringing faye" 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 mem- Der 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 it passed not an unharmonious note was sounded. Party lines were swept asde It was just 12:13 when MT. Hale reported the bill to the senate and asked that it be placed on it's passage. The members of the committee on appropriation had pre- viously effected an arrangement whereby there would be no debate the bill, and far xuac placed it immediately on it's passage.
 In Twelve Minutes
 Twelve minutes after the bill was re- ported to the senate the vice-president nounced it's unanimous passage. The great work was accomplished so quickly that many of the people who crowded the gal leries scarcely realized that the measure, so far as congress was concerned, had be- come law. Some of the spectators fully grasped the meaning of the senate's action and when the announcement of the vote was made a murmur of applause ran through the galleries.
 The members of the senate, however, maintained dignified silence, the realiza- tion among all of them being keen that situation which warranted the passage of unusual measure was too grave to prompt an outburst of applause. Earnestness and determination were evinced on both sides of the chamber, but there was not note of levity that would detract from the seri- ousness of the work performed.
 Not Yet Allotted
 While the matter has been considered, it can be stated that the fund of $50 ,000 appropriated for our defense has not yet been allotted among the various branches of the government service. Each of these had prepared roughly and tentatively an estimate of the funds 1t could dispose of to advantage, but in looking over the ground the president concluded it would be well perhaps to avoid making the allot- ment until the necessity became apparent. The reason back of this is that the sum that can be proftably spent for warships cannot even be guessed at with any ap- proximatfon to accuracy just Sow.
 As the chips are to be first choice in the steps for defense until their cost is ascer- tained it is not possible to divide tine re- mainder of the appropriation among the other branches of the military and naval services.
 To Obtain Information
 rhe secretary of the navy is making every effort to secure from our naval at- taches and diplomatic officers abroad all information obtainable respecting the num- Der of ships building, their price and other data This does not necessarily interfere with the execution of the plans confided to Captain Brownson, who sailed for Southampton today, but rather promises to assist him materially in making speed with his inquiries Up to this moment not, only has the Unted States government bought no warship, but it has not even secured an optiors on one. There are many applications coming to tine department from persons and firms who desire to sell ships to the government, but in most of these cases one of two fatal obstacles are en- countered to the consummation of the sale. Either the craft offered is not suitable for naval needs or the date of possible com >le.tJoc fc oo6 distant from three mODtha upward, that it cannot be regarded as wor- thy of purchase to meet the emergency
 There Is less difficulty experienced in se- curing tenders of war materials, such as Shot and shell and powder, and the navy departnenlt has adn1oet assured itself of