Evening star., 1898-03-09
SEVENTY-SIX FOR IT
SenateU Unanimous for the $50. .OOO. 900
Defense Bill.
Was PASSED WITHOUT DEBATE
Accomplished in Twenty-six Min.
utes After Assembling.
TAKEN TO THE WHITE HOUSE

- VI dRNISslOn OF tne xU,S
100000 emergency appropriation bill. pec-
PIE rapidly filled the galleries OF the senate
today. Two hours before the Senate con-
rened spectators began to appear in the
galleries to secure desirable seats and long
tefore IL o'clock The public and reserved
galleries were filed In the corridors out
side were long lines of surging people anx-
ious to secure admission TO witness a ses-
sion OF the Senate that In its consequences,
III not In Its actual proceedings. gave prom
Use OF being momentous. In fact, II was
tnought Tat the Senate's action today
might mark the beginning of a new epoch
In the country's history. and the public in
terest was fully proportionate to the action
the Senate was to take
among the spectators in the galleries
were scores of ladies, whose interest I'm
current matters is quite as keen as that Of
their fathers. husbands and brothers.
On the floor of the Senate the attendance
was unusually large when the Vice Presi-
dents gavel fell callirg the body to order.
Nearly all of the members of the appro-
priations committee, including the chair
man. Mr.. Allison Qowa). and of the foreign
relations committee. Including the chair
man. MIR. Davis CMinn), were in their.
seats.
OF the House were in the chamber.
Passed Without Dissent
At the conclusion of morning business
Mr.. Hale CMe), Of the appropriations COM
mittee, quietly rose and said: II report
from the committee on appropriations,
without amendment. an act to supply
urgent deficiencies for the current year
ana Tor other purposes. and ask that It
be placed on its passage"
The bill. which was the measure appro-
priatfng $50, 5000, $50, 600 600 of which was
placed at the disposal of the President for
the national defense. was then, amid an
ineense silence, read In full.
At the conclusion Of the reading, there
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
developed was as unusual as it was sig
niiicant- Pairs were broken on both sides
or the chamber. In order that all those
present might evince their patriotism and
oesire to uphold the hands OF the President
In this time of emergency by votirg direct
ly for the measure.
Within twenty-six minutes after the Sem
ate had convened the roll call had been
completed, and the Vice President had an
noInced that the bill was passed, seventy
SIX senators voting in the affirmative and
not one in the negative
As the Vice President made his announce
ment slight ripple of applause ran
through the galleries, but the members of
the senate remained calm and dignified
repressing all enthusiasm, which, IL was
evident from their smiling faces and in
tense interest manifested in every look and
gesture. a m Of
During the roll call 1t was aut aoritatively
announced for every absent senator that
II he were present he would vote aye.
Mr.. Allen tNeb), in making this an
houncement for Mr.. Thurston ,NebD, said:
MY colleague is unavoidably detained
from the Senate, but If he were present he
would vote aye"
MI Vest suggested, sotto voce that Mr..
Thurston might vote in Havana (where Mr..
Ihurston now is), and the sally created a
laugh among those near by.
When Mr.. Perkins Cal) made a similar
announcement for Mr.. White (CalD. he
said: My senior partner. il he were
here" and then. catching himself. Joined
good-naturedly in the general laugh which
followed
The Congregational Maine Inquiry.
Mr. Chandler IN. H.) presented the fol-
lowing resolution, which indicates that the
disaster to the battle ship Maine is to
have thorough investigation by the Sem
ate:
That In conducting the inquiry into the
cause of the destruction of the battle shin
Maine in Havana harbor on February I5
lS9s. under resolution of the Senate of Feb
ruary p, the committee on naval affairs
is hereby authorized to send for persons
and papers, TO employ a stenographer and
TO make the investigation by the full COM
mittee or by subcommittees thereof. the
expense of such investigation TO be paid
from the contingent fund of the Senate"
The resolution was referred TO the conn
mittee on contingent expenses.
AT 2:4O pm, on motion of Mr. Davis
(Minn), chairman of the committee on for
eien relations, the Senate went into exc
cutive session.
The Senate at 1:35 adjourned
VIII Go to the President
Mr. Mckinney, the enrolling clerk of tha
House of Representatives. I'm anticipation
of the passage of the bill by the Senate
today had the bill printed on parchment
yesterday, ready for formal enrolment,
hut It was rot expected that il would be
passed by the Senate without debate. The
parchment copy, therefore, was stin at
the government printing cfice when the
bill passed the Senate and was returned
to the House. Mr.. Mckinney, as soon as
he learned of the action of the Senate, tele-
phoned the government printing Office to
hurry the bill to the House by special
mounted messenger.
At 1:15 o'clock the messenger came clat-
tering Up to the Capitol with the printed
bill. Mr.. Hager of Wisconsin. chairman of
the committee on enrolled bills. hurriedly
the printed copy with the bill as
1t passed the two houses.
At 1:40 the Speaker took the chair and
ar nounced his signature to the bill.
When the clerk of the Ser ate announced
tfat the Senate had passed without amend
ment the national defense bill a wave Of
applause swept over the door and the gal
leries.
Taken to White House.
The Vice President signed the defense
bill at O'Clock. and II was hurried TO the
White House BY special messenger.
The Vice President will announce to the
Senate that he has signed the bill whom
The Senate meets tomorrow.