The times., 1898-06-14
IT IS THE LAW OF THE LAND
The War Revenue Bill Signed
and CeunlerSigned.
THE SCENE IN THE SENATE
Vice President Hobart, With Great
ture With Grill From nm
Eagles wiDg-DeIaFed by Tech
nicaiities.

The war revenue bHl is now the law of
the land 1t was approved by the Pre5i-
dent yesterday afternoon about five min
u.es after O'Clock. Promptly after the
Senate met Mr.. Allison called up the
House resolution authorizing the enroll
ing clerks to enroll the bill from the
working copy owing to the accident that
bsfell the conference report. In some
mysterious way four sections Of the pure
food part of the bin were dropped out
The error was not detected until after
both the House and the Sena.e had
agreed TO the conference report. Technic-
ally speaking. the changes made IN en-
rolling are taken from the conference re-
port and If that report were ll.erally fol-
lowed the four sections omitted would
have been left out. A joint resolution
was necessary to grant authority ID put
into the bin what both houses had voted
should be there The House passed the
resolution last Friday.
The war revenue bill could not properly
be enrolled until after full authority had
been given by both houses TO use the
working copy. but the clerks had taken
time by the foreleck and when Mr.. ALI
son called up the resolution yesterday af-
ternoon the bill had been enrolled and
was awaiting the signature of the Speak
er of the House, which had to be first af-
fixed, the bill originating in that body.
Immediately after the Senate passed the
joint resolution and official knowledge of
that fact had been communicated TO the
House, the Speaker signed the war bill
and il was sent over to the Senate.
The clerk of the House appeared in the
Senate chamber at precisely o'clock,
but at that moment the Senate was in a
snarl over the Methodist Book Concern
investigation resolution, and the clerk.
with the precious measure in his arm. was
compelled TO wait until four minutes after
when his presence was announced. The
BILL together with a multitude of others,
was laid on the desk of the Vice-Presi-
dent and that Official proceeded to scan
them with a detberation that was tam
talizing TO those in the press gallery
waiting to send bulletins announcing the
signature of the President to the
measure which was TO supply the funds
for prosecuting the war with Spain.
The Vice President arranged them in order
with the war bill at the bottom. He then
proceeded 10 sign them with an ordinary
steel pen until he came TO the ail-impor-
tant war bill. Then he reached for
large quill that lay by his side and. TAX
ing firm grip OF the old-fashioned in
strument of writing he affixed his name
with an extra flourish and so far as any
congressional act was concerned the war
revenue bill was finished.
This was done at precisely ten minutes
after O'Clock by the great clock In the
Senate chamber and the Vice President
handed the quill over 10 Mr.. Mitchell, one
of the assistant doorkeepers. who sub
sequently delivered II to L. F. Russell,
| sergeant at arms of the House. That
quill was from the wing of a magnificent
eagle shot by Mr.. Russell, and the pen
will be saved as souvenir of the occa-
sion. 1t was fitting that the bill to raise
war revenue should be signed by quill
/ from the typical American bird, the bird
| whose shrieks have been heard in many a
| battle for freedom and whose talons have
always been ready to pluck the oppressed
| from bondage and servitude.
Some of the provisions of the bill, nota-
| blby the duty on tea, go into effect today,
| that being the next succeeding the pas
sage of the act" In the main, however.
| including all the stamp taxes, the bin
does not become operative until July 1.