The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-12-09
PLEA FOR THE VOLUNTEERS.
No MODIFICATION OF THE VOLUN-
TEER ACT INTENDED.


eusSion at the Question of VoIun-
teers-NHany Representatives Say |
They should he Discharged Be
fore the Regular Army Reorgani-
zation-BilI as Passed Appropri- !
ntes SOS, s59.sa2.
Washington. Dec S--The urgent def |
cheney bill 10 provide for The support Of the I
military and naval establishments was
passed by the House to-day practically
without opposition.
fear had been expressed that the mea-
ure might open up prolonged debate upon
The conduct Of the war, but the Demo
/ cratic leaders decided that such a debate
would properly come later upon the regular
/ appropriation bills, or upon The bill for the
reorganization Of the army There was
not word of criticism Of The war during
the debate.
The only point upon which an issue was
raised to-day was as to whether the bill
providing as it did for the pay of the vol
unteers until July /, 1899, might not be con
strued as a modification of the law under
which the volunteers were mustered into
service.
Mr. McRae of Arkansas offered an
amendment providing that il should not
be so construed, and upon it there was a
general discussion as to the advisabiity
of mastering the volunteers out before the
regular army was increased. Mr.. Cannon
finally accepted the MeRae amendment
and that removed the only shadow of OPP
position to the bill
A number of amendments We're adopted
upon the recommendation of the appro-
priations committee which received some
supplemental estimates offer the bill was
prepared The largest OF these was an
item of s3,000O00 for an emergency fund
for the war department, ana $57S.0Oo for
the ordnance department, increasing the
amount carried by the bill TO $59,S59,S92-
When the bill was Arst called up, Mr..
Underwood, Dem, of Alabama, in
terrogated Mr.. Cannon, the chairman Of.
the appropriations committee with view
TO securing a statement as TO the disposi-
! ton TO be made OF the volr~teer army
Mr.. Cannon said the treaty of peace mad
not been ratified. Ii might be ratified in
l January, it might not be ratified for
months. No one could tell what was in
s front OF the government. 1t must deal
with a situation. The volunteer army
= must be mustered out and It's place taken
BY the regular army. That was q mat
5 ter for the future to decide, but he telc
confident that the treasury would be rich
enough and Congress wise enough to meet
any emergency Mr.. Savers Dem, OF
Texas. the ranking minority member of
the appropriations committee, gave has
5 unqualified Endorsement to the bill IL
did not affect in any way, he said, the
a,7a1f hn
! regular armies.
Mr.. Livingston Of Georgia, in supporting
! the bill expressed the opinion that the
law under which The volunteers were mus
tered into service, was subject to douo-e
construction as TO the time when they
! should be mus cred out. Thai law SAID lhey
} should be mustered out when the purpose
$ for which they were enlisted had been ac-
comp3ished. or when hostilties had ceased
He believed if the President was disposed
TO keep the volunteers In the service until
the regular army had been reorganized,
this bin -appropriadng money for theif
payment would strengthen his hands.
Mr.. McRae, Dem, Ark said there was
no purpose on his side of the House 70
oppose tie appropriations in the bin, but
he did not believe that its passage should
he construed as in any way interpreting
the act creating the volunteer army. lie
e said he would not have pressed me amend
E
adopted had il moi been for the President S
declaration in his message that he would
S muster OUT the volunteer army as soon as
{ The regular establishment was increased.
IT was unjust 10 the volunteers to hold
them in the service, when Congress had
given soiemn pledge that they should 3e
e mustered out as soon as the war ended
e Replying 10 . question by Mr. Cannon, MI
, McRae said.
n I'VE are opposed TO a large standing
f army. and we are opposed 10 holding the
. volunteers to perform The duty of regulars
c and be used a club to force us TO create
a large standing army. Let reorganization
f of the army come tn the regular army
r Mr. Wood asserted lhat the volunteers
q who enlisted d.d SO with the understand
n ing that they would be mustered our as
= soon as hosdlities ceased, and since hos
+ tniles had ceased there had been daily
e average of SO aDp.cotiors for discharge
r he was opposed to keeping men in the
field who volunteered for patriotic pur-
G poses lie, as well as his col cagues, re-
= ceived letters every day urging their dis
charge III an increase in The regular
( army was found 10 be Necessary, he stood
3 ready 10 vote for il. But an increase
e should not be forced through under thf
i threat that unless it was granted The vol.
r unteers would be kept in the field
Mr. Fleming OF Georgia declared thai
o the volunteers had eoHsted under ID,
b promise that they would be discharged
h when che war was over. The bIh wa.
p then passed
" The conference report upon the bin e
e ren-er the suroties of consuls. vice con
= suls and consular agents liable for dam
ages ia suits az Jaw was adopted. Th'
blouse adjourned over Until Monday I,
give the committees an opportunity Il
o work without Interruption.
!,