The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1898-04-21
HOUSE ACTED PROMPTLY
An Emergency Mar Measure Passed
Without Division.
A CHANGE IN THE ORIGINAL BILL
Governors of states WIN Appo,pt
heR'mentnl ofHccrs in Volunteer
service to he Called on.

empowering the president 10 call out the
. volunteer forces, and providing for their
3 organisation. Both the president and Sec
9 Rotary Alser had urged the Imperative
) necessity. for the passage OF the bin TODAY
\ ana Chairman Hull OF the military aRairs
: committee drove it through under whip
) ana spur. The bill was drafted at the
war department, introduced in the house
; Yesterday and reported by the committee
loaay NO such expedicncy could have
peeh possible except under the stress OF
war pressure The bill Is permanent in
It's character. The principal change in the
bill was that the appointment Of all resl-
. mental officers are to be made by the gov
ernors Of the States instead of by the pres
. ident as was proposed originally by the
. war department. This action conforms to
the Practice OF the civil war,
There was a tremendous demonstration
J Immediately after the reading of the jour
nal when Major Pruden, the Presidents
executive clerk announced the presidents
approval Of the Cuban resolution The
galleries oheered and the members OF the
house on tbs floor applauded vigorously.
The speaker with difficulty suppressed the
excitement
4 he senate joint resolution authorizing
the printing OF extra copies OF the mil
iary public tions CT the war department
was adopted
Mr.. Hull chairman of the committee on
military affairs, asked unanimous consent
for The immediate consideration OF the bill
no introduced yesterday at the request of
TIE war department authorizing the presi
dent to call for volunteers. He explained
that the committee had agreed 10 the
measure this morning. 1t was a very III
| gent measure he said. The secretary OF
war had requested him this morning to
press it and he had Just had a message
| from the White House saying that the |
passage of the bill today was imperative.
| Mr. Hui said that the committee ha6 |
made only one important change in the |
| bill as prepared by the war department. |
| That change reserved to the governors /
Of the States the power to appoint com /
| amy and regimental officers which the
| oil ms drawn conferred on the president |
and was in harmony with the law of 1851.
| The house went into committee of the |
| whole to consider the bill MIR. Sayers |
| tDem Texas criticised the section au-
| thorizing TIE president to appoint the staff
officers subject TO confirmation Of the sen
ate or authorizing him to assign those Off
GERS from tho regular army, the volunteer
officers or the militia
med unanimously agreed that the past pre-
oodenrs shoua be followed ana that III,
governors of States should retain the power
TO retain MI rogim ntil officers The joht
resolution passed by congress. authorizing
the president to employ the militia force
of the United States. he said would not
meet the political situation. He felt au-
tholized 10 say that if we We're TO fight this
war, II womb bo with the volunteer and
not the militia forces
Mr. Cox QDem. Tenn. the senior menu
bsr Of the committee. gave the bill "a mod
flied his Endorsement
Mr. Savers said that this measure should
b. passed forthwith We we're on the verge
Of war. The measure was asked for by the
president and the secretary of war, said
Mr. Savers aud there should be no further
luibbling
The question arose as to whetn.r under
the provisions OF the bill, additional lcgla-
la;ion WAS not necessary 10 permit the
resident to call out volunteers TO meet
This defect an amendment was offered ad-
ltorzng tie president 10 raise volunteers
when congress shall authorize him to do so.
The amendment vas adopted.
Mr. McMiliin tDem.. TENN moved to re-
duca the 'e,m of enlistment Of the yoluu-
tecrs from three Yeas. rs provided in The
b1l, to ona year. He thought many Of the
young men Of the country would not be
willing to enlist for three years.
Mr. Hull said IL was not expected that
the war would be long one unless Spain
resorted 10 guerilla warfare, but he did
not believe a three years term would ter
rorizo TIE young men. The smendman at
was defeated.
Mr.. Talbot Dem. s. c. warned the
house that war with Spain wss not light
thing. Gentlemen who thought it wolld be
over In few days would be sadly Gisap-
+; inted. in his opinion.
bo opaning Of the last war Sa.l !
he rren At the NTH and South believed
II would not last thirty days | heard men (
agree to drink all the blood that was
spifd Every country in Europe may be
dia avn into the encounter before We get :
through with spain"
Mr.. Little Dem. Ark) offered an
amendment which was agreed to. prtvid-
ing FRAT the Indian Territory shall furnish
the quota. !
lir. linney Dem, y. ca offered an
amenGment providing that nothing IN the Il
blll should he construed to prevent c-m
panies and regiments from selecting their
own officers The tyrannous discipline o. }
officers he said was more dreaded by sol. g
diers than the bullets and bayolets CT
tire enemy.
ppE ogcd The amendment, lis adoption, he p
sald would SOW the seed of discomfort tina
would ercH UP to death III desired - :,
n AXE the army question a caucus CT ward a
politicians. | would adopt that amend T
nfn.' al
Mr.. Grosyenor referred 10 the experlenrs
4 the late war, which. he said, was against
such system. More than one-hslf Of the "
,flcers elected at the beginning o. TIE ~
gai. he said had retired or heen retired r.
ylthln year. on account Of their unhii- oi
,,cs, 81
General walker fgep ya> said tat (;
lis experience in the Confederate army u
Isd taught him that an army that elected
ts own officers was wholly inehirl m. tr
Ie DECLARED that all men were mo- brafo. 81
While all men would fight, II properly d.
Isciplined and led many cosld not b.
ourted on in the hour OF dagger phtn .,
leGie,ently differed "a
The Linney amendment was defeated. he
An amendment was offered proTiiing fer
ohapiain far each regiment III
Section ~ vas amended so ~ TO pro-
Idc that tho governors of the itatrF in
feaa cf president. might appoint Officers