Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1898-05-18
FIFTY-FIFTH CONGRESS-.
WASHINGTON, May IS.
SENATE.

A bill was passed providing that Off
GERS in the regular army shall be eli
eible to staff appointments in the vol
unteer army, that Governors may ap-
point in the regular army in the grade
of field officers and that the President
may appoint officers of the regular
army in the grade of field officers in
organizations of the volunteer army in
| the District of Columbia and Indian
Territory.
Mr.. Hawley called up the report of
: the confsrees on the bill suspending the
action of certain existing laws relating
to the purchase of supplies by the quar-
termaster's department of the army.
Mr.. Hawley explained that the SEN
ate conferees had inserted the follow
ing: "That during the existing war
| the bureau of ordnance of the War
| Department is authorized to purchase
without advertisement such ordnance
and ordnance stores as are needed for
immediate use; and when such ord
nance and ordnance stores are to be
manufactured to make contracts with
cut advertisement for such stores % be
delivered as rapidly as manufactured. )"
Mr.. German inquired of Mr.. Hawley
whether the provision inserted by the
conferees conferred upon the chief of
ordnance unlimited authority to con-
tract for supplies one or two years
henoe.
Mr.. Hawley replied that the provis.
ion conferred upon the chief of ord
nance only such power rs it was neces-
sary for him in the circumstances to
have.
"The projectiles and guns and other
supplies which he must have,n said Mr..
Hawley, with some heat, "sre not to
be had in every toy shop. Ooly three
or four concerns in the country make
them. The chief of ordnance knows ex
aclly what he has to pay for them with
out advertising for proposals. I could
give the Senator (Mr. Germany some
information on the subject but do not
think it proper to do SO in open ses.
siou."
"You need not call for o secret ses-
sion on my account" said Mr.. Cor
man, "but would Like TO know how
sweeping this provision is"
"Well," retorted Mr.. Hawley,
there's just this about-it. If you have
not an honest chief of ordnance, have
him turned out and put in another
man. 1t is essential that we have the
authority conferred upon him by this
provision. call for secret legislative
session, Mr.. President"
The call was sustained and the Sen
ata went Into secret session.
| After discussing the question in SO.
cret session for half an hour the report
on the quartermastey'S bill was agreed
| to.
When the doors were opened the con-
| sideration of the war revenue measure
was resumed.
Mr.. Turpie said that the differences
here were differences only of methods.
There was no difference as to the pur-
pose of suppl, ing all the means and
men to the government to carry on the
war. sit is very easy he continued,
"to say that the country is at war and
that the Congress must supply the
money for its conduct; but this is not
the language of statesmanship.@
1t must be reali:ed he said, that de-
pendence could not be placed upon the
/ Dingley bill for revenues.
Mr.. Turpie said that the pending bill
carried provision for basketball OF
certificates of indebtedness in order to
meet the deficiencies caused by the
| Dingley law. The democrats had been
sharply criticised because of the month
ly deficit OF the so-called Wilson law,
but the Dingley law was showing de-
ficits without criticism. Now it was
proposed in the pending war measure
to take care of all the H,iugiey law de-
fcits with the certificates OF indebted
ness.
Mr.. Turpie thought the tax on sue
cession was one of the best features Of
the bill. 1t was tax on e.clmula-
ton, while the ta3< on beer and tobacco
was tag on consumption. He urged
| the proposed tax on corporations, also
the coinage of the silver seigniorsge
and the issue of legal tender notes.
The section of the bull providing for
the issue of greenbacks was proposed as
a substitute for the bonds section OF the
bill. For the present, Mr.. Turpie said,
the democratic policy of the free and
unlimited coinage of silver had been
relocated to the hastings and to the az
bitrsment OF the ballot.
Referring to the proposed issue OF
bonds. Mr.. Turpie said he entertained
suspicion that the bond rider had
been placed on the pending bill voting