The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-03-09
S5O,OOO,OOO FOR DEFENCE.
THE HOUSE ASSES THE EMEH-
GENCY BILL WITHOUT DISSENT.

NV NFNAA@NN ~
with Each other In Their support or the
President and In Their Loyalty to the mas.
WASHINGTON, March s.-with enthusiasm
and unanimity the House OF Representatives
to-day voted to place In the hands OF the Prcsf
dent $780, 900. 900 for purposes of national
defence. This action was preceded by q
brief season Of eloquent and patriotic
speechmakinR. There was no debate. b.
cause there was only one side to the
proposition before tho House. No speech was
made in opposition. and no vote was recorded
against the passage of tho bill. There was
one feature Of tho speechmaking, however.
especially worthy of note. This was
the fact that various speakers took N
exactly opposite view OF tho purport
and object OF the bill. Chairman Cannon,
in opening the debate, pronounced 1t q peace
measure. His colleague. Mr.. Warner, who
spoke Just before tho vote was taken, said ID
was essentially a war measure. But whether
It 10 o war measure or o peace measure was not
considered by the members. No sectionalism
and no craftsmanship appeared, and the vote Of
every member OF the House, including the
Speaker, was recorded in It's favor.
There was four hours Of the patriotic speech
making. Republicans. Democrats, and P~opulists
vieing with each other in expressions of patriot
ism. At the close Of the debate the vote was
taken by yeas and nays and resulted as fol-
lows: Yeas. 311; nays. O.
The Committee on Appropriations. as was OF.
peoted Of 1t, unanimously ordered o report to
tho House this morning that an urgent de-
ficiency bill be passed, making the following
appropriations: For printing and binding. &c.,
600; for Bureau of Medicine and Surgery. naval
establishment. $4,000; for Bureau of Equip
ment. naval establishment, 500. 900; for Bu-
reau of Ordnance, naval establishment, $1,000;
for tho national defence. $50. 00O.oOo total.
$50. 1873. 900. The members of the COMMITTEES
were not only unanimous but enthusiastic in
support of the measure. Ono who was present
said:
IF the President wants any more troops 10
will only be necessary for him to send q recruit
ing officer down to the House, and the members
OF the House Committee on Appropriations, to
judge from their expressions this morning, will
enlist at once"
Inc RnOWleuRc IuhL III committees u hBtOou
to report the Emergency bill was known in and
outside the House. and the galleries were filed
to their utmost capacity. Chaplain Couden'0
words in the opening prayer found q response In
every heart.
90 Lord he said, may We proceed with
| calmness and caution, with malice toward none
and charity for all. but with unfalterihR foot
steps. wherever duty calls, looking to Thee for
guidance, Who doeth all things we'll"
ThA io,rpol hauin1 haa, raal NJ CarNnW
tRep.. ILL., Chairman of the Committee on An
propriations. formally reported the Urgency
Deficiency bill, which contained the $50. 900. 600
appropriation. with the unanimous recommen-
dalton that 1t do pass, at which statement there
was applause on the Democratic side of the
House. The small items relating to printing
and binding had not been looked for. and their
reading was received with some laughter. The
item. General defence. $50. 900, O00." was
heard with applause on the floor and in the gal
leries.
Mr.. Cannon said he would be content to vote
on the bill without q word of debate. but. yield
ing to the wishes of others. he gave way to Mr..
Sayers (Dem., Tex.l to make q suggestion regard
ing debate. Mr.. Sayers proposed ono and one
half hours on each side for general debate.
thirty minutes on each side under the ive-min-
ute rule. the time to be under control OF himself
and Mr.. Cannon.
Unanimous consent to the arrangement was
asked. but Mr.. Barrett rep, Mass.) asked II the
gentleman from Illinois would yield for an
amendment.
Mr.. Cannon-I will say that this arrans ement
does not contemplate any amendment.
Tho Speaker-Is there any objection to the
request of the gentleman from Texasi
Mr.. Barrott-I object. lHIsses on both sides
and cries OF Pass your BILL
The Speaker was proceeding to put the quea-
ton on tho third reading and engrossment Of
the bill when Mr.. Cannon said no had an agreo-
ment with Mr.. Sayers that II objection were
made he would introduce a resolution giving
the on Rules control Of the question.
and until that was done he did not feel at liberty
TO move the previous question.
Mr.. Barrett endeavored to get the floor. but
was met by cries of Regular order" and finally
withdrew his objection without having been
permitted TO state what his amendment would
have been.
Tho debate was begun by Mr.. Cannon with Q
brief statement OF the contents of the bill. Sew
eral OF the items. he said. were intended To
cover expenditures already made. not exactly
in accordance with the law, which requires sp-
preparations to precede expenditure. But In
some exigencies the Executive. In the absence of
sufficient appropriation, Is compelled to cou.
tract for expenditure not explicitly authorized.
The bill met these. but the committee had gone
further and recommended tho appropriation of
$50, 900. 900 for the general defence. to DO ex-
pended under tho direction Of tho President,
and to DO available until Dec. 81 next.
We've got the money in the Treasury to meet
this appropriation II It be expended. and this
without further taxation. Such a proposition
could not be made anywhere else in the world.
probably. without n resort to additional taxa
ton. The Treasury is in a condition 10 carry on
the ordinary affairs OF the Government even
with the expenditure Of this $780, OO. 900. lap
plause.l 1t was an unusual expenditure. Mr..
Cannon said. and was intended to permit the
President, In an orderly manner. to use the
army and navy. 1t would DO expended by .
wise and patriotic Executive. 1t was not q
threat; only a provision to permit tho President
to maintain the dignity, honor, and integrity OF
the nation II assailed. 1t was not a war meas-
ure: in his opinion It was a peace measure. The
n...Iaant cnnnnI do niher Than to maintain