The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-05-20
TURPIE
Makes q Strong Speech Against u Bond
Issue-The War Revenue bill I'm the
senate.
SENATE.

progress was made by the senate to-
day IN considering the war revenue
measure. Senator Jones. OF Arkansas,
presented IN a general statement the
views Of the democratic members Of
the finance commSttee. He maintained
that n taxes imposed by the pending
DlIi g 10 be levied Upon property
and not upon consumption; that the
poiicy OF the republican party always
hau oeen 20 impose taxes upon con
sumption, while that Of the democratic
parry was to impose IL upon property.
he Dsl4eVed that taxation that would
raise $50, 600. 600 would be amply suf-
ncient 10 be carried by this bill and
a a II the exigencies OF the war should
demonstrate that more money was
needed, congress could provide il later.
he opposed the proposition 10 issue
bonds and certificates OF indebted
ness far in excess OF the requirements
or the war and cid that the xpenses
should be paid by the government as
the war progresses.
Without reaching any agreement as
TO what portion of the bill should be
considered first. the enate proceeded
with the reading Of the bill, with the
understanding that at any time sena-
tors should have the privilege OF re-
turning to passed items for their
amendment or alteration.
At the request Of Senator Martin. Of
Virginia, the tobacco schedules We're
passed over for the present without
action on the committee amendments.
SenatoS Allison presented tables
showing the amounts Of the ordinary
appropriations for the next fiscal year.
| They aggregate Qess SOL 900. 900 for the
sinking fund.-, siS0,S $50. The ota
estimated including postal
revenues, Senator All!son's tables
showed were s4S2, S74.647; an excess of
S2,O24, I95 over the estimated ordinary
appropriations. The appropriations for
the war, Senator Allison gave as fol-
lows: National defense (act Of March
9th, 1899, $50, 600, 900; army fortifica-
| tiOns and navy act, of May fth, s35,-
700, 600; fortifications, S4,0 900, 900; naval
act increase over 1898 for war pur-
poses) S23, 100, 600; W deficiencies,
1898, $22,2 15 900, ava establishment for
1899, ADDITIONAL SIS, 900, 600; " auxil-
larry bill, $4,000, 900; immune bill and
engineer bill, S15, 600, 900; army for 1899,
additional, $3.50, OOO, 900. Total appro-
priations on account of the war,
1878, 1872, 900.
At 3 O'Clock the bill was laid aside
and Senator Hale presented resolu-
:tions in memory Of the late Seth l..
Milliken, a representative from Maine.
Eulogies were pronounced by several
senators.
Earlier in the day senator Hale,
chairman of the committee on naval
affairs, offered the following resolu-
ton, which was agreed to:
THAT the temporary appointments
made by the president on and after
April q, 1898, and up to the date of
the passage Of this joint of
officers of the line and staff of the navy
are hereby ratified and confirmed to
continue in force during the ~eXigency
under which their services are required
in the existing war. Provided, that
the officers so appointed shall be as
signed to duty with rank and pay OF
the grades established by existing law,
and shall be paid from the a%ppropria-
ton pay Of the navy"
A bill was reported from the military
affairs committee by Senator Carter,
Of Montana, providing that the pay
and allowance of the volunteers enlist
ed in the United States army shall be-
gin on the day of their enrolment at
the state camps, with a prOvisO that
volunteer troops sent to the Philip
, pines may draw one months pay in
advance. It was explained that the
bill applied only to those who had as
volunteers entered the United States
army. The bill was passed.
At $3.50 O'Clock r. M, as a further
mark of respect to Mr.. Milliken, the
senate adjourned.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
The house held a brief session today
Two important bills affecting labor
were passed, one limiting the labor Of
persons employed upon government
works and in government services tc
eight hours daily and the other pro-
viding for the appointment Of q non
partisan labor commission to consider
legislative problems affecting labor.
The first was amended so as to suspend
it's operations as affecting military or
naval works in time of war.
Mr.. Davenport, of Pennsylvania,
from elections committee No. 1, called
up the report in the contested case of
w. Godfrey Hunter VS. John S. Rhea,
from the Third Kentucky district. The
report favored the sitting m
and without discussion was adopted.
The contestant, DR.. Hunter, is now
minister to Guatemala.
At 2:45 o'clock p. m. the house ad-
journed.
Washington, May 1s.-The feature Of
today's session of the senate was the
speech of Senator Turpie, democrat, of
Indiana, upon the war revenue meas-
ure. He strongly cOntended that a
bond issue was unnecessary; that all
the funds required for the prosecution
of the war could be raised through the
proposed inheritance tax, by the tax
on corporations, by the coinage of the
silver seigniorage and by the issue Of
legal tender notes. These four means
Of obtaining money would yield to the
| government during the mex year he
| maintained, fully $500, O00, 600, an
amount in excess of the estimated
| sum necessary for the conduct of the
war. The speech was characteristical-
ly beautiful in diction and close and
| forceful in reasoning. senator's on
both sides of the chamber gave it
| undivided attention.
Considerable progress was made in
the reading of the bill, which includ-
ed, naturally, the consideration of the
amendments proposed by the commit
tee. Through the influence of Senator
German, democrat. of Maryland. the i'm
prisonment penalty was stricken out OF
some of the sections relating to viola
1 t;opS of the Sfamp tax