Evening star., 1898-12-08
OUR MILITARY NEEDS
Deficiency Bill Taken Up by the
House. e.
APPROPRIATIONS FOR SIX MONTHS
The Senate Begins the Considera-
ton Of Pension Bills.
VICTORY FOR CANAL BILL

On motion of Chairman Cannon of the
appropriations committee the, House of
Representatives went into committee of the
whole Immediately after the reading of the
journal today. Speaker Reed vacated the
chair, which was assumed by Mr.. Dalzelf
of Pennsylvania. and the House proceeded
to the consideration of the urgent deficiency
bill for the support of the military and
naval establishments during the six months
beginning January 1, 1899.
Mr.. Cannon said 1t was difficult, almost
impossible, to tell with ordinary certainty
how much money would be required during
the next six months, but this bill was
based ON the best estimates.
Mr.. Underwood (Ala) interrogated Mr..
Cannon with q view to securing a state
ment as to the disposition to be made of
the volunteer army
Mr. Cannon said the treaty of peace had
not been ratified. 1t might be ratified in
January, it might not be ratified for
months. No one could tell what was in
front of us. We must deal with a situa-
tlon. The volunteer army might be mus
tered out and it's place taken by the regu-
lar army. That was a matter for the fu-
ture to decide. but he felt confident that
the treasury would be rich enough and
congress wise enough to meet any emer-
gency.
MIR. Sayers (Tex) the ranking minority
member of the appropriations committee.
gave his unqualified Endorsement to the bill
1t did not affect in any way, he said, the
legislation regarding the volunteer and reg
ular armies. 1t simply made appropria-
tfons to support the present military ami
naval establishment. In answer to ques-
tons he said the bill was based on the the
ory that the volunteers would continue in
the service until July l. 1899 If they were
mustered out the appropriations would be
covered back into the treasury
Mr.. Livingston (Ga.). In supporting the
BILL expressed the opinion that the law un-
DER which the volunteers were mustered
into service was subject to double construc-
ton as to the time when they should be
mustered out. That law said they should
De mustered out when the purpose for
winch they We're enlisted had been accom-
plished, or when hostilities had ceased He
believed If the President was disposed to
keep the volunteers In the service until the
regular army had been reorganized this
Dill appropriating money for their payment
would strengthen his hands.
Unjust to Volunteers.
Mr.. McRae (Arls) said there was no pur-
pose on his side of the House to oppose the
appropriations in the pending BILL but he
did not believe that it's passage should be
construed as in any way Interpreting the
act creating the volunteer army He gave
notice that at the proper time he would
ottef an amendment decia ring that nothing
IN the pending bill should construe extend
or mod1fy section 4 of the act of April %
creating the volunteer army. He said he
would not have pressed this amendment
had 1t not been for the Presidents declara-
tlon In his message that he would muster
out tne volunteer army as soon the reg
ulaf estaDlshment was increased. 1t was
unjust TO the volunteers to hold them In the
service when Congress had given a solemn
pledge that they should be mustered out as
soon as the war ended.
-.
why should they now be held in service,
a hostage for the passage of an act to in
crease the regular army? Unless his
amendment carried the War Department.
already headed in that direction. would con-
strue thls bil! as an extension of the fourth
section of the act of April - He believed
1t was the purpose of the President to hole
tne volunteers until a large standing army
was provided.
democrats and Increase of the Army.
The army on peace footing numbers
but 26.ooo' interposed Mr.. Cannon. DO
the gentleman and his side of the house
STAND ready to support a bill to increase
that army to meet the necessities of the
government in its present emergency and
those which confront n?"
we Will meet that question when ii
arises" replied Mr. McRae I'VE are on
posed TO large standing army, and we are
opposed to holding the volunteers to per-
form the duty of regulars and be used as
d cruz 10 1orce us to create large stand
ing army. Let reorganization of the army
come In the regular way"
MIR. Cox cTenn.) contended that under the
law the volunteers We're entitled to their
discharge the moment hostilities ceased
He supported the McRae amendment, as
did Mr.. Bland.
MIR. Hemenway said he could not under
stand how gentlemen could desire the mus
tering out of the volunteers until a stand
ing army was provided large enough to
properly govern our new possessions. Ger
tainIy no one would contend that 26OU
men would be sufficient
DO you favor the retention of the vol
unteer army in the service until the reg
uiar army is increased?" asked Mr.. Bland
III an increase of the regular army IS
deemed necessary, replied Mr. Hemen-
way, Il do | believe, if necessary that
the volunteers should be held in service
untll their time of enlistment expires
MI Dockery (Mo,l, a member of the an
preparations committee, differed from his
colleague, Mr.. Livingston. He did not be-
iieve the pending bill could possibly be con-
strued TO modify the volunteer act II snv
OF Its provisions did so a point of order
would lie against them.
Mr. Underwood tAla) asserted that the
volunteers who enlisted did 30 with the
understanding that they would be mustered
out as soon as hostilities ceased and since
hostilities had ceased there had been a