The San Francisco call., 1898-04-21
Call Office. Riggs House,


 volunteer forces and providing for their organization. Both the President and Secretary Alger had urged the impera- tive necessity of passing the bill to-day, and Chairman Hull of the Military Committee drove it under whip and spur. The bill was drafted at the War Department, introduced in the House yesterday and considered and reported by the committee to-day. No such eX- petition could have been possible eX- cept under the stress of war pressure. The bill is permanent in its character: The principal change made Tn the olli as introduced was that the appoint ment of all regimental officers are to be made by the Governors of the states instead of by the President, as was pro- posed originally by the War Depart ment. This action conforms to the practice of the Civil War.
 When the House was notified that {! c President had approved the Guban feSS'l, lutiOns the announcement Is sIetteu u with a tremendous outburSt or applause
 Chairman Hull of the Military AUalrs Committee immediately asked the uhail nous consent of the House Tor the con Eideration of a bill authorizing the fIeSl- dent to call out volunteers. He said ne haG just received a message rom the White House urging the necessity lor 'he
 
 The House went into committee or me whole to consider the bill.
 Savers CD) of Texas criticised the sec- ton authorizing the President to ap- poi 1t the staff officers subject 10 the con firmation of the Senate or aut l"rlzH.S him to assign these officers from inc res uiar army or the volunteer ofhcers or the
 Hui explained that the committee unanimously held that past precedents should be followed and that the Cover nors of States should retain the power 10 apuo!nt all regimental officers. The joint resolution passed by Congress 1uthoriZlng the President to employ the militia force of the United States he said would not meet the present situation. He felt au- tho~i2ed to say that if we were to tght this war it would be with volunteers ana not the militia forces.
 Hull read the following teleS am he re: ceiVed from Secretary Alger thls Iuorii7 ing: II hope you will introduce your blll this morning. Time is now very Naludple. On the whole, l am inclined t0 thlnk t!iat requiring commissions to be signed Dy the President for the militia would be cause for action and opposition by the Ct0Ver- nors. who naturally might feel that thlS was taking some of their power rom them. Can you consistently change that and hasten it's passage?'
 Johnson (R.) of Indiana at this point at tempted to secure time to address the House regarding his attitude on the gen eral situation If war was tc come. he said he was ready to su op )rt any meas ure to prosecute it to successful conclh-
 
 thought the House should give him chance to speak. The request met with much opposition and was refused.
 Cox D) of Tennessee, the senior mi nority member of the commit ee. gave the bill as modified his indorSement.
 Marshall (R.) of Illinois and Savers both expressed the opinion that this measure should be passed forthwith We were on the verge of war. The measure was asked for by the President and the Secretary of War, said Savers, and there should be no further quibblng.
 question arose as to whether. under the provisions of the bill. additional legis- lation would not be necessary to permit the President to call out volunteers.
 To meet this deficit Lacey offered an amendment authorizing the President to raise volunteers when Congress shall have authorized him to do so, or when he has been authorized ito call into the actual service of the United States the militia of the several States.
 The amendment was adopted.
 McMillin CD) of Tennessee moved to reduce the term of enlistment of the volunteer forces for three years, as pro vided in the bill, to one year. He thought many of the young men of the country would not be willing to enlist for three years.
 Hull replied that 1t was not expected that the war would be long one un- less Spain resorted to guerrilla warfare but he did not believe a three years term would terrorize the young men.
 The amendment was defeated.
 Handy offered a substitute, authorizing the enlistment of 100000 men for the war He said it was distinctly temporary measure. under the approval of eminent military authorities.
 The substitute was lost.
 Talbot O.) of South Carolina warned the House that war with Spain was not a light thing. Gentlemen who thought II would be over in a few days would be sadly disappointed. in his mind,
 II remember at the opening or the last hn South believed it would not last thirty days l heard man agree to drink all the blood that was spilled. Every coun- try in Europe may be drawn into the encounter before we get through with
 little D) of Arkansas offered an amendment. which was agreed 10 proVld- ing that the Indian Territory shall fur
 Iinney (R.1 of North Carolina offered an amendment providing that nothing in the bill should be construed 10 .tao PretGn, companies and regiments from selecting their own officers The power to select officers to fill vacancies, he sald' wouio be an incentive to enlistment. III, ne fvrannous discipline of officers, he said was more dreaded by soldiers than the bullets and bayonets of the enemy
 The Linney amendment was defeated
 An amendment was adopted providing for a chaplain for each regiment
 An amendment was adopted providing that regimental and all other medical of1- cers should keep the records or all othcers ar men sick or wounded, and that upon the disbandment of the organization they should be filed In the records Of the pension office and War Department.
 Section 15 was amended so as to proHyide that the Governors of States instead o1 the President might appoint officers 1T the regular army to the grade of felo officers. in the volunteer army, such ap' pointments to depend upon the consent of the President.
 Cannon, chairman of the Appropriation Committee, offered as an additional sec ton an amendment providing that al Government employees called into the mil itary or naval service of the United States while in service should be granted leave of absence, and upon honorable dis charge should be entitled to resume thei1 employment at the same pay, and 1t alsC provided where necessary, for temporary appointments to fill vacancies.
 Paris (R) of Indiana said the amend ment was the legitimate outgrowth of th' civil service humbug. This proposition contained the biggest bounty ever con templated in enlisting soldiers.
 The amendment was defeated.
 The bill was then passed without al vision, and at 5:15 D. m. the House ad