Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-03-08
ACTION OF CONGRESS.

tllHtI DIaUcn OF Congress THIS morning
g 1t was wildly apparent that there wd
n deep-seated feeling against Spain, an
8 that Congress was ready to stand by tn
r President in any action he might take fl
the crisis. The House passed the bill
n authorizing the increase of the army b,
two regiments Of artillery to man ~
q | new bigh-power guns in the cOast-de
: / fence Notifications.
! The gravity of the crisis with which
the country is confronted has so i'm
pressed the House that the bill wa,
taken up practically by unanimous con.
sent. Immediately after the reading OF
the Journal Of Fridays session. Chair
man Hit. Of the Committee on Military
Affairs, moved a suspension of the rules
and that the House pass the bill There
was no attempt TO prevent this Mr..
Bailey the Democratic leader, content
ing himself with trying TO make time
for the debate forty minutes on each side.
He was not successful in this, and each
side was limited to twenty minutes
Chairman Hit briefly explained the bill
and Mr.. Cox, Of Tennessee objected to
the increase as unnecessary, arguing that
no additional artilerymen were neces-
! sary, as the sea-coast guns could be
manned by men detailed from the in
fantry. Mr. Belknap. Of Illinois: Mr.
Mcclellan of New York and Nj Hay
briefly supported the bill Mr.. Hay Is
opposed TO any increase of the standing
! army, but under the circumstances, and
! regarding the serious emergency, h.
would not oppose the bill.
MR.. HAY APPLAUDED.
He was loudly appauded for his decla-
ration that Congress ought not to stand
in the way Of preparing the army Ia
| meet any condition with which it might
be confronted. His speech, which was
only of a minutes duration, was as fol-
lows:
"Mr. Speaker, realize the fact that It
Is impossible in this short space of time
for me TO make any argument upon a
measure of this character. 1 will there
fore follow the example of my friend
Mr.. Mcclellan, and extend my remarks
in the Record. ! want to say however
that l do not believe that in this emer-
gency-and / put IL on that ground alone
the Congress Of the United States should |
place any obstacle in the way Of fortify- |
ing this country or adding to the army |
of the United States whatever force may |
be necessary to meet the crisis now inn
pending"
BY unanimous consent Mr.. Hay was
allowed to extend his remarks in the |
Record.
MIR. JONES'S POSITION.
Mr.. Jones, of Virginia, favored recruit
ing the present artillery regiments UP 70
the war limit, and thus obtain more en-
listed men, without any Increased num-
Der of commissioned officers.
White, of North Carolina the only ne
gro member of the House. wanted the
bill amended so TO have the two regi-
ments composed of colored men.
Chafrotb UDOpu1fcf1 IF Colorado |
declared that it was with regret that he
heard a single voice raised against the
bill. 1t was not a time TO refuse to pre-
pare the government for war.
Mr.. Williams, of Mississippi, briefly de-
cared that while he was for peace, we
are now in a state Of semi-peace only,
and he for one did not propose to advo-
cate Cuban belligerency or Cuban indie
Dendence, but he believed this course had
brought the country so dangerously near
war with Spain that he could not refuse
10 aid in preparing the army for war if
t should be thrust upon us by Spain. 5
Mr.. Griffin, of Wisconsin, supported the .
speakers view that it was not an emer- !
,ency measure, but was demanded by
rood business policy. This view brought
orth expressions of dissent from both
des of the House.
When the Speaker put the question TO
uspend the rules and pass the bill there {
vas a rousing chorus OF ayes from both J
ides. When the noes were called not 5
1ore than three or four were heard, these |
ew including Cox. of Tennessee; Jones, =
f Virginia, and Todd, Of Michigan No :
ivision was demanded
MUSLIN FOR CARTRIDGE-BAGS.
While in q cigar-store at noon to-day,
ne Of the clerks connected with a large II
ry-goods house on Pennsylvania avenue II
ropped in for a cigar and remarked that r
ne Navy Department this morning placed s
hurry order with his firm for 10, 900 yards h
( muslin for use tomorrow. for the pur- n
ose Of making cartridge-bags. The mus
n referred to is two yards wide, and i
Understand is used by the navy in pack
lg cartridges to be stored on board ship. / d
he firm did not have the amount OF mus OF
n i'm stock, but Immediately wired TO T.
ew York in order to comply with the u
,uuisition. as requested. The clerk said 81
lis order looked like business. since ii
as the first time the department had
;ked TO have an order filed at once /
;ked him why the department could not -,
I'VE the order filed further on south ~
I'd he replied that the cartridges were ar
be shipped from this city, and that the bt
Igs were 10 be made here. Another gen. CO
IMAM In tlis cigar -SlOic dlSO Sidltu tndt
ef~ gun in the Washington navy-yard ~.
d already been shipped.
VIRGINIA MEASURES. n
Hay to-day introduced IL
bill for the relief OF Edwin Higgins. late III
Company II. Eleventh Michigan Infan-
Y.
=. j. Otey introduced a
| to reimburse w. S. Hodges. OF Hail.
county. Va. for horse taken by
3 Sixth United States Cavalry during
e war.
Lamb has introduced a
ition against the anti-scalpers bill
ned by X. ID. Tutwiler. S. b. Witt, r.
Howard, G. b. Dodson. NJ. j. Straus, ~.
A. Mccarthy, II. NJ. Smith, Frank w. III
and Others. III
SILVER COINAGE BILL. u
enator Martin. OF Virginia. to-day in
duced a bill directing the coinage of
silver bullion held in the Treasury
for other purposes. II is intended 10
omplish the same objects as those
led at by the bill which was passed by
Fifty-third Congress, and was vetoed
President Cleveland on the 24th OF
rch 1894. In this bill the antiquities
erred to by Mr.. Cleveland In his veto
ssage are corrected.
he first section of the bill provides for Z
..s.t,., suto the Iaral tender doiiara | fra